Pig &Jig

[74mph]

So I am attempting to learn to catch bass using a pig and jig method. It seems like Dietz slays the fish this way so why cant I? I just have some basic questions on presentation. Do you typicaly want to fish these baits vertically? Do you swim them through weed beds and around weed lines? Do you typicaly use short casts? I am most interested in useing these baits in deeper water such as 6 - 10 feet aroun humps off weed lines ect. Also I was wandering If I should use a mono leader? O have read some articles where people will use a heavy braided line and about a 25 lb mono leader just for presentation. Whats working?

[Fever]

I've recently started having success with this presentation. I typically use a brown or black jig with a pumpkinseed or watermelon colored plastic trailer. Yes, I fish mine almost totally virtically. I typically place my boat in deeper water and pitch into pockets of weeds or smaller points judding out of the main weed line. Last week I won my league night using this method. Few bites, but the ones you get are typically better quality fish. Two 19.5 inchers in about 2 hours of work. I missed 4 fish though due to poor hook sets and too many weeds tangled in the line.... Again I'm no expert but this method should be incorporated if your looking for the bigger bite, probably not for numbers. You could texas rig a seven inch worm in the same exact areas and probably catch more smaller fish. It is now one of my favorite methods... but, like everything else, it has its time and place. Good luck, hope this helps.

Fever

[french_lake_kid]

A lot of people fish them deep, but if there is rocks on your humps, a roller jig is a nother awesome option. I caught my personal best on a jig & pig that weighed just under 7lbs. in a dock. That was with a strike-king bitsy-bug with a lake fork trailer on a spinning-rod. I fish the classic jig & pigs flipping trees or docks, when deeper then its the roller jig. About braid, fishing very heavy cover, such as trees, docks, matted weeds, then braid, but fishing open water, I wouldn't worry bout it. Deep water though I'm just learning too so I'll let Deitz and others way more experienced handle that.

[skink]

Thanks for the post. I have yet to try this method. Plastics keep me coming back, but I'm coming back to 2-3 pounders. Will the Pig and Jig, like all the websites say, bring me back to larger bass?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Not sure if I can help with this or not.. For most, its just put it in your hands and make yourself get the feel for the lure. I would say that most people who have trouble with the jig n pig do so because they are not set up with the proper gear for it.

7'MH rod or more is a must. And it almost needs to be a slightly higher dollar rod as well so that it has a very quick tip. You get below IM7 and the tips are so soft that you will miss a lit of bites.

I fish a jig much the same way I do a texas rig. 90% of my fishing is fiarly short casts... I am casting to a spacific location I really may only work the lure about 10 -15 feet then burn it back to the boat and try again. Those fish are in a spacific area, once my lure is out of it, I re-cast. Short hops and then let it sink again to the bottom. Some days, they want it hopped a little higher, some days they just want it crawled.. the majority of your hits will happen on the fall once you have lifted it up or on the initial fall.

I would also say that 90% of the time I am usuing a 1/2 oz jig, no matter the depth. I use 20 lb florocarbon on both of my jig rods, I do have another that is rigged with briad, but seldome use it. No matter what, I am not a fan of braid to floro leaders, just something else that can fail between you and the fish. But thats just my opinion.

Best of luck learning it, it can be a lot of fun...

as to the last poster, just because you are using a jig, does not automatically mean you are going to catch larger fish. You still have to be in the right spot at the right time, but having a jig tied on your rod will deffinatly help on the size usually.

[EBass]

Under hand pitch it to the weededge and or pockets in the weeds. On the weededge there are lil clumps and pitch around those. Short casts for the most part.

Last night I pitched it to said weededge and I let it fall. I had 4 bites and caught 2. The first bite came when it fell to the bottom then I jumped it a foot and on the fall is when I felt the tap. The 2nd bite came right on the fall. 18.5" and 15" - my buddies were missing them in the slop on the frog.

Oh I did swim the jig a bit too, but no takers.

This is becoming my new favorite method.

[Coach Dog]

Using a high speed reel helps by getting the fish out of cover quicker and also gets your retrieve in quicker allowing you to make more cast.

I really like this method as it is one of my favorites. Be sure to pay attention to your line as many of your bites will come on the initial fall.

[Cabela10]

Do you keep the jig on tight line? Like when I use tubes or worms, I tend to let the line bow a bit and slowly reel up on it to feel a fish. It has never failed me before. I see jig fishermen keep their line tight, is this the case? or should you keep a little bow in your line and tighten up to check it, then hop it along.

[st.crioxfishin]

Bobby,

I would say try and find that "happy medium" not so tight that the fish will feel you right away when they strike, but not so much of a bow in the line so that you can't even feel the fish when it bites. A mix between a tight line and overly bowed line...? hope this helps.

[Cabela10]

Probably the same way I fish a tube on the St. Croix. Just seems like I see other people fishing with tight lines. I bought some Evolution Jigs this evening with Zoom chunks as trailers.

[CALVINIST]

Just wondering the difference between the Uncle Josh pork trailers versus the plastic trailers. Are one type better than the other? I would think the pork trailers hold up better...Am I right?