Some basic jig questions

[Erie660]

What style and size hook would you use for a yum wooly bug or a skirted twin tail grub for example? Also how do you decide to use a pegged or unpegged weight?

When would you use a skirted jig instead of wooly bug or the twin tail?

I fished the other day with a wooly bug and 4/0 g-lock hook with a 3/8 worm weight in a canal with sea walls but not really sure I had the right bait. I really didn't start catching fish until I put on a twin tail grub. The water was around 4-5ft along the wall and dropped down to about 10ft. I'm fairly new at jig fishing for bass as you can tell. I'm looking for any advice and tips I can get. Thanks

[Chuck D]

Rig the wooly bug TX Rig with a pegged sinker just as you are doing. It's a flipping/pitching bait and moves a lot of water depending on how you set it up. I use a 4/0 flipping hook (Trokkar or Gamakatsu) with the plastic bait keeper at the line tie to keep the bait in place and peg it with a tru tungsten or other brand peg or bobber stop to keep the weight in place and fish it on 16-20lb Sunline FC. I use the absolute lightest weight with a bait like this that I can get away with as I rarely fish it deeper than 6-8'.

The Wooly bug is far better at imitating bluegill than a jig all things being equal (clearer water, shallow flipping, pitching docks, etc) unless you are swimming the jig and match it up color wise with the right trailer. I find that jigs after pre spawn don't get bit as much here for me as a bug or beaver type of bait. They have their place and here that is fishing rocky cover, deeper water, or somewhere that you need a compact bait that won't get hung up as much (football heads for example come across rocks great and arkie head jigs are great for skipping docks, flipping wood, etc) so rig both up on your deck and let the fish tell you which they like as each day is different as we all know. The jig will most likely fall faster than the bug depending on how you rig it so fall rate is a big deal in jig fishing as slower gets more bites in high pressure and heavy is great of course for deeper and dirtier water, etc due to water displacement which helps fish find it faster.

The yamamoto twin tail grub (color 297) has become the single best day in day out jig trailer that I am using without question. It's subtle and very natural. If in dirty water I want something that moves more water I opt for a trailer like a rage craw for example that really "flaps" as it falls and so on. I have a twin tail on my jigs 95% of the time, the rest of the time, it's a rage chunk for swimming them when trying to imitate bluegill and other small fish forage vs crawfish.

The Bug/Beaver type baits with a light 1/8 or 3/16 oz weight in green pumpkin with the tails just barely dipped in chartreuse dye pitched in water less than 8' and slowly falling where bream are living look like an injured bluegill better than anything I've come across other than my custom painted crank baits which of course don't sink.

Net Net - Use the bug in shallower clearer water. Use the jig when imitating crawfish and dragging the bottom or pitching in and out of tighter (hangups). Another great bait to use for really tight spots is a TX rigged senko with a pegged weight, that can get in out of the tightest places with no problem. All 3 are big time producers for me here. Hope this helps.

[Erie660]

Thanks for the great information.

[Erie660]

Iknbassman I'm not sure what the plastic bait keeper is your talking about. Is that already on the trokkar flippin hook? Is it the same thing as the wire springs on some hooks that you screw into soft plastic? I was also just using a tooth pic to peg the weight I was curious if there was a better way to peg the weights.
What hook would you use for the senko? I fish those alot but wackey style mainly. Thanks

[Chuck D]

No, it's not the springs. Take a look at the Trokkar hooks on tacklewarehouse or the Trokkar web site and also at the new Gamakatsu flipping hook. It's a big black plastic collar with a barb that's on the hook and keeps the baits from sliding on the hook shank.

Toothpick is OK if you are not using floro and tungsten. It can pinch your line against the collar of your weight which because tungsten is so hard and floro easy to cut will cause too many break offs. Get you some rubber pegs at any tackle shop or bobber stoppers.

Too bad Tru Tungsten went under their peg was the best ever made.

Re: the Senko I use a 4/0 for the 4" and a 5/0 for the 5" and a 6/0 for the big ones. Wacky is great but I'm talking about fishing in thick stuff like laydowns, brush piles, etc places you can get hung up. That senko comes through that stuff like a charm.

The Trokkar web site is http://www.lazertrokar.com/

Go to "anatomy of a trokkar" and click "flippin hooks" and you'll see it. Gammy's is the same type and almost as good and is 1/2 the cost. 4/0 is the one for beaver type of baits for certain unless you use smallie beaver at which time I put those on shakey heads.

[Erie660]

Thanks. I picked up a pack of the Trokkar flippin hooks,I did not see any Gamakatsu flippin hooks at BPS.