I just read this whole thread. I need a nap & then I'll order some jigs  

 

One trick for using heavier jigs up shallow is if you want a fast fall or you want to knock tree branches and cause a lot of commotion. This could trigger bites. 

Why is it that I never catch a fish on a jig on the retrieve? I started keeping a jig tied on a few years ago and I've gained a lot of confidence in my ability to pitch it to cover. But I'd bet I can count on one hand the number of bites I've gotten on the retrieve. It seems the vast majority of my bites come on the drop of the jig. Is this everyone's experience? I know people use football jigs casting and retrieving like a T rig.

40 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I've gained a lot of confidence in my ability to pitch it to cover.

 

This tells me you're fishing shallow...correct?

 

When fishing deepwater structure is when I get bit on the retrieve. 

 

You're pitching to a specific target, I'm casting to a specific structure.

26 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

This tells me you're fishing shallow...correct?

 

When fishing deepwater structure is when I get bit on the retrieve. 

 

You're pitching to a specific target, I'm casting to a specific structure.

so shallow you’d expect the bite on the way down, deeper on the retrieval. What depth do you typically draw the line there?

29 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

This tells me you're fishing shallow...correct?

 

When fishing deepwater structure is when I get bit on the retrieve. 

 

You're pitching to a specific target, I'm casting to a specific structure.

Thanks. I'm usually pitching to wood cover shallow enough to see-laydowns, docks, logs. The max depth where I fish is 20'. Most places I pitch to are 1-10' deep. I was just wondering if I'm doing something wrong. I tend to switch over to a T rig if I'll be casting and retrieving. 

3 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

What depth do you typically draw the line there?

 

When I can no longer visually see the target.

 

2 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I tend to switch over to a T rig if I'll be casting and retrieving. 

 

I keep both on the deck of my boat 24/7/365 & throw both. 

 

If I know a area holds fish & I don't get bite on the jig, I work it again with the T-rig.

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

When I can no longer visually see the target.

 

 

I keep both on the deck of my boat 24/7/365 & throw both. 

 

If I know a area holds fish & I don't get bite on the jig, I work it again with the T-rig.

i need to work on fishing what I can’t visually see in the worst way, just a hard habit to break. Feels like I’m casting at nothing. 

1 hour ago, NoShoes said:

i need to work on fishing what I can’t visually see in the worst way, just a hard habit to break. Feels like I’m casting at nothing. 

 

Lots of anglers have that problem ?

 

I am casting to a particular spot on structure or cover on the structure.

 

Ya gotta visualize it your head, unless ya got forward looking sonar.

So I've been watching, learning and trying, and overall I'm gathering that since they like to bite on the fall so often, an effective way is to make many pitches or casts to a productive target, whether shallow or deep, and work it slowly just for a short time on the bottom by slow drags or subtle hops. Also to pay attention to rate of fall and try a different weight if they're not biting the first one you have tied on. Corrections/elaborations?

Success this past weekend courtesy of the awesome tips found in this thread! 1/4 oz finesse jig with small beaver trailer. 3.75 lb

@mikey z Awesome ?

 

That would make a great profit picture!

@Catt Done. wish I could profit from it! ?

On 12/7/2019 at 4:44 PM, Harold Scoggins said:

Just spending a little time revisiting old threads (this being one of my favorites) because you never know when something someone has posted will "pop" out at you. The above sentence is found at the end of a reply posted by @WRB 7 years back, and as I re-read it, it seemed as though I was being slapped on the back of the head. I was taught this some 30 years back by a local hometown fishing legend. We were both throwing jigs from his boat and after a couple hours and a few fish, all landed by him, I asked him what I was doing wrong. The old timer smiled at me and said, "You're not fishing a jig, son." He then went on and asked me if I had ever observed a crawfish falling through the water. I hadn't noticed that while I was letting my jig fall straight down to the bottom, he was occasionally making small jerks as his jig fell. I've caught my fair share of bass off the bottom with a jig, but after that "fishing" lesson many years ago, many more bass have been landed on the way down. If you happen to stumble onto this reply, make sure you revisit the older posts/replies. You never know what you might find that was missed on an earlier read. Thanks for the memories, WRB.

Kinda funny, I read the beginning of this post the other day and thought to myself how much I agreed. I was kind of proud of myself for going through this thread so many times and having the same experience. The information in the rest of the post was lost on me until just now. Not a word of it stuck until I found myself rereading it. Again. 

I caught a nice 4.5 lb on the jig yesterday. But I missed another bigger one and the fish kept biting the tails off the trailer. It was a Trashmaster jig with a Rage Bug trailer. The fish were swimming around with the bait and when I'd set the hook it would come back with no "claws". I went through 4 this way. My thought was that maybe they were just moving it. But there were no beds that I could see. Have any of you experienced this before?

14 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I caught a nice 4.5 lb on the jig yesterday. But I missed another bigger one and the fish kept biting the tails off the trailer. It was a Trashmaster jig with a Rage Bug trailer. The fish were swimming around with the bait and when I'd set the hook it would come back with no "claws". I went through 4 this way. My thought was that maybe they were just moving it. But there were no beds that I could see. Have any of you experienced this before?

Could you see them?  This is something I figured for bedding fish, but maybe it would help.

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Could you see them?  This is something I figured for bedding fish, but maybe it would help.

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html

I could see a couple males on beds in a different area and I even caught one. But this was not in a usual spawning flat. It was in an area with overhanging trees and laydowns right next to deep water, a natural staging location for prespawn females. The one I landed was not spawned out yet. I also got a bite form one that ate the tail. After I got the bait to the surface, that fish bit again at the surface. It missed again. Naturally, it was bigger than the one I landed. ?

How good are Head Hunter Firetail Craws crankbaits?

15 minutes ago, Jim Sutter said:

How good are Head Hunter Firetail Craws crankbaits?

Never heard of them...crazy name for a jig

I just finished this whole thread. Great stuff in here and a big thanks to all the contributors. I probably should have asked this before I ordered some jigs from Siebert, but I'm really new to fishing, despite my age. I have been skunked for so long that I've thought about selling my kayak and all my gear because I flat out suck at fishing. Can someone who is new to fishing learn to fish with a jig? Should I stick to something more basic? 

 

Found this thread and, coincidentally, I have dedicated myself to learning to jig fish this year. Read this entire freaking thread and finally got my first jig fish last night in a downpour. 

 

http://imgur.com/a/M4TZMpD

On 4/9/2021 at 8:15 AM, the reel ess said:

My thought was that maybe they were just moving it. But there were no beds that I could see. Have any of you experienced this before?

When that happens to me I throw a small t-rig like my new favorite Z-Man baby goat. It's small enough that when they grab it, and you set the hook you will get them. Something to try.

3 hours ago, waymont said:

When that happens to me I throw a small t-rig like my new favorite Z-Man baby goat. It's small enough that when they grab it, and you set the hook you will get them. Something to try.

I decided to give flipping tubes a shot. I've had two packs of tubes in my bag for years and never tried them. I rigged my pitching rod with it and I'll try it out tomorrow.

4 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I decided to give flipping tubes a shot. I've had two packs of tubes in my bag for years and never tried them. I rigged my pitching rod with it and I'll try it out tomorrow.

same here, never used a big tube and bought some on sale to try out and am sure they will be great.