Never caught a fish on a jig before, going out on the kayak tomorrow and going to be throwing one. I usually throw an arkie head with a beaver or christy craw on the back. I usually hop twice and pause, and usually fishing around dams and some trees. Should I be switching up how I retrieve or should I target different areas. Thanks.

If what you are doing isn't working you can vary your retrieve and/or locations.  I don't do a whole lot of hopping when jig fishing. I like to walk the jig through whatever cover I am fishing.  Also, pause longer than you think you need to and you might be pleasantly surprised.   

Absolutely try different retrieves.

The 'ol hop, hop is a typical pattern but often times they like it on a slow crawl; which can be done a couple different ways.

One, with the reel handle itself; just reeling very slowly a short distance and pause if you like.

Two, the method I prefer, a very slow sweep with the rod, with a pause to reel the slack.

These will obviously keep the bait on the bottom more, which they prefer sometimes.

 

A whole other approach is "stroking" the jig. Youtube some vids for a better explanation but it's basically very aggressively ripping the jig off the bottom to initiate a reaction bite.  I've had this work well for me before; usually a warmer water tactic when they are a little more aggressive themselves.

 

Keep in mind that all of the above can, and will, work for your worm fishing during the summer as well.

 

If one isn't working, try the other!

Have you ever caught bass on a Texas rig ?If so , do the same thing and same places with a jig .

Welcome to BR! 

At the top of the Fishing Tackle forum there is a thread called Jig Fishing Questions, 24 pages of answers to your question.

Tom

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

Have you ever caught bass on a Texas rig ? If so , do the same thing and same places with a jig .

 

Exactly ?

 

A good jig fisherman's #2 weapon of choice is a Texas Rig.

 

A good Texas Rig fisherman's #2 weapon of choice is a jig.

I like to hop a jig, but I catch a ton of fish dragging one too.

I both hop and drag, no rhyme or reason to why or when I switch,,,,,,,I just do.  LOL

I like to shake them.

 

My wrist doesn't like it.

Yesterday I was dragging until it hung, which happens all of the time here. Two quick pops and it frees up..thats when they'd hit. Sometimes I'd go to drag again and they'd just be there.

If you have time I suggest reading the Jig thread on this sub-forum here..

 

That thread covers almost everything when it comes to fishing different jigs and how to detect different types of bites. In my opinion your already one step ahead by fishing the arky since that may be the most versatile jigs there is. 

I tend to hop more with round head jigs and drag more with other shapes of jig heads.  (Darter heads are an exception to that rule, as are swim jigs). I don't know why that is, except I guess once upon a time, someone who I thought knew more than I did told me to do that.

 

In regards to Ned fishing, I think that "hopping" is different than the " lift & drop " technique.  The difference being that when I'm hopping the jig is dropping on a slack line and when doing the lift & drop, the drop is more controlled, kinda a semi-slack line.

Tomorrow is here how did it go?

Tom

Thanks for all the help guys, had a couple bites, and was carried off a bed a couple times but no landed fish