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OK.........I have a confession..................I don't own any bass jigs, none!

I'm talking about the standard flippin' jig. Fiber weed guard, silicone skirt, rattle pod or two. Add a trailer and fish away kinda bass jigs.

I'd like to rectify that for next season, so I have a few questions to everyone in that regard.

I plan to keep my selections down to about 3-4 colors in 1/2 & 3/4oz offerings for each color as well as a bag of trailers for each color selected.

What are your favorite colors.

What kind of trailers do you prefer? craws, beavers something else?

What length of trailer do you like?

How important is matching the color of the trailer to the jig?


Many thanks in advance for any input on these questions,

DropShot'r

G'day sir,

I love Bass Jigs....there is nothing like a good strike on a jig.

My favourites are Tripple Rattle Backs and I usually toss 3/8, 1/2, or 3/4 depending on what I'm fishing.

For colors....Blue, Black, and Brownish (earthy tones) are the ones I go to.

For trailers....I mostly use Craws, of all sorts and sizes. The longer ones I usually cut off so that the hook just comes out around the head area, and when I put them on, I give them a little bend on the hook so that the arms flail around like they are in attack mode. I've also used the double wide Beavers and Otters as well. Basically, the more the trailer moves and pushes water, the better it is.

A little trick for ya, put a little cut in the claws so that they flex more and move more water around. I find this a good way attract 'em.

When fishing them, get them right to the bottom in whatever you're fishing (deep weeds, docks, lillies) and really watch your line and feel the jig. Once you hit the bottom, move the bait up and down in all areas of the stike zone, giving a quick shake of the rattles every now and again, and then repeast in another hole. Braid is the best to use as there is no stretch and it keeps you in tune with your bait at all time. Many times, when a fish strikes it, you'll just get a little tick and not a big thump. Keep in tune with the bait, you'll hook up on many sticks when fishing wood, since the tick of the stick feels much like the tick of a bite, but practise makes perfect.

That's my take on jigs. Once you try them and get a feel for 'em...I'll sure you'll be hooked......(no pun intended)

Cheers,

Hey DropShot'r,

As you can probably tell from the majority of my reports, flipping jigs are my number one bait when chasing largies. If truth be known, I thrown these 75% of my time when out on the water..

I've fished a lot of jigs over the years (some good and some bad), but for the last three years, I've stayed with the Booyah Boo Jig. Stick with the 3/8 and 1/2oz for the majority of your fishing. I generally go with a 3/4oz when fishing "deep" water - 10 feet + and if the wind is really blowing.
When fishing slop edges, laydowns, or docks in less than five feet of water, go with a 3/8oz, as the slower decent through the water will often trigger more strikes.

Top four colours would be:

Black/Blue
Black Brown Spice
Black/Red
Green Pumpkin

In terms of trailers, I'm a big proponent of the YUM Chunks. Go with the 3.5" size, and match up the colour of plastic to your jig. Been using these for as long as I can remember.

Remember to trim back the weed guard, and also thin it out - this will result in better hook penetration and more fish in the boat..

This image shows the colours I routinely use, and the matching trailers:



Toss jigs to any emergent or sub-surface structure you can find - pads, slop edges, docks, laydowns, undercut banks, cane, weedlines, rock shoals....the possibilities are endless.
Getting your confidence in fishing jigs is a huge deal. Many give up too quick. Best way to learn (and how I did many years ago) was to take a flipping stick and a handful of jigs out in the boat - nothing else. This forces you to use them, and practice definitely makes perfect..

Good luck!

Justin

I was looking at a couple of kits on Bass Pro... http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 00_100-8-1

they have a good selection of sizes and colors... are there kits sold locally or Canadian on line retailers that would offer something comparable?

TIA!
(Thanks in advance)

Cprince,

The difference in price between these "ready-made" kits and hand picking the jigs yourself is quite negligable, not to mention the added cost of shipping.

Just head to a local retailer and pick up a dozen jigs in assorted sizes and colours (as per the recommendations above) as well as some trailer.

Although I love BPS gear, I have found that the rattle on their Enticer Flipping Jigs loosens up rather quickly, and is prone to having the chamber open up.

Good Fishing,

Justin

CPrince, looks like you got sold into getting some Jigs. I wonder if our trip on Saturday had anything to do with it. Jigs are a must have lure for any tackle box.

Cheers
Marc

HotelTango wrote:CPrince, looks like you got sold into getting some Jigs. I wonder if our trip on Saturday had anything to do with it. Jigs are a must have lure for any tackle box.

Cheers
Marc

LOL!!!

Marc is the exact reason I am diversifying into the bass jig world! He consistently got bigger buckets than me on the Top Water and Carolina rigged creature baits.

Thanks JusinHoffman, I will take your advice. I will assemble my own kit as I go.

Just what I like!!! Posts that explain techniques. I have just started fishing for bass last year and I still haven't really given the jigs a chance. I have tried a bit this summer but I must not have been using the jigs in the right way because all I kept doing was cleaning up weeds after every cast. The only time I caught something on a bass jig was when I put my rod down to take a sandwich out and I turned around and the rod tip was bouncing.

Wallyboss wrote:The only time I caught something on a bass jig was when I put my rod down to take a sandwich out and I turned around and the rod tip was bouncing.

I had the same experience, now I pack about 30 sandwiches each time I go fishing

But seriously this is a great post, and thanks guys for explaining a difficult to learn technique.

cool topic and great advise especially about only bringing 1 rod and flipping all day.

If I can humbely add, when they wanna eat you ll know there is a fish when they are nutreal and just tick the jig initially you ll lose a pile of fish so if I can add 1 thing its that when fishing a jig set the hook because as some one told me recently and man what a great statement, hook sets are free so set it and set it hard.

You might look funny setting it on twigs grass etc, but eventually ( and fairly quickly 0 you will figure a blade of grass and a fish.

I fish a jig faster the troller is on 80 I ll drop it in 1 lift off to the next hole

cool topic and great advise especially about only bringing 1 rod and flipping all day.

If I can humbely add, when they wanna eat you ll know there is a fish when they are nutreal and just tick the jig initially you ll lose a pile of fish so if I can add 1 thing its that when fishing a jig set the hook because as some one told me recently and man what a great statement, hook sets are free so set it and set it hard.

You might look funny setting it on twigs grass etc, but eventually ( and fairly quickly 0 you will figure a blade of grass and a fish.

I fish a jig faster the troller is on 80 I ll drop it in 1 lift off to the next hole

GREAT topic!

NEVER used this type of lures befor!

will try next year!

or ... this week end for smallies....

i need me some craws!

THANX dropshot for brigging thîs up!

AND THANK YOU BOBBER AND JUSTIN FOR THE GREAT TIPS!

Perhaps I am a little dense... (or a lot?)

...But how would this jig generally drop? The hook down or up? I ask because I am thinking about the hook set... You jig it towards you... and I would imagine that the hook is down... meaning the hook would set into the bottom lip of the bass?

Am I missing something?

Cprince,

The jig will drop head-first, meaning that the hook point will be facing down, with the bend towards you.

So, when a hook set is made, the force of the line and rod traveling in an upward motion will position the hook almost always in the top lip/snout of the fish...

Very rarely will they be hooked in the lower lip..

Here's an image to show you what I mean:



Good Fishing,

Justin

Some Fantastic info here!

I've grown fond of the jig in the past two years....it is for sure a big fish bait...

My best of the summer came on a jig...



Somedays they just eat it!



About the only thing I can add is a quality flippin stick is required....to properly feel the bite....and to turn them out of the junk you just flipped into...

RJ