I know this is embarassing but... my biggest weakness is... a jig.  I know that sounds atrocious but I just do a lot better with other stuff on water that guys are fishin jigs in.  I don't have many bass I can say were caught on a jig and I'm definitely going out to practice jiggin a lot more along with drop-shotting which is a relatively new technique for me.  Any suggestions on particular baits or techniques I should use in my practice?

A very rough tutorial

JIGS

Dont worry your not alone.  Sad to say no fish for me on a jig.  Go tubes!

Jig + 4" coffee colored tube = my first bass this year (mid February). Gotta love those jigs, one of the all time best producers, IMO:o)

If you have not used the pitching/flipping technique much I suggest setting up a rig and practice getting a feel for it around the house.

Practice setting the bait down with a light touch.

It may save some frustration on the water when you are working to slip the jig into some nice brush.

The target fishing is the part I enjoy about the jig, you are usually pitching to cover.

The good part about a jig bite is that is can be very distinct which helps with bite detection, the bad part of a jig bite is that it can be a very lite bite also, which is common with a larger fish.  Confused yet?

You may consider a soft plastic texas rigged as they hold on to this type of bait a little longer. This can help you catch fish until you develop a good feel for a jig. I like the Chompers brand Spider Jig.

That is all I got to say about that  

you not alone my first jig fish was january of this year.  but i've gotten better since then. i like tubes more tho

jigs are the number one most versatile bait you can use.  Jig them, drag them, bounce them, swim them.  Add any trailer you want.  I would start with a 1/2 oz jig so that you have good feeling with the rod.  Use about 14-17 lb fluro.  Practice draggin the jig, pitching it and flippin it.  A lot of times with a jig you will get a pressure bite.  where it just gets heavy. set the hook!! swing real hard with jigs.  cant strike out in fishing.  soon you will learn the feeling from the weeds, and a fish or a stick.  i always prefer hand tied jigs with a rattle and weed guard.  but really just get out there and start flippin them.  use a trailer tho, i like brush hog or sweet beaver.

Hey that's not embarassing I am 57 and just started to learn this last year, but i can see it is going to become a favorite way to fish. Check Russ's video and Aint Texan and Gman are good sources of how to information 8-)

If you want to learn a new lure then only take that lure fishing until you gain some confidence in it.

If you want to learn a new lure then only take that lure fishing until you gain some confidence in it.

That worked for me, ask Zel he heard a lot of cussin on one trip! 8-)

I know this is embarassing but... my biggest weakness is... a jig. I know that sounds atrocious but I just do a lot better with other stuff on water that guys are fishin jigs in. I don't have many bass I can say were caught on a jig and I'm definitely going out to practice jiggin a lot more along with drop-shotting which is a relatively new technique for me. Any suggestions on particular baits or techniques I should use in my practice?

You're not alone. I am a jig virgin so you're probably better off than me.  The drop shot was the most effective technique for me last year, but I'm putting it away this season until I give the jig as much time as I did the drop shot.

Sorry I can't offer any advice since I have none to give, but thanks for starting what will likely be a very informative thread for jig virgins. ;D

Jigs are #1 on my list of things to learn this season.

Falcon

Biggest thing to learning a jig is to be relentless.  Do not stop, do now waiver.  STICK TO IT and IT will teach YOU how it works.

This is one of the few baits that really take some time to "get", but once you do, you will thank the world.

Persistence + patience = Jigged up fish, and some BIG ones.

For those that don't have the discipline for this yet, follow Flukes advice and use FORCED versatility and only bring the jig next time.

Take only a sample of your jigs and pigs (pork and plastic) in different colors and weights and throw them, only.

Will it drive you nuts? Sure. But you will learn.

As a suggestion, rig up your favorite black and blue jig with a plastic Zoom chunk blue trailer (electric, sapphire, black/blue, etc.) and throw it out.

Then, close your eyes and use your pole tip and fingers on the line as you bring it back to you very slowly, like a crawfish moving on the bottom.

Use your sense of feel as much as you can.  Do not be distracted. Concentrate on moving the jig slowly on the bottom (one inch of moving pole tip = 6 inches of jig movement).

You will fee the "bump" or the bait will get heavy and feel like it is on a rubber band and you set the hook.  

Also, get Denny Brauer's book or video, Jig Fishing Secrets, as it is a wonderful read and you will learn a lot from the publication or production.

And please watch the video mentioned previously by LBH.

And with all of that said, don't for get the wacky and shaky worm rigs, too!!!! ;D

Worm/jig bite

Ok let's see if we can shed some light on the subject of feeling a worm or jig bite; many people say the two are totally different but I believe they are very similar.

Two of the hardest baits for my students to learn are always the Jig-N-Craw and the Texas Rig; I've came to the conclusion it's because they can't feel the bite. I think in part it's because they have heard for years about that classic tap tap bite associated with both baits and when it never comes they are lost.

Worm/jig: with these baits the bass will simply flare its gills causing a vacuum which moves water and your bait into their mouth. With this bite there is very little if any line movement thereby not much is transmitted to your rod tip.

The art of feeling a worm/jig bite is a fine combination of watching your line and feeling for unnatural sensations of what your bait shouldn't feel like. Some times you will feel that classic Tap, some times you'll only see line movement, some times your line will simply go slack, but some times there will only be a feeling of heaviness that is almost like you're hung on something. The bites where the bass moves after inhaling you bait are the easy ones to feel because there is line movement, the bites where the bass simply inhales your bait and just sits there are the hardest to feel. Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but the worm/jig angler it makes total sense.

Learn to weigh your bait!

Explanation: if you can go to a swimming pool, pond, or creek any where with clear water where you can see your bait on the bottom in 5 to 10 of water. First pitch your bait about 10 to 15 yards on the ground, close your eyes a shake or hop the bait. Feel what the bait feels like in no water (I mean really learn it). Then pitch it out in the water and do the same thing. I can feel the thump of a Texas rigged worm with a ¼ ounce sinker as it hits bottom in 15 to 18 foot of water. If you can't you need practice!

Now you are probably asking yourself what does this have to do with feeling a fish bite. Well if your bait feels any thing different that this, drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

I love jigs. I just jig them at a deep depth with a bright colored plastic grub and pull in nice bass.

i just learned them last season, so i might be in a good position to teach a jig-newbie...Ill keep it simple...

Important things:

FALL RATE- this is key, try and find a good balance that falls slow, i recomend the GYCB fat baby craw and the bitsy bug.

The best thing about that combo is it casts pretty far (all gy baits do), falls slow, and is smaller profile...

TRAILOR CHOICES- if you want a lot of action, or none....figure it out. smaller profiles, larger profiles.....try unconventional stuff too

JIGGING IT- I recomend learning the jig by dragging and pausing....VERY SLOWLY...after you get some fish like that, try lifting more and things like that....

SETTING HOOK- sometimes a much less agressive bite than your used to. I say set the hook even if you think your hung up.

A slow fall is not always desired, and I first have to say i am also new to jigs. Ike talked about it and LBH eludes to it in his tutoril video. Frequently the bite is on the drop, sometimes the bite is when you are either dragging the bottom or popping and resting, at that point I think it is more important to pay attention to what Ike said and use a jig  that will get you to the bottom sooner.

WATH THE LBH VIDEO, it is priceless to a begginer. 8-)

I have given the jig a good try, but where I fish the bottom is a soupy mess of mud and green slime, and my jig always gets wrapped up with the slimy as soon as it gets down there.  It is why most of my fishing is done with topwater, shallow cranks, or weightless plastics...

Any suggestions other than moving to another area of the country?  

GYCB Kreature:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180909581

8-)

I've been bass fishing for two yrs. now and I took the advice of a good bass fisherman who suggested I first learn jig fishing. Once you get the hang of it, there will always be a jig rod with you. It produces fish and some nice ones !  A big majority of my better bass have come on a jig.

Don't feel bad, quite a few of us have yet to catch LMBs on a jig.  I have yet to catch one using a jig.

Thanks Roadwarrior, I had forgotten that post.  Will try it.  

I too have never used jigs. Also I have not tried tubes either. Can you use the same techniques in the LBH video for tubes as well?

5 yrs ago my fishign buddy introduced me to a jig. It is now my go to lure. You will find that it will produce numbers and your number of quality fish will go up as well. You are never too old to learn. My guess it will be your goto bait as well once you learn how to fish with it. Good luck.