Jig problems

[LSUh20fowler]

I've tried fishing a jig on and off for the past two weeks. Mostly 3/8oz and 1/2oz. Tried blue/black, green/brown, white, crawfish color. All with and without trailers and rattlers. Have not had one bite on any of them. I've changed baits and caught bass on blue watermelon flukes, black/blue worm and white / chartreuse spinnerbaits. I've watched countless videos on you tube and have searched and read many articles on here about working jigs. I've bounced them on the bottom, ran swimming jigs, everything I can think of. Should I just leave the tackle box at home and only bring my jig box or just give up on jigs and run my T rigged worms ? I just can't get the hang of it. I know they're bass catching bait. Any advice ??

[Bobby Saffel]

I learned them by just using jigs for a few trips. Yea it sucked only catching a few after all day of fishing but I got better. I learned that typically with a jig a bass will swallow it and sit still with it. With bigger fish you don't feel them bite it, it just feels real spongy and that's a bite.

I use flouro for jigs and plastics and feeling the bite went up tremendously but you still don't feel every bite. 

I would still take other rods when I was fishing but wouldn't get the plastic rod out. I'm a big flipper so I programmed myself to instead of picking up that plastic to pick up the jig and that's how I built confidence.

[Jon0385]

I'm in the same position you are in.  Jigging is one of the techniques I want to work on this year among others.  I figure numbers are nice, but I want to become more diverse.  My plan going into an outing is that I will bring 2 rods with me, I shore fish, with one set up for what I am wanting to work on that day and the other set up for a "tried and true" that I'm comfortable with to use the last little bit before I call it a day if I'm not having much luck. 

Unfortunately I cannot afford to have a dozen or more rigs with each one set up for one specific technique.  I have to use rigs that are more versatile, and that may make it tougher but I figure it will be fun either way. 

[willthebad]

It took me laying the plastic down to get confidence in the jig. I use it a lot instead of beavers and most time use the beavers as trailers. I usually catch quality over quanititybut I've killed bream setting the hook and slapping them up against the boat because they almost took the rod out of my hand. Just keep fishing it and when you set the hook on that fish you'll be hooked. Hooksets are free too so if you're not sure let her rip!

[Lee Smith]

Jig fishing has a slow learning curve!  But well worth the time to learn.  During the spring, I'm swimming the jig mainly then start slowing it down after the spawn.  I'm usually throwing shad colors, bream colors or black/red early in the year, change over to black/blue, pbj and more naturals later, according to water clarity.

To me, the key is slowing down.  That's really hard for a die hard plastics guy to do.  I know we "think" we are fishing plastics slow, but that's usually not the case.  And the jig needs to be fished slower (except during the spring and I burn a swim jig over the skinny water and grass with viscious bites!

What type of water do you fish mainly?  What kind of cover?  If it's clear to semi stained, take a chill pill and let the jig set for a while between pops.  When I say pop I mean popping the end of the rod up 3 to 4 inches and letting the jig fall back to the bottom.  Turn that jig into a craw, a scared craw and get the basses attention, then outlast it's curiosity.  Dingy to dirty, you can work it just like most plastics.  In this water I'm usually ticking the jig up and down very short pops and working it back through the cover.  If you do find a shell bed or small rocks ect...  Drag it just like a carolina rig, when it hits a shell turned up or larger rock it will pop up and bam, she gotta hit it.

I'm a new fan of the NuTech Jigs, absolutely love them.  Get you a couple and try them out, I don't know why they work so well, don't care, but the bass be likin um!!

Give yourself some time to learn jig techniques (there are many)  Spend more time on the water fishing a jig and just like everything else, figure out what the bass want that day, that time, in that condition and keep changing until you have found the key.

Just my .02

Lee

[Pat Curtis]

Please give some more info on the water you're fishing and the technique.  If you're pitching a jig to a target or skipping it under docks you shouldn't have many problems getting a bite as long as you're accurate.  Casting a jig tends to be a little different though.

Also, what kind of setup/equipment are you using?  That too can play a big role.

[Pro Reel]

Don't give up. It may just be that the conditions were not right for a jig bite or for the way you were using the jigs at the time.  If you switched to flukes, and started getting bit, that tells you that the bite at the time was for a slow falling  bait or jerk bait type presentation. You may have been able to catch a bass on a jig, but it might have needed to be a very small finesse jig. It may have just not been a good time for jigs at all. It could also be that you needed to find deeper water to tempt a bass with a jig. When you caught bass on spinner baits, that would have been the perfect time to try a swim jig. Put a 3 to 4 inch currly tail grub on a swim jig and fish it the same way you would fish the spinner bait. The benefit of the swim jig is that it can be fished in tighter cover and weeds than the spinner bait.
While only taking jigs with you may be a great way to force yourself to learn them, it might alos make for some days of no bites at all. I prefer to try several things, and when I locate bass and find something they will bite, I then force myself to use different baits to see if I can get better at using them. The key is to fish them similar to what was working. Some days bass will only bite a ery slow moving bait. If you catch bass on a plastic bait, you should be able to catch them on a jig and might even catch bigger fish with the jig. If bass will only hit baits in the upper water colum that are moving, then try the swim jig. If bass only hit slow falling baits, try a very light jig or a shakey head, but it may just be a better choice to use a fluke or senko that day.

[Oldfart9999]

If you're catching them on a fluke or spinnerbait the fish are up in the water column and you are using a jig on the bottom, bass don't normally feed down and you're under them. As has been said swim the jig. If this was early morning then it is to be expected, later in the day when the sun is up bass will go to cover. Learn to weigh the jig, know how long it takes to reach the bottom, learn what it feels like as you're jigging it and if anything feels different set the hook. If it stops too soon, set the hook. If it feels lighter or heavier, set the hook, if it feels mushy, set the hook, if you see a "tick" in the line set the hook, if it looks like it's moving, set the hook, if it feels like grass, set the hook, it you sneeze, set the hook, you'll be surprised how many times it's a fish.
Rodney

[LSUh20fowler]

The lake I'm trying the jigs on is Chicot Park in Ville Platte,LA. I've always been told its a hard to fish lake. I can usually find a couple of fish most trips. The water is usually a light stained to stained. Lots of stumps, cypress trees, tupelo gums, logs, grass. Just a lot of cover. The water depth mostly varies between 6' to 9' expect for the main boat run which is 12'-16'. Just got back from there. Started at daylight. Ran buzzbait and Rage toad. Missed a good one shortly after daylight on the Rage frog. Went to the Swim jig w/ red rattles, black / blue jig and put the tail of a lizard I had been catching them on the the pass few days. Ran its slowly on the bottom, slower than a soft plastic bait. Swam it at all depths, giving light pauses and bounces around stumps and trees. No bites that I was aware of but I did hook into a couple underwater limbs and sticks. I'll keep trying. It just seems so versatile of a bait and I know they catch fish, just not on my pole yet. Thanks for the replies.

[HunterFB]

Well, I have fished there before.  I think Junebug colored trailers are good for there when the water is murky.  The best set up I liked was a 3/8 oz football head or flipping jig- whichever is good.  I put a skirt on there that is black and blue on one jig and one that is green, brown with a few streaks of orange.
On the black and blue jig, put a matching trailer in black with blue flake.  Sort of a chunk that displaces water- a Zoom Super Chunk, Paca Chunk Sr or a whole Rage Craw threaded all the way up the shank sitting perfectly straight on the hook (that is important). 

On the Brown and green jig, I put on a watermelon red Paca Chunk hooked bottom through the top (90 degrees straight through) so it can swing and wobble around.  Hook it only 1.4 inch from the butt end.
Dip the craw's tips in Dip N Glo yellow.

Fish it on braid.

For the muddy water, have both tied on two rods.  Fish them around the stumps all around each stump (north south east and west side of each log, stump, tullie.

Pick apart the timber you find slowly, don't rush.  Be quiet with your pitch or flip as it splashes, and be accurate.

If they don't get on the natural colored bait, and you tried the slow, steady pitch from the outside to the inside of trees, logs stumps- try the black around submerged tree stumps and cypress stumps sticking up.  Lots of tourneys are won this time of year in LA on black and blue jig combos fished v-e-r-y slow. 

If you are in open water wide of the target, drag the jig an inch at a time, feeling the bottom, like a small scale C-Rig drag- just much slower and shorter.  Stay in contact with the bottom.  Watch your line to go off in another direction, or suddenly go slack.

Last, get rid of those Rage frogs and put a Ribbit in Green Pumpkin Pearl belly on there.  I found that to be an exciting choice there, and the sound is a bit different.  Good luck on the Bayou.

[EdgemanP1]

Lesrning to fish a jig can take a while. You said that the lake that you are fishing is known as a "hard" lake, so you want to go to an "easier" body of water.A couple of things that may help is to use finesse jigs (1/4oz0) and light line (8/10/12 lb test). Use a finesse worm as your trailer. The light jig and trailer will force you to fish slower to maintain contact with the bait and to keep contact with the bottom. Watch your line from the time it hits the water until you get your bait back. Any movement of the line other than what you are doing is reason to set the hook. Pay attention to how your jig and trailer feels. If there is ever any difference, no matter how slight, set the hook. Although you could get some viscious hits, don't expect them. No matter what, keep using the jigs. You have to keep trying until you get it.

[Bobby Saffel]

Another tug that would help and has been mentioned is starting off with 1/4oz finesse jig like a strike king bitsy bug jig paired with their bitsy bug chunk. I'd get black and blue with matching trailer and some black/brown/amber combo with brown or green pumpkin trailer.

Start off throwing that smaller jig for one you get use to the weight and how it feels ans second you will get more bites. Most times you will not get as many bites on a jig compared to a soft plastic but but the bites you do get will be better quality. With the smaller jig you can get those smaller fish to bite it that normally wouldn't eat a 1/2oz jig. Not to say a big fish won't eat it finesse jig because they will. Try for quantity then move up for quality.

[jocko]

I've tried fishing a jig on and off for the past two weeks.  All with and without trailers and rattlers. Have not had one bite on any of them.

My thought when I saw this was "I've never fished a jig without a trailer".  A trailer IMO is so important. 

I also found the jig to be one of the easiest baits to fish,  but I started young and can't remember even how I started.  There so many ways to fish a jig too and that - I think complicates things for those just learning.  They get a mix of instructions that may or may not suit the water and cover being fished. 

Certain water just screams JIG. 

If you are fishing shallow (along shoreline grass - flipping)  you may just pitch it in a hole and watch your line as it drops.  Weigh it a few times and then move to the next target.  That's shallow flipping.  It's so exciting to see the line jump or swim off.

Fishing a football jig on a bottom contour deeper (ledge or rock piles)  Fish it slow as if you are a blind man trying to feel the bottom contour with the jig and line.  Polish the bottom.  Wait to feel the thump or if they are lethargic - it will just feel like you snagged a wet newspaper - set and reel!

You can swim a jig like a spinnerbait for a different look.  Bluegill colors with a twin tail grub or a swim bait (skinny dipper) along bluegill beds post spawn or around males protecting fry pods - is very effective.  Swim it like a spinnerbait.  Sounds like the water you are fishing - this method would work.

That's just 3 ways. 

IMO - always use a trailer on a jig.  Choosing the weight, style, skirt color, and trailer - is very important to get right. 

Keep on it - you'll love jig fishing.

[JT_Bagwell]

I consider myself a way above average Jig fisherman. It is definitely my go-to bait.

The advice I would give to anyone wanting to learn to fish a jig is to tie on a 3/8 ounce Black and Blue jig with a trailer (whether it is a chunk or my favorite a 5" Yamamoto Double Tail grub). Fish that bait all day long. I fish mine on 50 lbs test braided line on a 6'10" Heavy All Star rod.

Learn how that bait feels when it goes over a log, how it feels when going over chunk rock and how it feels going over whatever bottom you are fishing.

After you have a pretty good feel for that bait, just keep fishing it. However, during your retrieve if you feel something just a little different set the hook. Bass don't always crush a jig, sometimes they just inhale it. I always tell people that when fishing a jig it is better to set the hook on a tree when something feels different than to not set the hook at all and miss the Bass of a lifetime.

Several years back I did a jig fishing article with my boyhood hero, Hank Parker and this is what he said about learning to fish a jg "You just have to tie the son of a gun on and go fishing."

Once you get a few fish your confidence level will increase and you will begin to have much better success.

[mifon]

I fish mine on 50 lbs test braided line on a 6'10" Heavy All Star rod.

Hey JT,
I'm torn between using a leader on my braid vs tying direct to the jig. I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Thanks
Mike

[JT_Bagwell]

The only time I ever use a Fluorocarbon leader is in Gin Clear water. Even then I am not 100% sure it is necessary because I have caught plenty of fish even when I tie braid directly to the Jig in clear water.

[Facepunch]

One of the things that guys out on the west coast do in clear water is take a black sharpie to the last couple of feet of braid. I can't say whether or not it works any better but they all swear by it.

[Pat Curtis]

One of the things that guys out on the west coast do in clear water is take a black sharpie to the last couple of feet of braid. I can't say whether or not it works any better but they all swear by it.

That's not only a west coast thing.  We've done that in our glacial lakes in the Midwest for a long time.  And not just black....black and green mixed makes it that dark great tint which was the original line color.

[merc1997]

a jig is the most useful tool in your tackle box.  do not give up on learning to catch fish on them.  on the case of catching bass on a fluke or spinnerbait, but need to be fishing your jig in the same section of the water column.  one thing that might work better in this situation is a NuTech Lures CrazyJig (chatter bait style of jig). 

jigs can be made to resemble crawdads, bream, and shad.  as far as bite detection, the same rules apply to jigs.  most bites are not the traditional tick, but merily something different happened.  with a jig, you even need to pay attention to the tension on your line.  i have caught lots of big bass that the only thing that happened was the tension on the line changed as the jig was falling.

another factor in fishing a jig, is whether to use more of a coast or a drop type of retrieve.  i have found that during colder water temps, say up to 56 to 58, a coast type retrieve works better.  above that temp, a drop type retrieve seems to do better.  when swimming a jig, that rule does not apply.

when bottom fishing, a jig is fished much the same as you would a t-rig worm.  the bites just seems to vary much more, and there seems to be more of them that just something different happened.

i know that there will be much argument in what i am going to say, but i set the hook on anything that happened differently than i thought it should have.  i do not wait to feel for anything else because i feel the next thing that you might feel will be the bass spitting out your bait.  hooksets are free!!!

keep at it.  you will conquer it.

bo

[LSUh20fowler]

Thanks for all the advice. Didn't get to go today but will be on the water about noon tomorrow trying again. What is the rod preference for jigs, heavy, medium / heavy, medium ? 6.6' or 7' ? Also, I run Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon line in 14 and 17lb.

[mifon]

Bo,

I was looking forward to your reply on the subject of jigs!!!! I've learned, "WHEN BO SPEAKS (ABOUT JIGS), YOU BETTER BE LISTENING!!!!".

Bo's new jig, the NuJig< is the best jig I have ever fished. I am doing some testing now with the CrazyJig that Bo mentioned (just got some heads to try yesterday from Bo!). If this thing works like I think it will, you better have you some if you fish tournaments.... or plan on getting beat by somebody else that is fishing 'em!!

Like Bo said, the jig is the most versatile bait you can fish. You can cover the entire water column, fishing it at different speeds, and remember.....you don't always have to fish the jighead with a skirt! Just throw a plastic lizard on one of the NuJigs and fish it like a biffle bug or crankbait. It's hard to beat in the Spring!

Like Bo said....just keep trying the jig. Find out where the bass are in the water column, find out how active they are (or how fast they want it), tip your jig with a bait that's appealing to 'em, and YOU WILL GET HITS!! Then just learn to recognize those suttle changes as hits, and you're a jig fisherman!!

Good Luck,
Mike

[jocko]

Thanks for all the advice. Didn't get to go today but will be on the water about noon tomorrow trying again. What is the rod preference for jigs, heavy, medium / heavy, medium ? 6.6' or 7' ? Also, I run Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon line in 14 and 17lb.

Most of my rods are 6.6 MH Fast and X fast.  I will use 17 lb mono, but I also have a 7 ft H with braid for nasty stuff.  I have my shimano castaic on that rod and will use it flipping and punching.  I love the thumb bar on that reel because you can fish one handed - you can engage the reel with your thumb rather than turning the handle.  A great feature for flipping and pitching. 

Another thing with jigs is the retreive.  Alot of new anglers equate the word jig to think you have to jig or work the bait in a jiggin fashion and hop and work the bait too much.    If I am fishing a deep football head,  I don't hop it.  I slide it.  I want bottom contact.  I slide it an inch or two and watch the line,  feel.   If I am flipping shore line pockets or holes - I am basically dropping it in.   I may do 1 lift or pulse it ,  then I move to the next target.  Alot of JIGGING action is not needed with a jig. 

Hook sets are free for sure!  Don't play guessing games - because when you are just starting out,  you won't know the difference between a rock or log.  If you feel something bump,  go ahead and swing on it.  Might be a log or rock or it might be a big ole bass.  You'll only know by setting.  You'll get the feel down in no time. 

One of my favorite trailers is the old Zoom Chunk.  Something about that V cut chunk (looks like the Uncle Josh Pork Frog),  it works great.  I don't fish pork anymore.  That old chunk shape seems to stand the test of time.  It always produces for me.  I have more plastic jig trailers than I could use in my life time.  Craws, Twin Grubs, Chunks.    I prefer chunks on my flipping jigs,  twin tails on my football heads,  and paca craws on my swimming jigs and chatterbaits.  Some of the Denny Brauer chunks are good and the SK perfect plastic (elastic kind) are good because that plastic floats.  The claws float and raise up like a craw in a defensive stance. 

Fish a 3/8/ black and blue with a chunk all day and you're bound to catch a nice one.

[ssj3goten]

I've tried fishing a jig on and off for the past two weeks. Mostly 3/8oz and 1/2oz. Tried blue/black, green/brown, white, crawfish color. All with and without trailers and rattlers. Have not had one bite on any of them. I've changed baits and caught bass on blue watermelon flukes, black/blue worm and white / chartreuse spinnerbaits. I've watched countless videos on you tube and have searched and read many articles on here about working jigs. I've bounced them on the bottom, ran swimming jigs, everything I can think of. Should I just leave the tackle box at home and only bring my jig box or just give up on jigs and run my T rigged worms ? I just can't get the hang of it. I know they're bass catching bait. Any advice ??

I struggle with jig fishing and while I have caught a few bass and even redfish on them not enough to me interested in fishing them. For me it WAY too slow of fishing for my taste. I would rather flip a beaver or senko. If nothing else like LSmith said try a swim jig those can be a blast to fish.

[bassmaster893]

I was at the point where I hated jigs... my solution... I bought a 7'2" jig specific rod... and when I get I new rod that's all I want to use for couple trips, especially when its a 200 dollar rod... so I stuck a 1/2 jig on it.. and went out a couple times. now in tournaments... I wont put a jig rod out of reach and have caught a ton of bass on them... you just got to go and fish with it and learn it. when a bass hits a jig... they don't just tap it. they rip the rod out of your hand 99% of the time. its one of my favorite ways to fish now.