So I am completely for the first couple of months trying to focus solely on jig fishing, believe me I need the practice. So my wonderful plan with year was to not buy any tackle associated with texas rigging. I figured this way when Im out on the water I wont have any choice but to flip my jigs. Anyone else ever do this?
I did, and suppose I still am. I'm no Denny Brauer, but I always have 2 or three jig rods ready to go. The more you focus on any technique, the better you get. The better you get, the more fish you catch. The more fish you catch, the more you focus on that technique.
Jigs are for big boys, and that means you'll be getting fewer bites. Stay focused, stay positive. Learn to enjoy your equipment and the process of mastering it. Force yourself to make the perfect pitch, keep your rod in position, and set the hook hard and often.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by lefthook3305 »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I did, and suppose I still am. I'm no Denny Brauer, but I always have 2 or three jig rods ready to go. The more you focus on any technique, the better you get. The better you get, the more fish you catch. The more fish you catch, the more you focus on that technique.
Jigs are for big boys, and that means you'll be getting fewer bites. Stay focused, stay positive. Learn to enjoy your equipment and the process of mastering it. Force yourself to make the perfect pitch, keep your rod in position, and set the hook hard and often.</td></tr></table>
WELL SAID!!!!!
Paul
PROUD BBC SPONSOR
When i started really focusing on bass fishing mainly i hated to throw a jig i was always a Trig and crankbait guy....what i did was the same thing as your planning...take jsut a box of jigs.......now i fish jigs all the time...its the best way to learn something new...this year im planning on doing the same thing with a shakey head and drop shot
Just make sure you have some different sizes. A downsized jig still catches better fish and sometimes thats the trick especially on smaller waters that get lots of pressure. If you only use a full size 1/2oz jig with a big chunk your missing out. You still need to match your jig to your situation. Where I am from the heavy cover and stained water is usually up the creeks and very shallow and I do best on a midsize or downsized jig like a bitsy bug (but not a bitsy bug they are cheap baits).
I don't know if it is good or bad, but I am on a jig craze too. I don't only throw a jig, but if I will throw a jig over a tx rig now. Not really sure if I am getting bit much less, but the bite I get have all been keepers. No more little 10 in fish acting like a big fish.
I like having a 3/8 or 1/2 tied on one rod and a 1/4 on another. Can cover just about everything with those weights. Black and blue 1/2 and a green pumpkin 1/4. Game over.
Try to get a feel of what the jig is doing. Concentrate and see the jig working with your mind on every cast. That way, when the jig does something different or the weight feels different, you will know. Jig fishing is more mental concentration than actual technique. Imagine it hopping or crawling along the bottom and after a while you will feel it in your mind without trying. If there is a secret to jig fishing, you just learned it.
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<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by LOZman »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Try to get a feel of what the jig is doing. Concentrate and see the jig working with your mind on every cast. That way, when the jig does something different or the weight feels different, you will know. Jig fishing is more mental concentration than actual technique. Imagine it hopping or crawling along the bottom and after a while you will feel it in your mind without trying. If there is a secret to jig fishing, you just learned it.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by LOZman »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Try to get a feel of what the jig is doing. Concentrate and see the jig working with your mind on every cast. That way, when the jig does something different or the weight feels different, you will know. Jig fishing is more mental concentration than actual technique. Imagine it hopping or crawling along the bottom and after a while you will feel it in your mind without trying. If there is a secret to jig fishing, you just learned it.
Awesome advice!!!!VERY, VERY TRUE!!!
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by lefthook3305 »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I did, and suppose I still am. I'm no Denny Brauer, but I always have 2 or three jig rods ready to go. The more you focus on any technique, the better you get. The better you get, the more fish you catch. The more fish you catch, the more you focus on that technique.
Jigs are for big boys, and that means you'll be getting fewer bites. Stay focused, stay positive. Learn to enjoy your equipment and the process of mastering it. Force yourself to make the perfect pitch, keep your rod in position, and set the hook hard and often.</td></tr></table>
Wade a creek and move VERY slowly... I learned at an early age how forage reacts to predators and how the move around and over obstacles. Take one of your fav jigs and jig rods, head to a local creek and emulate that motion with your bait. I think you will be surprised how little you actually use the rod! Granted, there are times when you need to drag a football jig to get a feel for the bottom or move a flippin jig over a stump or dock piling. By and large, jigs are a slowly fished bait....the creek dads will show you this.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by LOZman »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Try to get a feel of what the jig is doing. Concentrate and see the jig working with your mind on every cast. That way, when the jig does something different or the weight feels different, you will know. Jig fishing is more mental concentration than actual technique. Imagine it hopping or crawling along the bottom and after a while you will feel it in your mind without trying. If there is a secret to jig fishing, you just learned it.
This is great advice because feel is absolutely the most important thing with jig fishing. There are a bunch of different ways a bite will feel so it takes a lot of practice and patience. The only thing I would add is, while you're learning, go to a bunch of different areas that you know the bottom make-up VERY well. Fish 1 area that's gravel and get an understanding of what the bottom FEELS like. Then fish another area that's chunk rock, then scattered rock, then clay, then lots of wood so you can understand what it feels like when the jig is climbing and falling of a stump or log. Every type of bottom has it's own very distinct feel and you have to pay very close attention to the differences in how each of these FEEL, because once you understand that then you know that anything that doesn't feel like that, set the hook.
If it feels different - set the hook. There is the "normal" jig bite and it's awesome - but that's only a few of the hits you get. Often they'll just suck it up and sit there to chew on it. There'll only be a heavy feeling to the bait.
Also know that there's a difference in casting a jig and flipping/pitching. On a short flip/pitch, a straight up hookset is fine. On a long cast - set the hook with a side sweep. You will get a better hookset and won't have issues with them coming unbuttoned.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by LOZman »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Try to get a feel of what the jig is doing. Concentrate and see the jig working with your mind on every cast. That way, when the jig does something different or the weight feels different, you will know. Jig fishing is more mental concentration than actual technique. Imagine it hopping or crawling along the bottom and after a while you will feel it in your mind without trying. If there is a secret to jig fishing, you just learned it.
Awesome description...Here is another little tip that I use to help people having problems with Jig and worm fishing and mental concentration, simply close your eyes.And example would be to take your thumb and index fingers and rub the finger tips together now close your eyes and rub your finger tips together,you will see that with your eyes closed you will have a heighten sense of feel or sensitivity much like the heightened sense of feel that a blind person has.Our brain has to process everything we see and feel, when your eyes are closed it only has to process what you feel so when you feel a rock,wood a fish it will program that into your memory so that when your eyes are open it will recall that feeling.
Modified by Jerkbait at 9:00 AM 3/6/2011
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