What is the proper out of the box Jig preparation,ie. weedguard trim,skirt,etc?
Any links to articles on the subject would be appreciated.
What is the proper out of the box Jig preparation,ie. weedguard trim,skirt,etc?
Any links to articles on the subject would be appreciated.
usually I push down on the gurd to how stiff it is.....if its to otight I cut strands one at a time till I'm happy with it.....then I will spread them out & push it down again and cut the top of the guard in a V to match the hook in center.
JMO
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tritonryan »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">usually I push down on the gurd to how stiff it is.....if its to otight I cut strands one at a time till I'm happy with it.....then I will spread them out & push it down again and cut the top of the guard in a V to match the hook in center.
JMO
what he said .................
Kind of depends on the jig, Jewels jigs I use pretty much out of the package, maybe just soften them a tad, and a little skirt trim on the footballs jigs. Jigs with long guards I like to trim at an angle just beyond the point. I do make sure to check the eyes for any chipped paint which will cut your line like a knife. Skirts can be adjust full or sparse ,depending on conditions
I take mine out of the package, spread the weedguard add a trailer and scent, then commence to loading the boat. I use mostly Daves Tournament Tackle jigs, recently started using Eakins too.
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Neil Eckberg- Cary, NC - 2008 Skeeter ZX250- 250 Yamaha SHO
Kerr Lake Ba$$hole
I cut all but 2 strans even with the hook point were when I push down on it only the 2 that I leave full length are able to touch the hook.
All good comments. Denny & Chad Brauer have a website. Not sure of the address, but do a search and it will come up. It has some good articles. Dee Thomas and Tommy Martin have videos that are VERY good in my opinion. Vandam and Gerald Swindle also have some jig videos that are ok.
I always trim the weedguard parallel to the hook and push it back to where it is less than 1/8" away from the hookpoint. When I press down on my weedguards they never touch the hookpoint. In sparse cover or grass, I will remove strands of the guard until it is pretty flimsy. I lose probably twice as many jigs as most people do in a day, but I land a lot more fish on jigs than most of the people I fish with do.
I do pretty much like all the guys above on skirts. One thing different though, in really muddy water, I don't trim my skirt and may add a second skirt to get more bulk and water displacement. I also like to do that when I am on big fish lakes. I take the skirts off most jigheads and tie my own though so I have jigs with double skirts made up. Also, when on lakes where 2-3lbs is considered a big fish, I may pull some strands out to get a smaller profile on the bait. When swimming jigs, I tie my skirts with braid and glue them so they stay in place. That is about all I do different.
Also, if you are just starting to fish jigs, use braid or fluorocarbon and set the hook if anything feels "different."
The book and videos above have a lots of good tips to. Good luck,
Steve
Thank you for all the contributions to my post "Jig Prep". Although I am not a total novice with jigs, I admit to ruining a few of my older jigs when I started to use them this year. I cut them too short and are very stiff. I upgraded the quality of my jigs recently and wanted to do the "prep" right. I notice that the PJ Jigs and Jewels I just received are pretty much OK from the package. Somethings I learned was to not necessarily snip the weedguard, but flatten or remove some of the bristles. Also, separating them at a V-formation is less tricky than cutting them parallel or at an angle from the hook. The use of braid does increase the feel and has improved my catch ratio. Once again......thanks.
Hey Steve. I like the Braid/Fluoro recommendation. Thanks!
I am looking for a 12-15lb. fluorocarbon that I can use for light jig, Senko, and a topwater plug. I understand Fluoro may not be the best application for topwater, but which one can I get by with?
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