Lets talk jigs.

[RumRiverRat]

I am a mediocre at best jig fisherman. I improved this year from a down right terrible to a mediocre jig fisherman.

I have a firm grasp of the basic head styles and the situations in which to use them.

The things I am most curious about is selecting the proper weight for the situation and the proper trailer for the situation.

Also what are the circumstances in which you would use a jig like the Pro Finesse from Northstar Custom Baits.

What types of trailers would you pair with a finesse jig?

I caught some very nice fish on jigs this year and I am determined to get better at using them.

I also will be substantially upgrading my jig arsenal this winter.

[Cecil]

I actually use less jigs than most. Typically, if using a jig, I will use a finesse jig or a punch skirt. Both are similar to a jig, but act a little different. I know jigs work, I just assume everyone else is using them, so I switch it up. Don't get me wrong, if they seem to only be eating jigs, I will switch to that in a hurry, but haven't seen that be the case in a while.

[RK]

Hiya -

I'm the opposite of Cecil. I use jigs all the time. Partly because they're effective, partly because I just think it's a fun way to catch fish.

Personally I think weight, and to some degree trailer type, are all about manipulating drop speed. I fish jigs (other than finesse jigs, which I'll get to in a minute) as a reaction bait, and I mostly fish in clear to very clear water, so I usually want the jig dropping as fast as possible. In clear water, I don't want them to get a good look at it - I just want it to zip by. So I use 1/2 of 5/8 oz jigs the vast majority of the time. (As an aside, I also use colors that blend in like watermelon and green pumpkin. I want them to hunt for it. a little.)

There's an efficiency angle here too - I can cover a lot more water fishing a fast-dropping jig. A 5/8 oz jig on 16# fluoro drops like a bowling ball, so I can zing it to a weedline, hop it a few times, crank it in and fire another cast.

Trailer selection is part of this too. I usually use Chigger Craws, Strike King KVD Chunks, or the trailers from Christopherson's. All are fairly thin and don't slow the jig down much but do kick a little on the drop or a sharp lift.

Two exceptions to this.

One is dirty or stained water, whether it's tannin stained, there's a bloom, or it's just plain muddy. In darker water I do want a slower drop so I use more 3/8 oz jigs rather than 1/2 or 5/8.

The other is if fish are suspended up high and are hitting jigs well before they reach the bottom. A good example is pitching in shallow cover like rushes where fish are woofing the jig as soon as it hits the water. In cases like that, I'll either put on a lighter jig or more often switch to a bulkier trailer like a Beaver, or something with big floppy legs like a Rage Craw. Still have the heavier jig so it's easier to pitch father and more accurately, but the trailer slows the drop speed a little.

Finesse jigs? I don't use them a ton, and probably don't use them as much as I should. I will use them on weedlines after cold fronts sometimes, and they're usually ones where I've trimmed the weedguard almost down to nothing so it's easier to get a hookset. I know they work, and some (Cecil apparently) really like them, but I usually reach for something else. So I'd like to hear more from guys that use them a lot about when and why...

Cheers,

RK

[chief]

I'm with Cecil on this one.

Jigs are just about the most consistent fish catchin' machines out there, but they bore me to death so I don't use them a ton. Weird, huh.........?

This being said, think of your jig/trailer as a single unit while considering how fast it falls, and what profile it presents. Personally, I feel jig fishing is all about "drop" speed. Rather than plummeting to the bottom, I prefer my bait to ease it's way down. I adjust this by changing jig weights AND trailer sizes. Line size (diameter) is important too. I fish smallies in pools 1 and 2 on the Miss' using 1/4 to 1/2 oz. jigs and 12 and 14lb. Trilene XT. For largemouths in lakes I switch between a 40lb. braid and 17lb XT. In lakes I rarely go heavier than 3/4 oz., but I prefer to stay out of the scary stuff and focus on more scattered cover.

Assuming we're talking bass, any double-legged, crayfish-looking' critter is o.k. with me. I used pork for a looooong time and loved it, but it's hard to ignore the simplicity and variety of plastic. Whatever trailer you choose make sure your hook size can accommodate it.

If you're a metro area river rat, you won't need anything too heavy. As for colors.....whatever turns you on. Same with jig styles....whatever you like (p.s., any jig is a "swim jig"). Some of the new head styles, those featuring an integrated line tie, are fairly snag resistant and therefore economical.

[chief]

Wait. I changed my mind. I'm with RK on this one.

[delmuts]

+ 1 to RK! I normally never go heavier than 1/2 oz. but otherwise pretty much go with those guide lines.

[slopmaster]

RK hit it right on with his response. A jig is my go to lure and I usually start with some form of jig as soon as I hit the water. I fish a lot more stained/dirty water so i find i use more 3/8 and 1/2oz jigs and rarely go over those weights unless i'm fishing deeper water or heavy cover. I too pay a great deal of attention to fall rate and different trailers will manipulate the fall a great deal. Go with a bulkier trailer or a big chunk for a slow fall or something more streamline for a faster one.

Also if your looking into Northstar jigs, which are the best IMO, you can also manipulate the fall rate by the jig you choose. I found that a 1/2oz black series jig (my big fish bait this year) will fall at the same rate as a 3/8oz knockout jig. This is due to skirt material and number of strands. Something to think about when purchasing specific jigs.

[Superduty]

Go big or go home is my theory on jig fishing. When I am fishing a jig, (which happens a lot) I am looking for bigger fish. I feel that if I can catch 5 on a jig they will weigh more than 5 caught on a worm. I rarely use finesse jigs. If a finesse presentation is called for, I will throw soft plastic most of the time. As far as jig weight goes, it pays to experiment each day. I have seen heavier jigs that fall faster outfish lighter slower falling jigs on a given day. The reverse is also true any given day. Lastly, fish a jig all the way back to the boat and pay attention to where and when you get bit. It might lead you to switch tactics!

[Larson15]

I definitely lean toward the go big or go home theory and Im 90% of the time fishing a jig for big bites. The only time I fish anything under 1/2 oz is if I am skipping docks otherwise its 1/2, 3/4 and occasionally 1oz. These are the weights I fish for soft plastics as well. The benefit I see in the heavier weights is that you cover more water and for me they get bit more in tough conditions because your zinging it by them which causes a reaction bite. Also, when flipping foil you need to use a weight that will get below the foil canopy at the bottom.

[TonkaBass]

Im with Larson... I'll add that dropping weight and skirt material help in cold water conditions.

[river rat316]

I don't use jigs that much either Kidding of course. RK hits some really good points on jigs and is a wealth of info on them.

When it comes to finesse jigs I honestly haven't thrown them for a couple years, but only because we have been bringing out and testing so much other stuff I haven't had a chance to. But if you take away swim jigs and hair jigs from the equation they still probably account for more jig fish than all other jigs combined for me. They are what I first started fishing when I started with jigs and really excel in a couple situations I really like to fish, first one is obvious smallies and rocks, and the second is docks, they skip well and are not as imposing as a full size jig, drawing strikes from fish that have probably seen every lure known to man sitting under a dock. For trailers I use a zoom swimmmin chunk or a zoom small chunk (they are like 2.5" or so) The swimmin chunk I use in almost all warm water situations the regular chunk I use on cold water or frontal situations. Don't ignore them on deep weedlines or when flippin sparse cover because they are excellent for that also, but I really like them around docks.

ALso pay attention to a certain Friday they say is Black, I here you can find some pretty good deals then!