So forgetful that I realized I should have noticed if my jigs had rattles or not attached. Do they really matter in muddy/stained water? Im sure it would have helped me compared to no rattles on a football jig in 10-15ft of muddy water

Its all a matter of opinion. Mine is that it is helpful in muddy, dingy, dark water, but sometimes it is better without! Let the fish tell you!

Jeff

Most of my jigs have rattles.Remember too, if you're fishing a hard bottom the jig head will make niose as it hits.

yeah i fish where the bottom is nasty. in some spots its weedy, in some spots its sandy, in others its rocky and such. figured rattles wouldnt hurt.

Let me fill you in on a top secret...and I do mean TOP...use an alkazelser in your jig when the bass will not hit anything...this technique will work. Since crawfish have to breathe they cause bubbles so the alkazelser causes this mimic action...(you only need about 1/2 of the alkazelser) and it's harmless.

Let me fill you in on a top secret...and I do mean TOP...use an alkazelser in your jig when the bass will not hit anything...this technique will work. Since crawfish have to breathe they cause bubbles so the alkazelser causes this mimic action...(you only need about 1/2 of the alkazelser) and it's harmless.

40 years ago when I was a kid and the fish weren't biting, I'd cut a nightcrawler and put a piece of alkazelser inside. Think I read it in Field&Stream

I used to always have rattles on my jigs, but anymore I only use them in really muddy water or when fishing a jig really deep, like 15 ft or more.

I go with no rattle most of the time. In late summer when the water gets really green with alge blooms and the weeds are at the thickest I add one..................if I am jig fishing. Usually I am not, that is plastics time, but I will add a rattle to those too.

The jig master himself, Denny Brauer, claims he will not throw a jig without a rattle in ANY circumstance. IMO the rattle wont neccesarily deter a bite unless fish are extremely spooky, so it cant hurt to use one.

You can build or have your jigs built with rattle collars and only insert them when you need to. This way they can still be hand tied with a rattle option. Another option is to insert a glass rattle in the jig trailer. It is more subtle the standard jig rattles.

Yes, I'm bumping an old thread, but today I had a somewhat interesting experience.

 

I was fishing rip rap and had my jig with rattle get stuck in the rocks near shore.  Couldn't be seen and I couldn't get it out. 

 

No fish were around, so I walked up and down the bank trying to find an angle to pop it out...no luck.  I go back to right where I snagged and noticed 5 or 6 dinks staring at the rock that was oppressing my jig.  I stopped pulling on the jig for a while and the dinks started to swim off.  I'd jiggle a little and they were right back to my jig.

 

Now I don't know if it was the rattle or the jig trailer attracting them, but something brought in multiple fish that weren't in the area before.  I also had more action with my rattle jigs than non rattles today.

 

Think I'll stick with the noise makers.

always a rattle for me, its a confidence thing

I fish a lot clear water, I normally do better fishing jigs without rattles along with thinned out trimmed skirts. Unless someone is shaking their jig I question if the fish can hear the rattle, that said it probably won't hurt and if it makes your more confident use it.

Yes, rattles.

Yes, all the time.

Alka Seltzer in tubes.

How do you get the Alka Seltzer to hold onto a jig and pig so it does not come loose?

I have had better luck without rattles.  In fact if I buy a jig that has rattles, I remove them.

I will fish clear water with no rattle and dingy or muddy water  with a rattle or two.

"Alka Seltzer in tubes."

"How do you get the Alka Seltzer to hold onto a jig and pig so it does not come loose?"

    X2

I'm curious about this alkaseltzer trick as well, please elaborate.  Been fishing a jig a lot lately, getting hooked.

I perfer rattles and scents with most of my lures. I also make sure I match the size and colors to the water and light conditions too.

I use color for sight, scents for smell, vibration for the lateral line and rattles for hearing. In any we put these in it spells success.

Jigs with rattles or not?

Not

No rattle here

Why don't you ask the fish?

I very rarely if ever use rattles. I do use scent though.

About the only time I will fish a jig with rattles Is at night. 

The clicking sound that some rattles make can be an advantage and there has been a lot of innovative rattles over the years. The most popular are glass and aluminum cylinders with various size BB's that are attached with a collar to the jig skirt or inserted into the jig trailer. There has been a few electronic rattles powered by tiny hearing aid batteries on the market.

The up side is adding sound to get a basses attention, the down side is the sound alerts the bass that it isn't something to eat. The sound needs to be right, whatever right is to the bass at that moment.

When I use a rattle it's the collar type with 2 legs with the rattles on each end. The leggs help to keep the jig head standing up with the hook upright. The inline type collars just add weight to the hook and can cuase the jig to roll over, not good.

I will use a jig with rattles at night and another without to determine if the bass prefer one over the other.

Tom

PS; crawdads don't breath air or make air bubbles. The Alkaseltzer trick has been around for decades and used mostly by bed fisherman by making a pocket in a soft plastic critter and putting a piece of seltzer tab into the pocket. Just slice open the soft plastic and push the piece into the opening. Works best with lizards and a side slice behind the front legs.