Thread: Swim Jig

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  1. #1
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    Swim Jig

    Okay guys, as I stated before this is my favorite forum on BBC. Now my question , when fishing a swim jig what type trailer on a white one paddle tail, minnow style or craw. Same for green pumkin. I cant catch a cold on a swim jig. Thanks for your replys

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    #2
    A swim jig is a confidence bait. I throw them any place I would a vibrating jig,but don't want the chatter. Let the fish tell you what trailer to use. Don't get locked in to what is best. I don't use it as a search bait. If I identify active fish chasing shad or bluegill then I'll keep adapting until I find AA profile they'll eat..I find it works best on pressured fish where the flash or chatter turns them off.
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    #3
    I've heard use x trailer when they're feeding on shad, Y trailer when feeding on crawfish, flip a craw vertical when they're feeding on bluegill etc etc.

    I've thrown the same trailer on the 2 colors of swim jigs I carry for 3-4 years.
    My white jigs get a white z craw, my green pumpkin shad color jigs have bad a paddle tail on them.

    I used to swap around trailers to try to figure out what the wanted but if you're not getting bit with a craw trailer, you're not going to magically slay them by swapping to a paddle tail. To me color is the most important.

    For me, if it's early morning or cloudy, I throw white, when the sun gets up, I change to a gp/bluegill color.

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    #4
    I had never fished a swim jig up until about 4 years ago. Now it's one of my confidence baits. I use a 1/4 oz "northern style" swim jig 99.9% of the time and generally I use a 3.75 or 3.8 inch paddle tail swimbait as the trailer. I like the paddle tail because it gives the bait a side-to-side rocking motion that I feel gets me more bites (does it actually...I don't know, but I have confidence that it does). That said, I have also had good luck with a simple 4 inch single tail grub on the back as well. I haven't used a craw trailer much simply because I have so much confidence in the paddle tail. I don't change the type of trailer based on the color of the swim jig. Also, I almost never use the "Alabama shake" retrieve. I simply do a steady, slow retrieve and throw in a rod twitch or a quick handle turn a few times during the cast. That's what works best for me.

  5. Member Tarheel14's Avatar
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    #5
    I havent caught tons of fish on a swim jig. But. lots of good advice up above. I have confidence in paddle tail type trailers. But a single tail grub is hard to beat. Rig the tail upright for more action. If using bluegill colors then I like a beaver type trailer.
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  6. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #6
    I use different trailers at different times, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find one that's more universal or that works more consistently than a Zoom Z-Craw Jr. Rig it vertical, it looks like a bluegill or other baitfish swimming. Rig it horizontal, it stays up in the water column a lot better and looks like any other type craw trailer. The action is perfect in either case, and it comes in any color you could want. Of course there are hundreds of others to try, but for my money, if I was trying to get someone bit on it, that's what I'd go with. I usually cut off about the top 3 or 4 segments when fitting it to my normal "northern style" swim jigs (like a Brovarney).

    More generic than that: With any technique you're trying to learn, I think the best thing to do is NOT try it on a day where you're trying to figure them out, as strange as that may sound. The problem with trying it then is that you almost always are on a bad bite, so you end up not catching them, and end up with even less confidence than before. If you try it on a day where you're catching them otherwise, you're much more likely to find success on that new technique as well. That's how you end up getting confidence in it, and end up finding yourself picking it up at other times. Confidence in something is so, so important in fishing. So find a day where you're getting them on a chatterbait, or spinnerbait, or squarebill...then throw that swim jig and see if it doesn't get bit! Don't worry about all that rod shaking stuff when you're just getting it figured out, either. Fish it just like you'd fish a chatterbait or spinnerbait and you'll get bit.
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  7. Member Quillback's Avatar
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    #7
    I've always liked a Keitech Fat as a trailer. Put a 3.8" or even a 4.3" on a 3/4 oz jig and you've got a sizeable bait. I like to crawl them along the bottom, sort of like slowly fishing a crank bait. It's not a numbers catcher, but a quality thing. I'll use a color that matches the jig, for example green pumpkin on a bluegill skirted jig.

    Just got an email from Dirty Jigs yesterday where they announced thier new compact swim jig. 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 oz. They look nice, I might get some of the 3/8 oz size. Maybe some 1/4 too. Wallet gonna be lighter.

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    #8
    I probably use a 4 or 5" single tail grub the most, I also use a Kalin Scrub and boot tails the rest of the time. I did great one tournament last year using a Zoom UV Speed Craw but that was because I forgot all of my other trailers at home. I honestly don't think it matters a ton as long as it's got some kind of flapping or paddle action.

  9. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #9
    I got onto a dynamite swim jig bite last weekend in a club tourney. I was going through so many trailers I actually ran out of Z-Craw Jrs (at least in the boat...I've got piles of them at home ). At the same time, the fish werer very shallow and felt like the bite was going to disappear as soon as the sun came out.

    In an attempt to avoid having to screw with trailers so much, I ended up trying a Z-Man "Hella Craw" which to that point I had only used for pitching and flipping. It's basically their version of a Rage Craw. I was blown away by how well that thing worked on a swim jig! Perfect action, perfect size for a swim jig with no trimming required, it kept that swim jig "floating" through the cover, and of course the Elaztech material outlived the swim jig it was being used on. I also wasn't fighting with the claws getting hung on the hook point like I've dealt with when using a Rage Craw in the past, for whatever reason. I don't think I'd use it unless I was fishing really shallow as it definitely made the jig stay up, but for that it was awesome. I'll be adding it to my rotation for sure!
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    #10
    I catch a lot of fish using a simple Zoom Fat Albert curl tail grub for a trailer. I also use some paddle tail stuff but unless I'm in a tournament I use the Zoom grub because it's cheap and catches fish.

  11. Member Quillback's Avatar
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    #11
    Watched a Dirty Jigs video where they mention the "Alabama Shake" method to fishing a swim jig. Basically you pop the rod tip in a sort of shake. Not when the jig is on the bottom, but as you are swimming it back. Never heard of the "Alabama Shake". It could have a lot of meanings.

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    #12
    yeah them boys that do that Alabama shake got some strong wrist.. Of course lots of baits are "confidence baits" but a swim jig in particular for me i threw a long time before i ever gained confidence.. Lots of fishing it without catching but once i started catching it became one of my confidence baits (glad i gave it a chance long as i did i about gave up on it ha).. feel it had a lot to do with varying retrieves before i found one i could get bit with and that retrieve has worked wherever i have been..very very versatile bait and i dont fish it just around grass.. i like to throw light as i can by with around trees, stumps, rock, docks and of course grass... 1/4 ounce i can keep up in the water column( never fishing it in water deeper then 5-6 feet) working at a pretty good speed and kill it and it has a slow pretty fall (where usually a fast fall is preferred so almost seems backwards) and they will choke on it.. i like to "pop it" a lot reel a few yards kill it and pop it over and over on the retrieve back, let it fall a second or 2 give it a hard pop. Just have a lot of control with the 1/4 ounce. I throw a gambler twin tail grub 98% in pearl or white..

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    #13
    I am in florida, and up until, maybe 2 yrs ago, had never thrown a swim jig. My personal swim jig trailer, that i have done, very well using, is the Gary Yamamoto Cowboy. I use a Bluegill swim jig, with a WM Blk with Red Flk colored trailer. #208 is the GY color.
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