PaulVE64 Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 10 hours ago, ak6388 said: Recently made an account with the forum after reading for a year or so and I just wanted to say thanks to all the contributors on this thread. I’ve read through a couple times this year and it’s really helped my jig fishing game. I typically flip a lot of Texas rigged plastics. This year I’ve put a jig in my hand more and I will definitely say that my average fish is larger as well as a lot more catches than previous attempts with the jig. I’ve read through the whole thread multiple times, there’s a ton of great information. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJosh Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Just wanted to say thank you to everyone whom gave tips and advice on this thread. I was out this afternoon which is unusual for me but while practicing my baitcaster skillls I caught a largemouth bass with black and blue jig with a blue craw. Biggest fish I’ve caught thus far as well. I’m getting older, 49; and got into fishing just under 10 years ago and thanks to threads like this it’s helped me hook into a lot more fish successfully. So for what it’s worth, many thanks to you all, and when someone tells you black and blue, listen to them. It works! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33oldtimer Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 Great thread, thanks! I'm slowly working my way through it. Particularly interested in fishing a jig in winter, at least until it gets too cold and icy. Really just started fishing jigs this year. Caught a bass last week on a jig off of the bank, but expect they will be moving out deeper soon. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User WRB Posted December 24, 2023 Super User Share Posted December 24, 2023 We tend to tell everyone that jigs replicate crawdads or baitfish but in all my Years jig fishing never witnessed a crawdad or baitfish hit the surface hard and fall fast straight down to the bottom. Yet this how we cast and present a jig, hit the surface and let fall to the bottom. Try sometime casting on to the shore and dragging the jig into the water like a real crawdad enters the water. Tom 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33oldtimer Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 On 12/24/2023 at 6:32 PM, WRB said: We tend to tell everyone that jigs replicate crawdads or baitfish but in all my Years jig fishing never witnessed a crawdad or baitfish hit the surface hard and fall fast straight down to the bottom. Yet this how we cast and present a jig, hit the surface and let fall to the bottom. Try sometime casting on to the shore and dragging the jig into the water like a real crawdad enters the water. Tom The last bass I caught on a jig I cast into a bunch of shad busting on top of the water. The bass smacked the jig almost as soon as it hit the water. Of course that was a reaction strike. My guess is jigs are probably either a reaction strike, or the bass eats it because its in the strike zone and perhaps irritating the fish. I wonder how many bass strikes are actually out of hunger rather than reaction strikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User WRB Posted January 4 Super User Share Posted January 4 Good observation. Very active bass especially feeding school bass will strike nearly anything when the bass is feeding. The key is location active feeding bass. In the above situation the bass ate a jig hitting the surface in a school of baitfish, that bass would strike nearly any lure under that particular situation. Right now I am debating with myself what jig to send to a friend who fishes bass that are not school feeding baitfish and may not be focused on feeding on crawdads. The jig needs to appeal to a wider variety of prey types. In this situation the jig needs to look like several different prey types to the bass and be able to have movements and coloration to fool the bass into striking. A swim jig is the obvious choice until you consider the may not be willing to leave it’s ambush area to chase down a faster moving prey. So I want a jig that stays in the strike zone, has natural movements and doesn’t snag in cover. In this situation a living rubber skirt jig with a double tail soft plastic that swims naturally in lieu of frantically looking like a small bluegill would be a good choice. The presentation needs to be accurate target casting close to cover weed lines. Tom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulVE64 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 On 1/3/2024 at 11:28 PM, WRB said: Good observation. Very active bass especially feeding school bass will strike nearly anything when the bass is feeding. The key is location active feeding bass. In the above situation the bass ate a jig hitting the surface in a school of baitfish, that bass would strike nearly any lure under that particular situation. Right now I am debating with myself what jig to send to a friend who fishes bass that are not school feeding baitfish and may not be focused on feeding on crawdads. The jig needs to appeal to a wider variety of prey types. In this situation the jig needs to look like several different prey types to the bass and be able to have movements and coloration to fool the bass into striking. A swim jig is the obvious choice until you consider the may not be willing to leave it’s ambush area to chase down a faster moving prey. So I want a jig that stays in the strike zone, has natural movements and doesn’t snag in cover. In this situation a living rubber skirt jig with a double tail soft plastic that swims naturally in lieu of frantically looking like a small bluegill would be a good choice. The presentation needs to be accurate target casting close to cover weed lines. Tom Who doesnt love a double tail grub. And it sounds like something I could throw a bass streamer at. Flyrod or spinning gear if I can add a bit of lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDMTJager Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 On 12/4/2012 at 10:21 PM, WRB said: Because big bass will reject a jig quickly, most anglers miss the strike a very high percentage of the time. This is why how you hold your rod and reel becomes critical. With a bait casting reel you should be feeling the line at all times when the jig is in the water. I run the line under the thumb and over the tip of my index finger. With this method you can feel the slightest line movement and improve your strike detection and catch more big bass. Today's bass anglers have the belief their rods are so sensitive they can feel anything that touches their lures. I have heard this statement for over 30 years now and no rod will ever be more sensitive than your finger tip. Tom Excellent Yoda level advice. PRECISELY how I plan on holding my rod/reel/line in my LFT hand while fishing jigs and all soft plastics with a BC (for the 1st time ever) this year 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDMTJager Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 On 10/16/2023 at 9:16 PM, MrJosh said: Just wanted to say thank you to everyone whom gave tips and advice on this thread. I was out this afternoon which is unusual for me but while practicing my baitcaster skillls I caught a largemouth bass with black and blue jig with a blue craw. Biggest fish I’ve caught thus far as well. I’m getting older, 49; and got into fishing just under 10 years ago and thanks to threads like this it’s helped me hook into a lot more fish successfully. So for what it’s worth, many thanks to you all, and when someone tells you black and blue, listen to them. It works! You have my sympathies having missed so many yeas of joyful-frustration. I started bass fishing when I was 6, but only started to know how to bass fish after I entered my 40's and started reading some good books on bass fishing and subscribing to The InFisherman back when it was still run by Al and Ron Linder. I caust A LOT of LM/SM, walleye and even northern pike following their advice. One Canada fishing trip in particular back in the late 1980's six of us went on, the walleye fishing was utterly abismal I recalled an article I read, while not recalling it all I do remember the article advising one tough fishing strategy when you do not have the luxury of electronics (we did not) of slowly back trolling past points ever farther out into the lake with 1/4oz lead head jigs tipped with minnows back parallel to shore until you found active feeding walleye then anchor and vertically jig for them. That strategy literally saved out trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User WRB Posted February 16 Super User Share Posted February 16 On 1/31/2024 at 4:54 PM, CDMTJager said: You have my sympathies having missed so many yeas of joyful-frustration. I started bass fishing when I was 6, but only started to know how to bass fish after I entered my 40's and started reading some good books on bass fishing and subscribing to The InFisherman back when it was still run by Al and Ron Linder. I caust A LOT of LM/SM, walleye and even northern pike following their advice. One Canada fishing trip in particular back in the late 1980's six of us went on, the walleye fishing was utterly abismal I recalled an article I read, while not recalling it all I do remember the article advising one tough fishing strategy when you do not have the luxury of electronics (we did not) of slowly back trolling past points ever farther out into the lake with 1/4oz lead head jigs tipped with minnows back parallel to shore until you found active feeding walleye then anchor and vertically jig for them. That strategy literally saved out trip. I wrote 2 articles for the original In-Fisherman magazines “ A Rare Chance for a World Record” 1986 and “Horizontal Jigging” in 1995. Enjoy the BR experience and community. Any jig fishing questions you may have will be happy to help with. Tom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 18 Super User Share Posted June 18 I am late to the game as fishing jigs simply never produced for me except once in a blue moon. Until this year. And now I seem to catch multiple bass a trip on jigs. I think the main reason is that I pretty much worked a jig like a Texas rig, and it caught more algae than anything else. But once I started using a swim jig more often, and stepping down to a 1/4 oz. jig, it’s really starting to pay off. I’ve always liked working a Texas rig, but I think I’m starting to enjoy fishing jigs more. It’s not as active as working a crankbait or a spinnerbait, but it’s more active than slowly working a worm on the bottom. I have a feeling that when I finally hook my new PB, it’s going to be on a blue/black jig. @WRB I am in full agreement with your take on tossing a jig on the bank and pulling it into the water in imitation of how a crawfish enters a pond or lake. I’ve done that as well with a weightless TR but I get more strikes on a jig doing that. Either right off the bank or after I start to work it back. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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