hey guys sad to say but i have NEVER caught a bass with a jig.. its mainly soft plastics aka lizards and worms.. sometimes crankbaits..... i have jigs in blue-black, black, light brown and dark brown. some with rattles and some not. but i have never caught a damn bass on one!! can you guys give me tips on how to retrieve them after casting and what would be something good to put on the hook?? sorry guys i know its sad but its true
I'd suggest getting some paca chunks as trailers. You can evenly thread them on or just hook it once through. Then maybe just dedicate some time with just the jig until you catch some, it shouldn't take too long. Largemouth love them. As quietly as you can, cast them (or pitch) at any cover or just out there. Sometimes the fish will pick it up on the fall, so try to let it fall. Don't overwork it...slow is good. A few jiggles, short hops and pauses will get a bite. Crawfish sometimes move with stops and starts. It will soon be an effective tool in your arsenal. I'd say 3/8 is a good place to start and maybe somewhere where you're not hauling muck every cast. Good luck.
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I agree with Jaywalker on the trailer. I use the Net Bait Paca Chunk (or Baby Paca Craw) or a twin tail grub.
Cast, flip, or pitch to every piece of cover that you can see above and below the water. I start out shaking the jig in place with a few short hops and gradually increase the speed of the retrieve until I get some action. I have caught fish that last couple years (at one place in particular) casting out a jig, let it sink to the bottom and real in on a steady retrieve.
The Best advice that I can give is to spend at least a day or more with nothing but a jig in your boat and force yourself to fish it until you find how the fish want it. In no time this will be one of your go to baits.
9 times out of 10 I will have a jig of some type tied on one of my rods.
right now to post spawn would be a great time to learn to fish it, with crawfish coming out of mud and migrating toward the mixed rocks. If you can pitch quietly to stumps or around rocks or laydowns in 1-4 feet near deeper water such as on a 20-45 degree bank. 3/8 oz is a good all around weight, but if you think you're having trouble with that weight, you might just try to rig up a smaller jig 3/16-1/4 with smaller chunk (with salt or scent cooked in) and a MH rod with 14lb line or bigger. Take a day (or portion of day) to fish it (like a lizard, but don't necessarily lift it off the bottom as high as would a plastic worm or lizard in summer), I can remember the time I spent trying to catch my first fish on a jig (that first pick up is just a neat feeling), and I've caught hundreds of big and small ones since)
you may want to thin out the weedguard to ensure good hook penetration cut a few strands out and bend the others over good once or twice to loosen them up. some also trim the skirt shorter too depoending on what the jig looks like when bought.
try to match your trailer toat least one of the primary color of your skirt.
black/blu jig w either black trailer or black/blue trailer, green pumkin or crawfish color jig with green pumkin trailer, etc...
great info guys thanks!! at what depths are they the most affective and do you guys buy one with a rattle bag on it??
ALSO, what kind of rods do you guys like to use while flipping and deep water fishing with jigs?? heavy, med-heavy?? length??
if i am carolina rigging i use a 7'4" med-heavy action bait caster.. i love the lenth..
-- can you flip baits with an open reel??
-- also would 20# flouro be sufficient or should i go with 15lb+ mono?? no braided for me on a baitcaster! no way lol.....
Modified by mkgarrison5 at 9:46 AM 3/29/2007
All of my jigs have rattles, I think in clearer water it is a confidence thing for me, but a MUST have in stained or muddy water. Depth is a relative term for me, 99% of my fishing is done in less than 10' of water, because that is as deep as it gets for the most part around me. I would say my best depth is about 3-4 feet deep except in winter.. As far as a rod, I use a 6'-9" wrom and jig rod from H&H Rods, Curado Cu-200 and 15# line (last year it was F-Clear, not sure this year, I am waiting on an order of the new Vicious line to come in)
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