I've searched around and really can't find a decent answer. I'm going to be fishing pond banks until mid February. I'm new to jig fishing and want to try it out, I hear it can be pretty productive. Probably no more than 6-8ft of water, mostly shallow when working the banks. The ponds have a bunch of variables, some have patches of brush, wooded cover, some rocky, etc. 

 

With so many jigs/trailers out there, can someone just give me a good starting point? I don't have a lot of time to conduct a trial and error, as I'm only off for a few days out of the month due to my job. I will most likely be just pitching into cover and bouncing it off the bottom while retrieving. What is a good all around jig to start with? Any opinions on trailers? Colors? 

 

Any other go-to winter lure advice would be appreciate also. 

 

Thanks!

I like the arkey jig from serbert as an all around jig.  It skips well and is the most well rounded IMO. 

I would get a few finesse jigs. I would go with a blak and blue or a green pumpkin color.  Throw a little beaver style bait on there or a Zoom lil critter craw, and you are good. Match the trailer to the jig.  The finesse jig will probably score you a few more bites and help raise your confidence in jigs. Just a little note, there i a chance you will lose quite a few jigs when fishing from the bank.

I prefer the finesse style head for fishing ponds. Most of what a pond bass eats is fairly small so a finesse jig fits the bill well. I'd stick with a couple black and blue and a couple craw colors. I really like the Zman Batwingz for a trailer. 

If you want to learn a jig my advise is to start with smaller offerings, 3/16oz or 1/4oz and match it up with a small chunk trailer or small craw. A good start would be either an Arky head or a Strike King Bitsy Bug with a Bitsy Craw trailer. I've been teaching my grandson to fish jigs and I made him a small 3/16oz jig similar to a Bitsy Bug with a Culprit DW2 finesse jig trailer and he has been catching them with it really well.

jigs are not a very effective pond bait in my opinion and you will have a hard time learning how to fish one and getting confident in a jig by fishing ponds. instead try a texas rig soft plastics. worms and beaver style baits are amazing pond baits.

when you go out on the boat at a larger lake or river, then try throwing a jig you will be much more successful. 

jigs are not a very effective pond bait in my opinion and you will have a hard time learning how to fish one and getting confident in a jig by fishing ponds. instead try a texas rig soft plastics. worms and beaver style baits are amazing pond baits.

when you go out on the boat at a larger lake or river, then try throwing a jig you will be much more successful. 

 

That is not true a bit, not all ponds are the same as some call 60 acres a pond while others call a mud hole a pond. Also the jigs aren't a good pond bait doesn't hold water, you just haven't used the right jig, now if you say a 3/4oz flipping style jig isn't a good pond bait, I'd still hesitate but I would tend to agree with you for the most part but if you match the size of the jig to the cover and the size of the fish, then it can be very effective. As I said before, my grandson is learning and I got him on the small finesse type jig to the point he is good with it and we started off in ponds and then moved to larger bodies of water so jigs certainly can be great pond baits as long as you use the right jig.

Also the structural composition of the pond is important. Some ponds tend to be more weedy and shallow while others are deeper with more rock and clearer water. Jigs can be 100% effective in both types. Just choose the appropriate head style and weight. I would toss a swim jig in the pond that is weed based and a football or brushead jig in the deeper rocky pond. I have never had bad luck with jigs in ponds or smaller bodies of water, in fact it was quite the opposite.

Bitsy Bug Flip, excellent head design, quaility hook, good weed guard, decent price.

Rage Tail Chunk

Colors: black-n-blue & greens

Other lures: lizards, craws, & creatures

Bitsy bug and Mister twister double tail grub is what Id choose.

If I'm throwing jigs from the bank, I am probably not throwing any kind of skirted jig/trailer combination.  Most likely I am using a quarter ounce Brewer slider head and a 5" paddle tail worm.  This is a tx rig style jig head that comes through most cover you throw it at.  A fairly slender profile, but the paddle tail moves some water.  Anyway, that is where I'd start.  I'd use spinning gear and a light braid/fluorocarbon leader combination, so I wouldn't be as bothered by the wind.

The SK bitsy bug jigs always get torn up by bass around here.

The SK bitsy flip is a decent jig for like $2.50. I'd not recommend throwing in open water, though. Fish cover with it, that's what it's designed for. Just my two cents.

Bitsy bug in green pumpkin with a green pumpkin Paca Chunk trailer.

The SK bitsy bug jigs always get torn up by bass around here.

And getting bit is bad why?

And getting bit is bad why?

 

It's not

Bitsy bugs are great pond baits but the weed guard and the head design leave a lot to be desired.  The BOOYAH Baby Boo is a better jig IMO.  A 3.5'' beaver type bait makes for a great trailer.

Bitsy bugs are great pond baits but the weed guard and the head design leave a lot to be desired. The BOOYAH Baby Boo is a better jig IMO. A 3.5'' beaver type bait makes for a great trailer.

Quite using the Bitsy Bug & use the Flip for a better weed guard. Nothing wrong with the head design, works in all types of cover.

Quite using the Bitsy Bug & use the Flip for a better weed guard. Nothing wrong with the head design, works in all types of cover.

 

The glorified ball jig head the baits use doesn't play nice with weeds but that shouldn't be a problem for OP.  Just sayin. 

True south custom lures, rage craws and green pumpkin, black and blue, white. 1/4 to build confidence 1/2 to catch pigs

The glorified ball jig head the baits use doesn't play nice with weeds but that shouldn't be a problem for OP. Just sayin.

You better look again!

The Bitsy Bug Flip is far from a ball head, it's designed for flipping thus the name "Flip".

The Flip & the Baby are pretty close in shape with flip a little more oval shaped. Both are great little jigs but I like the Flip more because of a heavier hook.

The glorified ball jig head the baits use doesn't play nice with weeds but that shouldn't be a problem for OP.  Just sayin. 

Nonsense........I have fished them in thick weeds and they work just fine.

I fish the Bitsy Flip also.  Fishing from the bank, I lose some jigs. Bitsy Flips are fairly cheap and they seem to be carried in a lot of stores.  When my t-rigged baits become too beat up to stay on the hook I trim them down and use them as trailers.