Trying to become more of a swim jig fisherman. What types do y'all like to throw and what trailers work best?
Thanks!!
Trying to become more of a swim jig fisherman. What types do y'all like to throw and what trailers work best?
Thanks!!
Do a search in this section, I was schooled through learning the swim jig about a year ago and it was awesome!
Mesu swim jig is a great jig and my absolute go to because of Lew! With it I almost always have a Reaction Innovations skinny dipper on the back.
I also throw a plain old Strike King 1/4 & 3/8 swim jig a lot of times. For a trailer with this jig I use the 3.8” BPS speed shad, Zoom ultravibe craw, Gary Yamamoto Zako, or just a 3-4” twim tail grub...or single tail!
Thats the great thing about swim jigs, they work year round and what trailer I use depends on water temps and the cover I’m fishing.
Its hard to beat a Mesu with the swimbait trailer though. It catches fish!
My biggest issue was the hookset, I couldn’t get it down even though it sounds simple. When they hit a swim jig while being retrieved at a steady speed my brain tells me to set the hook when I feel the thump...and I missed every fish for almost 2 weeks. Once I let the fish take it, turn it’s head and start to load the rod before I swung for the fences my hook up ratio soared!
The fish usually swim up behind it and suck the bait in, which is the thump, but if you’re a little quick on the trigger like me you will lose them setting the hook then. They will close their mouth and turn within a second thereby loading your rod up. Wait that extra second to feel them turn before setting the hook...you will feel what I’m saying.
I use a 7’1” med/hvy BPS Platinum rod & reel 7.5:1 with 40lb Sufix 832. For me it’s a great set up.
2006 Triton SP-185, 2006 Evinrude Etec 90, PowerTech NRS3, Garmin Echomap Plus 73CV & 93SV
Dirty Jigs and Nichols are my two favorite jigs.
RI Little Dipper w/ finesse versions and Skinny Dipper w/ standard versions. Throw on 15-20lb flouro but not much vegetation here.. Zoom Speed Craw also works well if need to keep higher in water column.
I make my own swim jigs using a Do_it Bullet Nose mold. A Zoom Super Chuck Jr. will work fine. I run a toothpick through the chunk about 1/8" -1/4" behind the tip and cut off both ends. I run my hook behind the piece of toothpick. It helps save a bunch on torn trailers. But, 90% of the time when I am swimming a jig I will use the Zoom Z Craw Jr. in a color that matches the jig.
"The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
I started making my own swim jigs so I can match my trailers better. As far as trailers go, I like a Rage tail Menace and a Kalin's grub. I use a 5"+ grub if I have a matching color.
I have mainly gone with Dirty Jigs California swim jigs, and I'll usually get them in 1/2 to 3/4 oz. I usually will use a Keitech Fat Impact in 3.8 or 4.3 as a trailer, but sometimes I'll use a Rage Craw.
I don't fish them a lot, and never have had killer days with them, but it seems I can usually get a few if I stick with them and it's more of a quality over quantity thing.
And this year I have been experimenting with small jigs, 1/8 to 3/16. Been tipping the 3/16th size with a 2.8 Keitech and having success. Some new mini sized baits have been coming out lately, seems to be a trend in the industry. Strike King has come out with a Rage Baby Bug, Rage Ned Bug, and a Ned Cut worm. I have picked up some Baby Bugs and Ned Bugs from LBF, TW doesn't have them in stock yet. I think these will be great trailers for small jigs, but I haven't tried them yet. Rage Baby bug in white might be a great trailer for a 1/4 or 3/16 oz white or shad colored swim jig.
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