TKFactory, did search and read my articial OldSchool Horizontal Jigging?

There isn't any set retreive pace, it's trail and error and tends to change during the same outing as the bass activity level changes. 

If you already have 1/4 oz Bitzy Bug jigs use them, just sharpen the hooks, always time to find what works for because you will be replacing jigs.

Tom

16 minutes ago, WRB said:

TKFactory, did search and read my articial OldSchool Horizontal Jigging?

There isn't any set retreive pace, it's trail and error and tends to change during the same outing as the bass activity level changes. 

If you already have 1/4 oz Bitzy Bug jigs use them, just sharpen the hooks, always time to find what works for because you will be replacing jigs.

Tom

Thank you, I will check out your article ASAP. Thank you Thank you Thank you for this help.

1 hour ago, TKFactory said:

Thank you, I will check out your article ASAP. Thank you Thank you Thank you for this help.

Forgot to follow up on the question regarding; do you catch bass using a T-rig? do you fish from a boat?

Tom

What I find interesting about the thread is the title, "Finesse Jig help".

 

To me a 1/4 oz Bitsy Bug Jig is not a "Finesse" jig, it's simply a small jig.

 

For me it's standard operating procedure, unless I'm fishing extremely heavy cover a 1/4-3/8-1/2 oz jig is normal.

 

A "Finesse" jig to this dumb Cajun is 3/16 or 1/8 oz with a light wire hook!

 

I guess a lot gets lost in translation ?

11 hours ago, WRB said:

Forgot to follow up on the question regarding; do you catch bass using a T-rig? do you fish from a boat?

Tom

I have only caught a Northern Pike on a T-rig. So not to comfortable fishing T-rig. I bank fish. 

I prefer using a T-rig with sliding painted brass bullet weight, glass facet bead between the weight and hook, when fishing form shore. Jigs can be fished uphill but it takes a lot of practice not to continually snag them. Lighter weight jig with larger size trailers are easier work from the bank, they tend to get snagged less. 1/4 oz Bitzy Bug is a good choice. You may need to hop the jig with the rod held about 2 o'clock vs dragging it.

I don't have a lot of experience with pike, my guess is you may be working the T-rig too fast attracting the pikes attention.

Good luck,

Tom

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 12:31 AM, TKFactory said:

Would anybody be willing to show me a short video of the technique of fishing a jig? Like hopping it and such. 

Kick over some rocks in a local stream and watch the way the crayfish swim react. Imitate what they do with your jig and you are set.

 

Allen

On September 30, 2018 at 8:29 AM, Catt said:

What I find interesting about the thread is the title, "Finesse Jig help".

 

To me a 1/4 oz Bitsy Bug Jig is not a "Finesse" jig, it's simply a small jig.

 

For me it's standard operating procedure, unless I'm fishing extremely heavy cover a 1/4-3/8-1/2 oz jig is normal.

 

A "Finesse" jig to this dumb Cajun is 3/16 or 1/8 oz with a light wire hook!

 

I guess a lot gets lost in translation ?

After reading your comment, it actually got me thinking......and I agree somewhat because when I first got involved in the sport of bass fishing; 1/4 oz was pretty much standard weight for any lure I used and 1 oz was at the most extreme end of the range. But presently, and since the industry began gravitating towards selling and using 2 and 3 oz lures far more commonly (Alabama rig, punch rigs and custom SwimBaits) , my repertoire and range of lures has changed. I throw more 3/4oz and heavier lures now than I did 20years ago, and oddly enough, I know consider 1/4oz to be light tackle. It's probably an incorrect definition for me to have of finesse , but it's almost as if the industry unintentionally redefined finesse by introducing so many monstrous lures. Could this be the reason some of us now consider 1/4oz to be finesse? 

Go to Tackle Wharehouse and look at “Finesse jigs”. Trying to define finesse isn’t possible anymore imo in the bass fishing world.

We have 1/8 oz dart, ball, shaky, wacky heads all used for light line finesse presentations.

Tom

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Go to Tackle Wharehouse and look at “Finesse jigs”. Trying to define finesse isn’t possible anymore imo in the bass fishing world.

We have 1/8 oz dart, ball, shaky, wacky heads all used for light line finesse presentations.

Tom

 

Agree with that ?

On 9/30/2018 at 6:29 AM, Catt said:

What I find interesting about the thread is the title, "Finesse Jig help".

 

To me a 1/4 oz Bitsy Bug Jig is not a "Finesse" jig, it's simply a small jig.

 

For me it's standard operating procedure, unless I'm fishing extremely heavy cover a 1/4-3/8-1/2 oz jig is normal.

 

A "Finesse" jig to this dumb Cajun is 3/16 or 1/8 oz with a light wire hook!

 

I guess a lot gets lost in translation ?

To me "finesse" has come to mean, down-sized on light tackle. Weight of the head has less to do with it than overall package size. Down-sizing the package size of the lure gets important when the water gets cold. I fish all winter here and small package jigs (1-1/2 to 2-1/2" long) catch really well. For my waters (<15ft deep) I'm fishing jigs that weigh 1/16 to 1/8oz. But if I fish deeper, a 1/4oz could still be a "finesse" sized jig. And, during the warm seasons, I often fish a 1/8oz swim-jig, but it's a full sized package, 3 to 4" long.

 

 

I’m not a finesse jig fisherman by any stretch. But I know people rave about the Dirty Jigs finesse jig. 

 

The little Strike Kings are pond killers. That’s what I learned on as a kid 15 years ago. But like @Catt I wouldn’t consider it finesse. 

On 9/28/2018 at 11:32 PM, TKFactory said:

Tom, I plan to use the rod I am most comfortable with, 6'6 medium heavy with blackmaxx reel and 20lb mono. I want to start finesse so small presentation. Don't want to go to heavier jigs just yet. 

I don't think you can finesse fish anything with 20 lb mono 

49 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I don't think you can finesse fish anything with 20 lb mono 

Explain to me why, I am new to fishing so please give me your reasoning. Teach me 

6 minutes ago, TKFactory said:

Explain to me why, I am new to fishing so please give me your reasoning. Teach me 

Thinner line is more sensitive, thus better for "finesse" presentations. I like fishing jigs on 65 lb braid, but that's not at all finesse. I would take finesse to mean a small jig on light line. Like 3/16 oz on 8-10 pound florocarbon. 20 lb mono is about as thick as fishing line gets unless you are offshore tuna fishing 

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Thinner line is more sensitive, thus better for "finesse" presentations. I like fishing jigs on 65 lb braid, but that's not at all finesse. I would take finesse to mean a small jig on light line. Like 3/16 oz on 8-10 pound florocarbon. 20 lb mono is about as thick as fishing line gets unless you are offshore tuna fishing 

I guess where your losing me is when I see youtube video of the bass master guys fishing jigs, they always say there are using crazy heavy line. Are they not finesse jigging? 

3 minutes ago, TKFactory said:

I guess where your losing me is when I see youtube video of the bass master guys fishing jigs, they always say there are using crazy heavy line. Are they not finesse jigging? 

No they are not. Although like @WRB said, the definition of "finesse" has become cloudy over recent years. In my mind if you have a baitcasting combo in your hand, you aren't finesse fishing. To me Finesse is drop shot on 4-8 lb line. Or skipping a 2.5 inch tube under docks with light line. About 2 years ago people just started calling every jig that wasn't a football head a finesse jig. Methinks it was an attempt to sell more jigs 

If you use Tackle Warehouse as a guide they offer 52 different "finesse" jigs that range from 3/16 oz to 9/16 oz....take your pick! Bitzy Bug isn't listed under finesse jig on TW, it listed under "casting jigs"....just to add to the confusion.

Tom

@WRB

Tackle Warehouse under Finesse Jigs with vertical line tie.

 

Fitzgerald Fishing Texas Jig 

1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/4 oz!

 

6 minutes ago, Catt said:

@WRB

Tackle Warehouse under Finesse Jigs with vertical line tie.

 

Fitzgerald Fishing Texas Jig 

1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/4 oz!

 

Catt, like you said, the whole finesse fishing thing has gotten confusing. Those jigs to me are not finesse type jigs.Those are more for pitch, flip, and some casting too. I've noticed this trend too. Finesse jigs keep getting heavier! For me anyway, I'm drawing the line at 1/4 oz. For a true finesse jig more like 1/8 or 3/16 is it.Maybe the line tie position changes the definition of a finesse jig?

On 10/2/2018 at 3:43 PM, TKFactory said:

Explain to me why, I am new to fishing so please give me your reasoning. Teach me 

Since you are asking about line weights for jigging... try this video. It explains why fishing line diameters are so important. And what's going on with the fish during those times when we need finesse presentations.

 

Here's my finesse fishing tips.  Hope they help!