So I am always trying new things to see maybe I have been missing something and I have picked up some different bucktail/preacher jigs. I have searched on YT and there are lots of videos about how to fish them etc...looks like more of an off shore thing but no one really gets into when is the best time to throw them. I think summer time may be the time but just thought I would ask if anyone throws them when is a good time to try them and what kind of off shore places are generally the best bet.  I am fishing for largemouth mainly in the central missouri.

 

Thanks

 From my knowledge best time to throw them is when bass are holding in deeper water and gorging on larger panfish or bigger shad. I almost put them in the same category as a big  swimbait being that it seems they have a lot of drawing power and draw a big bite for sure. Lots of times it’s a good option when you have a school located and want a bait to throw first to target the biggest fish. It’s also good way to get a big jig hook in the biggest fish from the school and power them to the boat before you have to worry about treble hooks or light line. 
Take this all with a big grain of salt being that I’m far from an expert with them. I’m sure someone more experienced can give you a more specific answer, but that’s the best I can do. 

11 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

 From my knowledge best time to throw them is when bass are holding in deeper water and gorging on larger panfish or bigger shad. I almost put them in the same category as a big  swimbait being that it seems they have a lot of drawing power and draw a big bite for sure. Lots of times it’s a good option when you have a school located and want a bait to throw first to target the biggest fish. It’s also good way to get a big jig hook in the biggest fish from the school and power them to the boat before you have to worry about treble hooks or light line. 
Take this all with a big grain of salt being that I’m far from an expert with them. I’m sure someone more experienced can give you a more specific answer, but that’s the best I can do. 

Thanks, I am just trying to learn when, there are lots of videos on YT concerning the how to fish but not a lot of information as to when. I think it may be more of a late summer thing, but still not real sure, lol. Kind of like flutter spoons, trying to learn them also, just trying to try new things and maybe stumble onto some things that may work better when I am struggling in other ways.

For me; Post-spawn is when I'll tie one up, and it usually stays on a rod till mid-September.  It's trickier to fish when the bass are buried in the weeds, but if you have sporadic clumps near structure it can be the deal.  @WRB-2.0 has a cps, 2" cut piece of a trick work, as a weedguard that really helps me keep it in the rotation.  If you're sitting in deep water; tightlining it through the weed tops on breaks can draw them out or surfing it down a long tapering point.  It's also effective for covering water on deep flats.  Don't really have ledges on my water.  Bluegill color is by far my best producer.

 

scott

3 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

For me; Post-spawn is when I'll tie one up, and it usually stays on a rod till mid-September.  It's trickier to fish when the bass are buried in the weeds, but if you have sporadic clumps near structure it can be the deal.  @WRB-2.0 has a cps, 2" cut piece of a trick work, as a weedguard that really helps me keep it in the rotation.  If you're sitting in deep water; tightlining it through the weed tops on breaks can draw them out or surfing it down a long tapering point.  It's also effective for covering water on deep flats.  Don't really have ledges on my water.  Bluegill color is by far my best producer.

 

scott

This one lake I fish is pretty devoid of grass, just docks, brushpiles (lots) and some rock. Just thought it was something I would try..

10 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

This one lake I fish is pretty devoid of grass, just docks, brushpiles (lots) and some rock. Just thought it was something I would try..

Yeah sorry it might not be helpful.  I have gizzard in my lake, but they tend to top out around 5", the preacher acts more like a panfish/crappie/juvy bass imitator and the 3/4oz outcast chicken gives me the most confidence.  This is probably going to be the discrepancy in tactics.  Big Daddy hair baits in gizzard is my most successful shad imitator, but that bite is even more fickle for me to find.  I've probably caught less than 5-6 swimming/yo-yoing it mid-column; it's almost always been reel rips/tightline to the bottom kind of bite for me.  Probably just my water though.

 

It's a probably only second to a swim jig bite in terms of pure bass fishing hook setting joy though and it seems to naturally weed out dinks.  So I throw it more often than it actually produces,

 

scott

 

ps - Forgot that in low 40 degree water on lake michigan that the vmc 3/4oz bucktail fished the same way gave me numerous chunky smallies.  I think @Dwight Hottle crushed big smallies on a big preacher jig this spring too!

 

 

3 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

Yeah sorry it might not be helpful.  I have gizzard in my lake, but they tend to top out around 5", the preacher acts more like a panfish/crappie/juvy bass imitator and the 3/4oz outcast chicken gives me the most confidence.  This is probably going to be the discrepancy in tactics.  Big Daddy hair baits in gizzard is my most successful shad imitator, but that bite is even more fickle for me to find.  I've probably caught less than 5-6 swimming/yo-yoing it mid-column; it's almost always been reel rips/tightline to the bottom kind of bite for me.  Probably just my water though.

 

It's a probably only second to a swim jig bite in terms of pure bass fishing hook setting joy though and it seems to naturally weed out dinks.  So I throw it more often than it actually produces,

 

scott

Yup, I forgot to mention, we have lots of bait fish, gizzard shad to be exact and they can get quite large. It was something I was thinking about to target larger fish. Thanks again for the information.

PM your email address and I will send you an older In-Fisherman article on Horizontal Jigging using hair jigs.

The jig head design dictates where a jig can be effectively fished, the skirt simply adds color and movement along with a trailer.

Preacher Jig are open water swim jigs with line tie on top of the jig head, poor choice for any type of aquatic cover.

I fish my custom hair jigs year around from 1’to 40’ of water. Buck tail tied correctly has a life like movement and texture, keep oily-greasy attractant away for hair as it mats it killing the movement.

Tom
 

I caught a white bass and a large mouth on a white bucktail yesterday. Photo in latest pics thread. I was working it slowly swimming it off a ledge in a quarry that goes from 12' to 35' straight down.  Many other things were working as well but you can really bomb these hair jigs and it's just something different they don't see much around here. 

 

Definitely wouldn't throw that near wood. It'd be gone in first cast. Open water only for me. 

Now until next spawn