What are the differences between a casting jig and a swim jig? what situations would you use each over the other?

I want to know as well.

Head style?

A swimming jig is designed to be fished like a spinnerbait.  It's head should have a flat bottom.

A regular jig has a silicon skirt; wide gap hook; and the eye can protrude out straight or on an upward angle.

Both can have rattles and the hooks are large enough for pork or plastic trailers.

You can swim a regular jig and also fish a swimming jig like a regular jig.

May I suggest getting Denny Brauer's Jig Fishing Secrets book or DVD to read all about jig fishing.

Also, check out YouTube and also Google swimming jigs and jig fishing.

There are so many things you can do with a jig head that we do not have the space here to discuss them all.

Now, how to fish them? First,

Fish them like a crawfish on the bottom.

Fish them swimming.

Bounce them up and down.

Flip, pitch and skip them under docks, piers and cover.

Fish them in rocks.

Fish them over bottom vegetation.

Take off the skirt and put a plastic on the hook as a trailer.

Fish them all year.

Fish them in all weather conditions.

With a swimming jig, fish it over grass.

Fish them in timber, brush, flooded areas,  matted cover,through weeds and lilly pads. over sandy bottoms and mud banks.

Just go out and experiment and have some fun.

But a word of caution: Jigs are used to catch larger bass. So you can get bored very easily by not getting any bites.

So hit the water with only jigs and let us know how you do. 

Now, do we discuss colors??????        

Any "grass jig" with a cone shaped head and vertical hook eye will work just fine as a swim jig, IMO.

You can swim a regular jig and also fish a swimming jig like a regular jig.

I've caught some big fish swimming a regular jig.

Sam, Thanks for taking the time to offer such a detailed reply. You referred to the casting jig as a "regular jig" and I guess that is were my confusion stems from. When I think of a "regular jig" I picture a jig n pig Arkie style jig that is used when pitching and flipping. I was looking at jigs labeled "casting" and "swimming" they seemed to have pointed heads that should come through weeds without getting hung up. If I understand you I think you are saying that casting jigs are a multi purpose jig and swimming, flipping and grass jigs are for specific situations.

Casting jigs usually have a regular wire hook in them, its meant for easier hook sets on long casts. A flipping jig usually has a heavy wire hook so it can pull fish out of cover. All series of jigs kind of get all thrown together though, each manufacturer makes them a little different and calls them whatever so the lines get blurred. Look at swim jigs, the originals had a light wire hook, light weedguard, sparse skirt. Now everybody (me included) makes a model that has a flipping hook, heavy weedguard, and not so sparse skirt.

Sam, Thanks for taking the time to offer such a detailed reply. You referred to the casting jig as a "regular jig" and I guess that is were my confusion stems from. When I think of a "regular jig" I picture a jig n pig Arkie style jig that is used when pitching and flipping. I was looking at jigs labeled "casting" and "swimming" they seemed to have pointed heads that should come through weeds without getting hung up. If I understand you I think you are saying that casting jigs are a multi purpose jig and swimming, flipping and grass jigs are for specific situations.

Even though Sam covered it, yeh the casting jig can be used for any situation really, however it is used predominantly as a slow retrieve. Pitching jigs are used for heavy cover because they have a thicker wire hook. However, these jigs can also be used for other situations. The swim jig is supposed to be fished like a spinnerbait like Sam said. However, this jig can also be fished slow but it's main purpose is to worked back to the boat swimming (reeling in at a faster speed). Then you have the finesse jig and they are a thinner wire hook used for an easier hookset. However, with an easier hookset means an easier bent hook. Every jig can be used everywhere IMHO. The finesse jig is probably the least versatile because of the thin hook because once that big fish pulls hard or if there is cover, you will have a difficult time pulling the fish out.

as i was typing it out, River beat me to the punch. He is a great source of knowledge from what i have seen about jigs.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question on jigs. I'm not new to bass fishing but I am new to jig fishing and appreciate the help. I should have figured out on my own that jig fishing is no different than most other forms of baits in that the fisherman must look at the many conditions then choose the right bait and approach for those conditions. Here in Northeast Ohio winter is a time for education and organizing and cleaning equipment. 2011 is the year that I plan on learning to fish the jig and I await the spring thaw.