Jig Fishing Questions

[rockchalk06]

Would you guys suggest using mono or fluoro for swim jigs. I feel like I should switch to fluoro because I cant feel as well with the line stretch. Any tips?

If I had to choose either of just those two, I'd go fluoro for the less stretch and slack line detection. I prefer straight braid for stained water and braid/fluoro leader for clear.

[ohio-rage-tail]

I'm in the market for some new jigs and would like to know if I should go with the Hack Attack or Denny Brauer Premier Pro Jig.

[00 mod]

I'm in the market for some new jigs and would like to know if I should go with Siebert outdoors AND Northstar Jigs.

 

 

Yes!

 

Jeff

[Montanaro]

I tried out swim jigging yesterday with a revenge bluegill colored jig with berkley twin tail grub. Lake I fish on gets a fair amount of pressure and is choked with milfoil and watershield. Spinnerbaits are okay but foul up easily and thats what most on the lake use.

The jig allowed me to gcast quietly and put the lure anywhere. It was so versatile. I could even walk it on the watershield and even caught one that way and had one miss it. the watershield on edges allowed me to tick and rip jig through it that caused a couple reaction bites. I could also swim the jig up to fallen logs and let it drop like a normal jig...whi h also produced a fish.

I was only one on lake catching bass to the point of having other people swoop in front of me to beat me to the fissh...but it didnt matter , i caught them when they left!

[Montanaro]

When should one use a standard jig versus a shaky head jig with soft plastic versus a texas rig soft plastic with pegged bullet weight?  Is it personal preference?

 

 

[00 mod]

You need to let the fish tell you this.  Go out and fish them and see what they want on that particular day.

 

 

Jeff

[Montanaro]

surely though the bullet weight would be better for punching than a football head jig?

[00 mod]

Well of course it would.  If you are punching, I would suggest a bobber stopper, tungsten weight and a straight shank hook with your plastic on it.  But you weren't asking about punching. 

 

Jeff

[Mr_Scrogg]

My Bobberstopper keeps sliding up, should I be using a lighter lined one on a bigger diameter?

[00 mod]

My Bobberstopper keeps sliding up, should I be using a lighter lined one on a bigger diameter?

 

When punching, I use 50-60lb braid with a 6th sense stopper.  Only comes in one size, but it works.  They are small enough, that you could try 2 to see if that had enough holding power!

 

Jeff

[J Francho]

My Bobberstopper keeps sliding up, should I be using a lighter lined one on a bigger diameter?

Try a wooden toothpick.

[Mccallister25]

I mainly use a 3/8 oz. jig. When are the correct times to use a smaller jig/trailer? Smaller profile for colder water?

[00 mod]

Try a wooden toothpick.

 

 

Toothpick on a bobber stopper?  Please explain?

 

Jeff

[Brian Needham]

toothpick is Old school, shove/wedge a toothpick in the hole of the weight and snap it off ........while it works I would be scared of it.

 

I use the rubber t-pegs, I cant imagine a bobber stopper paired with a t-peg slipping, but that's just me.

[00 mod]

Duh....he meant toothpick instead of.  Must have not had my thinking cap on when I typed this earlier.    We used to use the toothpick method and never experienced any problems.  But there are better alternatives out there.  If the stopper is sliding, try his method with the skirt.

 

Jeff

[J Francho]

Anyone "scared" to use a toothpick should realize that we use them to peg little trout beads to the leader above the hook.  That leader is 4-8# fluoro.  The fish can weigh up to 20 lbs.  If nicking the line were an issue, then it would surely appear in this application. It isn't an issue at all.  It worked for years before all the fancy bobber stops came out, and it still works, and it holds better and is faster to rig.  I've gone back to them after trying everything else.  Win.

[Brian Needham]

well played sir francho.

[bigbill]

Brushhoggin, Thanks for the video. I been sorting out a lot of Siebert Outdoors jigs I purchased and I just out a rage trailer on one of them. I showed my wife your video them showed her the jig with the trailer. She was very interested and she understands about jigs now.

I'm new to jigs, I've thrown a few in the past with success but never really got into them until now. Being I'm into the color thing with cranks and the topwater lures I figure why should jig colors be any different when matching the water conditions. My crawfish in the ponds are black backs and a reddish color. In the rivers here there a tan color. But in muddy and stained water the game changes. Time will tell if I'm as successful with the brighter colors in the darker water conditions or not. Chartreuse rules the assortment of colors in the darker waters.

Joe thanks for all the info. That info should be a sticky here.

[hoosierbass07]

  This is the first year for me to fish since I was a kid.  I've tried reading articles (books and online) and videos on all the different types of lures used to catch bass.  99% of the bass I have caught this year have been on plastic worms/lizards.  Two bass (in the spring) were on jigs and one on spinnerbait.  I quickly learned the power of plastic worms.  I've also come to the conclusion (that I severe the right to change) that jigs don't work as nearly as well as I read about or see about, at least not the places I fish here in Indiana.  

 

 My brother said jigs were meant for larger fish and not average/smaller sized bass.  I don't know.  All I know is that I have thrown plastic worms a lot and they work.  During summer I would start with a plastic worm and then, after catching a bass or not, move to a jig for a bit, then move back to a plastic worm.  I've had horrible success rate with jigs.  

 

 I went fishing for an hour this afternoon at a club and talked with two guys and asked them if they ever catch anything on jigs.  One answered - It takes lots of  patience.  I went to Gander Mountain this evening and talked with one of the men who works at the fishing department.  He's an older man that sounds like he has fished many years.   I asked - Do you fish with jigs? He said the only thing he uses are plastic tubes and he guarantees he will catch more fish bass than I could on anything I throw!  

 

 In my opinion - Plastics: A+;  Spinnerbaits: (not sure yet but maybe a C); Jigs: F

 

 I'll admit I did most of my summer fishing at one lake that is not known for very large bass.  

 

 Anyway, I never thought I would do this because I find throwing jigs fun even though I don't catch anything on them - I took them out of my tackle bag.  Right now my bag is made up of lots of plastic worms/lizards/tubs/creatures, ten or so spinnerbaits, and that's it.  I may add a rattle bait and crainkbait. The jigs are staying home my next few trips out to fish for bass.  

 

 Maybe jigs are more for lakes/ponds that are known to have giant bass, like those in southern states or California.  

[rockchalk06]

  This is the first year for me to fish since I was a kid.  I've tried reading articles (books and online) and videos on all the different types of lures used to catch bass.  99% of the bass I have caught this year have been on plastic worms/lizards.  Two bass (in the spring) were on jigs and one on spinnerbait.  I quickly learned the power of plastic worms.  I've also come to the conclusion (that I severe the right to change) that jigs don't work as nearly as well as I read about or see about, at least not the places I fish here in Indiana.  

 

 My brother said jigs were meant for larger fish and not average/smaller sized bass.  I don't know.  All I know is that I have thrown plastic worms a lot and they work.  During summer I would start with a plastic worm and then, after catching a bass or not, move to a jig for a bit, then move back to a plastic worm.  I've had horrible success rate with jigs.  

 

 I went fishing for an hour this afternoon at a club and talked with two guys and asked them if they ever catch anything on jigs.  One answered - It takes lots of  patience.  I went to Gander Mountain this evening and talked with one of the men who works at the fishing department.  He's an older man that sounds like he has fished many years.   I asked - Do you fish with jigs? He said the only thing he uses are plastic tubes and he guarantees he will catch more fish bass than I could on anything I throw!

 

 In my opinion - Plastics: A+;  Spinnerbaits: (not sure yet but maybe a C); Jigs: F

 

 I'll admit I did most of my summer fishing at one lake that is not known for very large bass.  

 

 Anyway, I never thought I would do this because I find throwing jigs fun even though I don't catch anything on them - I took them out of my tackle bag.  Right now my bag is made up of lots of plastic worms/lizards/tubs/creatures, ten or so spinnerbaits, and that's it.  I may add a rattle bait and crainkbait. The jigs are staying home my next few trips out to fish for bass.  

 

 Maybe jigs are more for lakes/ponds that are known to have giant bass, like those in southern states or California.  

It takes Patients like no other. I have 4 set ups with a jig tied on right now. I fish them almost all the time. That said I have a crankbait, jerkbait and tube tide on different set up as well. Sometimes the jig bite is not on. Other times it is. After spending a lot of time here, listening to pro's and listening to trusted jig fisherman, I have come to the conclusion that you have to have 100% confidence in the bait or technique to be successful with it. I have a lake back home that looks like it was made for jig fishing. I have caught one bass, on a jig, in the last 5 years on it and it was my PB. Now that same lake I can throw a chartreuse or craw colored crank and clean house. Blows my mind, but it is what it is. 

 

I highlighted a part of your post in red. Please don't be offended, but when anyone, even a Pro, makes a blanket statement like that, they either are full of BS or so full of them selves they are about to pop! I'm no expert but the right person could make the guy eat his words. I've come to find out the guys working a fishing counter that truly are good fisherman that have years of good experience will never put you down or put something down you are asking about. They will help you be successful with what you asked about or make a suggestion to help you out.

 

You can always take your jigs and add a swim bait trailer and use them just like a spinner bait without a blade. I have caught more bass fishing a jig like a spinnerbait than I ever have pitching it into cover.

[hoosierbass07]

 I'm not throwing my jigs away.  I'm taking a break.  I have been giving great thought on why I have not caught many bass using jigs.  One thing I have not done with jigs is throw them into heavy cover.  The places were I banked fish at a state park during most of the summer does not have much cover.  Maybe some tree limbs here and there but no thick grass or weeds.  I did recently join the local Izaak Walton League and their strip pit lakes have lots of grass.  I've not used jigs in the heavy grass yet so maybe I should try jigs there.  

[Todd2]

I've had one of my best years ever on keeper bass on jigs. Lately, the spinnerbait bite has been picking up, but I always have a jig ready to pitch into the nasty stuff. Hoosierbass, if you haven't already, read back through this thread from the beginning. It's helped me.

[hoosierbass07]

 Are jigs primarily a heavy cover lure?  

 

 Also, isn't a spinnerbait a jig but with a V wire and blades?  If you simply reel in a spinnerbait and bass will go after it (hopefully) why can't jigs be reeled in like spinnerbaits?  

 

 I was reading the latest Bass Master magazine and there is an article on one of the pro's, they spend the day with him at an unnamed lake.  He caught five or six bass and most were caught on jigs in very deep/heavy cover like tree trunks under water.   So is that where jigs work - very heavy cover?  

[Brian Needham]

dinks to hawgs, shallow to deep, thick cover to open water........the jig catches them all.

[Montanaro]

couple days ago the bass were plucking at my d bomb trailer. actually got on a steep bank and watchex a pound n a half nibble on it. Is this when you change colors or what?