Jig Fishing Techniques


Today's soft plastic lure market is booming with new styles and colors of baits, but when you are looking for the biggest bite of the day, the fish that consistently win tournaments; then anglers in the know go to the bait that has been proven over time to catch the biggest bass; the venerable jig-and-pig. 20 years ago, this bait was reserved for the sluggish bass, or for fishing in the heaviest cover, or for bottom fishing techniques. Today, this bait is being used at all times of the year, in a variety of different fashions.
This bait has remained relatively the same over the past 30 years. It has gone through some cosmetic changes, such as better hooks, livelier skirts, and a broader spectrum of colors and sizes, along with plastic trailers, which enable a wider variety of color options, but this bait, dressed with either plastic or pork, continues to catch bigger bass when other baits fail. Because of the popularity of the flipping technique used by most of the veteran anglers today, the jig has remained among the most popular baits in many anglers tackle boxes. Because of so many recreational anglers concentrating on the flipping technique, the jig's universal effectiveness has been overlooked.
Many people have forgotten that casting a jig is an effective technique also. The jig can be presented at a lot of different depths and around a variety of structure. You are really limiting yourself if you only focus on the flipping aspect of it. Many times during the summer months, we have come in behind other anglers flipping obvious targets, or casting more traditional summer lures, and we have caught bass making roll casts, and looking for isolated pieces of cover that other anglers have missed.
DIFFERENT SIZES
Jig sizes have changed in recent years, along with skirt material and colors. The 3/8 ounce size remains the most popular, with smaller versions are being used more and more with great success. The smaller finesse type of jigs are much more effective in clear water, while the heavier, bulky versions are great for fishing stained to muddy water. Not that the heavier jig isn't effective in some shallower, open water, but a more compact 1/2 ounce bait is more effective, than the bulkier style. I use a shorter trailer for this. This is especially true when fishing some of the finger lakes of New York State, or any of the waters where smallmouth bass are also present. The heavier jig is more effective when the bass are aggressive, as it allows you to fish it faster and cover more water. When the fish are suspended, or you need to keep it in the strike zone longer, the lighter jig is more effective. We always keep experimenting with several sizes, letting the bass tell us what they want. In the summer months, when we swim the jig around boat docks, we opt for the lighter 1/4 ounce size, with a plastic trailer, to imitate a crawfish or baitfish. Swimming the jig is a very effective technique that is overlooked by many weekend anglers. Most small jigs don't have a big enough hook to handle quality bass, which is why we use a Spotsticker handpoured Jighead. We have been using this bait since 2002, when we had great success with it in several local tournaments in cold water as well as in the summer. The Spotsticker has a bigger hook than most, and it handles larger bass well. In warmer, clear water, we like to use a grub or swimming worm as a trailer, this is very effective when you are trying to imitate a crawfish. In colder, or more stained to muddy waters, we like a bulkier trailer, as they displace more water and make it easier for the bass to home in on the bait.
The design of the jighead is another thing you have to think about. They need to be matched to the type of cover you are fishing. A jig that has a head that is more pointed, with its eyelet coming out of the front rather than the top, is going to pull through weeds better than a broad shouldered jig. We like to use a Jungle Jig, by Northland, or a Terminator Pro's Top Secret jig for this. The Terminator has a recessed eye, as does Mann's Stone jig designed by Mike Iaconelli, and they all come through this cover well.These jigs helped us win the Big Bass World Championship several times. They were very effective here in the Northeast, in some of the heavier, weedy cover. When we fish around rocks and wood, we use a jig with more shoulders to help stop it sometimes. Many companies make this type of football or stand up jig, which is great for these situations. When you pull it over an object, the jig tips, adding more action. We have used these jigs effectively on many of New Jersey's reservoirs such as Spruce Run. You must also match the size of the line to the size of the jig hook you are using. A heavy-duty jig hook requires a stronger hook set, so you need heavier line to handle it.
Of course, it helps to know when you're getting a bite. Big bass really thump a jig with the same vigor they do a plastic worm, and many other strikes are felt simply as spongy sensation, or just like you're dragging weeds. That's why it is important to set the hook on anything that feels unnatural, it could be weeds, or it could be a seven pounder!
JIG COLORS
While a black and blue jig seems to be the favorite, we like to match jig colors to the water conditions. A dark colored jig with a big crawfish trailer, moving on the bottom, does a great job imitating a crawfish, but a white jig swimming over cover and around boat docks does a good job of imitating a baitfish. This is great when bass want a slower presentation, or when you can't fish a crankbait or jerkbait with ease. Many times when bass are feeding on shad, but want a slower presentation than a spinnerbait, this is the best choice. It can also catch the bigger bass that are ignoring the spinnerbait. The new "Sweet Beavers" by Andre moore's company, "Reaction Innovations", have been the hottest and most productive soft plastic this year all over the country.
We like the plastic trailers in the summer months, and the pork in the winter.The new Uncle Josh Pork is more pliable in cold water, while plastic gets stiff. In places where many anglers cast tubes or small finesse worms, such as clear water flats, we cast jigs in neutral colors, and catch bigger bass. Many times when bass ignore other baits, the jig will trigger a strike. This is also a great bait for night fishing.

35 comments:

  1. These are amazing techniques for jig fishing. I will try out these techniques are either working or not. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Some great tips for jig fishing. The size and depth seem to be rather important. Thanks for the help

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just started learning about Jig fishing. I enjoy it but think there is quite a bit to it. Really helpful tips here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Did not know much about jig fishing...then I read this article. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. my first time visiting this blog, written a whole article is pretty good and add new insights

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great stuff. I'm new to Jig fishing, so the tips here will greatly help. Many thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. after I have read several articles that fit within the blog turned out pretty good article to read

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing such valuable information.Keep posting such great info for us thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. It helps me to get better grasp on the subject. I hope it is possible to present more someday. So much important things can be learn on your blog. As a first time visitor to your blog I am very impressed. I found a lot of informative stuff in your article.Keep sharing such a very informative post
    like this.

    http://www.iquestintl.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Keep it up.…. you do such a great job at such concepts. Thanks.It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Its Pleasure to understand your blog.Thank you so much for providing plenty of useful content.I appreciate you for producing these warm and friendly, reliable, educational and in addition enjoyable guidance in your topic. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It is really useful that this bait had been invented. Not only has it proven its use throughout the years, it still has a lot of room for improvising to which you can use for better catches. Thanks for the tips!

    ReplyDelete
  12. These techniques are really invaluable. It is important for any angler to learn of the proper techniques so that you will be able to get the most out of your bait. If you must, you should also get branded items to get the best fish.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your tips about jig fishing are really helpful. It made me understand this topic more. Thanks for putting this post up. I know that aside from me, many people will benefit from this important piece of information. More power to your blogging!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is exactly what I was looking for! Jig fishing has been my hobby eversince. Thanks so much for giving such incredible information. Hope to hear more from you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Keep up a good work.It helps me to get better grasp on the subject.So much important things can be learn on your blog. Glad to know that there's an individual out there that definitely understands what he's discussing.I hope it is possible to present more someday. I really appreciate the content of this blog and also the thinking of author.

    ReplyDelete
  16. It amazing to see that there are still people sharing such a very informative post. I learn a lot on this text about jig fishing. This could be a good way to learn about jig fishing techniques.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I just love this post, Very informative it is. Readers definitely get some useful knowledge from here.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Interesting. Your instructions look clear but I'm not very good at this so I hope this will work well for me. Thanks for the tips! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Awesome work.Just wanted to drop a comment and say I am new to your blog and really like what I am reading.Thanks for the share

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Pal! I wish to say that this post is awesome, nice written and include almost all important info’s. I’d like to see more posts like this.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I seriously consider this site needs much more attention.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fishing is a great hobby and I enjoy doing it in my spare time. Thank you for sharing this fishing techniques and tips that easily to do while fishing. You should continue share more fishing styles and techniques. Thank you

    Jod Johnson @ Designer Sarees
    http://www.nuksha.com/

    ReplyDelete
  23. Nice post, things explained in details. Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Once you master these steps you will be catching fish in no time. With a little knowledge, practice and patience you are on your way to becoming a seasoned fisherman with many fine catches ahead.

    www.nuksha.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Bass spawn in the spring, sitting on nests ridiculously close to shore. Whether you're fishing from a boat or from shore, there's a good chance of actually sight-fishing a big female that is guarding her nest. Although they're sometimes hard to induce, if you pester the bass with just the right bait, there's a chance of hooking a fat, egg-stuffed largemouth. Be sure to release all bass back to their nests to allow the spawning to complete.

    Summer, winter and fall fishing require their own techniques, as the bass adapt to weather, temperatures and feeding patterns.

    http://www.skinb5.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is wonderful. I am not quite familiar with the internet, but I beleive that what I just read is some good material. Thanks for continuing to write such wonderful articles. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Everyone want to use virus-less and problems free system and in this scenario your post is really informative and effective to get rid of the virus causes. This kind of awareness is very important for every computer user.

    ReplyDelete
  28. My dad loves to fish and I wanted to learn how to do fishing also :O Thanks to this blog it gives me ideas and tricks on how to perfect my skills thanks :D

    Ivy Maletzky @ Acne and Treatment

    www.skinb5.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. .This is wonderful. I am not quite much with the internet, but I believe that what I just read is some good material. Thanks for writing such wonderful article. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I will probably be back again to browse much more, many thanks for the data.

    ReplyDelete
  31. .It is good to see posts that give truly quality information. Your tips are extremely valuable. Thanks a lot for writing this post. Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Very interesting tips shared by you. I really like to read your blogs as they contain very important and informative content. I appreciate your efforts. Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  33. It is good to see posts that give truly quality information. Your tips are extremely valuable. Thanks a lot for writing this post. Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Blogging is the new poetry. I find it wonderful and amazing in many ways.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Blogging is the new poetry. I find it wonderful and amazing in many ways.

    ReplyDelete