When it comes to jig fishing or any type of soft bait......................you have the option of weighing it down for a faster fall rate or taking weight away to have it fall slowly.

How do you know when you should have the fall rate at a slow speed or fast? I can understand i you were in super shallow water that you'd want the jig/lure to drop slowly. Do you ever want a slow drop rate in deep water?

How do you know?

I use the rule of thumb that the clearer the water the faster I want my bait to fall. If the water is very clear a bass can get a very good look at a bait falling through the water colum from quite a distance. I don't want the bass to have a chance to decide if he wants to take the bait based on what it looks like, I like the bait to fall fast and trigger his instinct to react and take the bait. In dingy stained or muddy water, you might want a bait with a bulkier profile and slower fall rate to help the bass actually locate the bait.

Again just a rule of thumb for me, because I have certainly seen it where bass will take a bait with a slow fall rate in clear water better than the other.

For me, I find a happy medium. A fast fall rate WILL MISS FISH. I just won't be convinced otherwise even if KVD told me.

BUT a fast fall enables you to fish faster getting in front of more fish, getting more bites. I think in the end, they about even out.

Fast fall=in front of more fish, but less of those fish bite.

Slow fall=in front of less fish but more of those fish bite.

For me, I find a happy medium. A fast fall rate WILL MISS FISH. I just won't be convinced otherwise even if KVD told me.

BUT a fast fall enables you to fish faster getting in front of more fish, getting more bites. I think in the end, they about even out.

Fast fall=in front of more fish, but less of those fish bite.

Slow fall=in front of less fish but more of those fish bite.

Agree with alot of this.

From my own personal experience, there are a couple areas where I fish a jig off a steep ledge that drops from around 3 fow into nearly 8-10 fow. This water is pretty clear and the slower falling jig has always been bit more than a fast falling jig.

I fish the two extremes. I go as light as possible to leave the bait in front of the fish longer on the fall and go as heavy as possible to trigger strikes from the faster fall. I almost never fish in the middle unless the fish are just eating it so good you can do no wrong and feel like the fish just have to have it in near for them to eat it.

water temp also is a factor around here. in pre spawn where the water temp is 30-50's (jan-march) deep water structures, submerged trees and brush, creek channels, and drop off points depending on the depth, i would fish a lighter jig for a slower fall rate because in this time they are not as aggresive and protective as they are in the spawn and post spawn.