I feel stupid.... ie... Jigs.

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by Chancho

My pleasure, sir. Here's a link to your article for them that's interested:

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/b...otball_johnson

Man that was a lot of fun. That article was one of the biggest highlight if my fishing career so far, assuming you call it a career lol.

[Mac2]

If your jig is imitating a craw, research has shown bass prefer the smaller ones if given a choice of size as they are more vulnerable and won't put up much of a fight..... Also, it may be a good idea after finding color combinations that work, it may be good to display some that are in the molting stage by fading the colors, using the same color combo but with softer colors......

As for color, I like using a jig and tail that don't match. I tend to lean toward "natural" colors, but at times an odd color will work as well.

There are 300 species of craws and the colors change with the seasons. Saw several craws last summer that was all black, except for the joints were all fine lined in a light gray.....looked like a fine and detailed drawing in 3-D.

If you'd like to do some research you could trap a few to check on the current colors. Cut the top off a two liter jug just before it starts to get smaller in diameter and reverse it by placing it in the jug body so the opening is inside the bottle......use duct tape along the rim to hold it together, drill holes along the body to let the bait scent out and allowing the jug to sink and rest on bottom......add a few stones through the hole and then use fish based catfood for bait.....tie on a nylon mason cord for retrieval and you're good to go. Check them in the morning, make notes on color or photo them and release.
Black and blue work well for me also, but other colors are possible and sometimes work very well when the old standbys are not working as well.

[lilmule]

Myself feel a lighter jig is easier to learn with,and at different times of the year they like different fall rates more so than others.Often when not taking and running it feels like its running funny is all like a leaf stuck on it,they are merely swimming with it but toward you.As for matching trailers if multi colors just one of the colors in it can be used,doesnt have to be multi colored-example back/blue then all black trailer,mottled brown and green-green pumpkin or plain brown,and often the real thing has tips colored all differently than the rest of it like orange,blue or rust red.Dipping dye can or makes tips show up nicely.So nature does not copy the same from one end to the other.As for colors yes have a few standards but something indeginous to the area can be a killer bait.In your case something like Okeechobee Craw.
Greenish brown mottled body with blue undersides

[walkeraviator]

Yeah matching the hatch is a great idea. I had a guy show me pictures once of local craws which explained whu PB&J and Black/Blue witha straight blue trailer works so well in KY. The craw in teh picture was UK blue from head to tail when it shed its old shell... craziest looking thing I ever saw.

[lilmule]

Yes there is a native crawifish species in Tn and Ky that is black and blue and upon molting is a very bright blue thus blue blue fleck or any combo there of of black and blue,they work quite well in waters that are gin clear,due to it being a natural color.
Not just a colored water bait.One interesting fact blue is a negative color to fish,smallies do not like it as well so if catching short smallies switch to an all blue blue fleck and get largies or spots more than smallmouth.

[triglet]

I picked up fishing a jig this year. Swimming a jig and fishing around cover. The best advice has already been given, if you feel anything different set the hook. You will catch your first jig fish before you know it!

[dave0943]

I was brought into fishing as a kid with the jig. Up here in the river systems, it's a staple. I use jigs of all sizes and shapes. When fishing the dam areas we will use round head jigs tipped with grubs, all sizes of plastic worms. The smaller round head jigs don't get hung up as easy on the rocks. For deeper water we use traditional Bass jigs, Football jigs and swimming heads, mostly tipped with trailers. For flipping and Pitching we use 3/8 to 1 oz with creature, chunk or crawfish in tow. As far as colors Red, Black, Purple, Blue, work well in round heads. In larger Bass/ Football any of these colors by themselves or in color combo's. Line watching is a real key to success and is just as important as feel. Confidence in a jig is the biggest factor, IMO. If you don't think they work well they won't. I can cover alot of water Power jigging with a fast gear ratio. I toss the jig as far as I can, let it hit bottom and then hop it in long higher hops, stop,twitch it,let it fall back down and do it again. Many strikes happen on the fall.We also swim jigs on a quicker steady swim. The strike with this technique is more like a Spinnerbait. I use a jig around 35 to 40 % of the time fishing. With hair or rubber skirt jigs , we trim the jigs skirt down many times depending on how we want the jig to act. I have quite a bit of confidence in them, so they do work well for me. I carry 2 to 3 3700 boxes full with me on the boat. Many kinds, weights, shapes and colors. Sorry for being so long winded. I think you can tell I like em.
Dave

[BassNewbie]

Its been a long hard summer, winter is finally starting to get here in California (this is the first weekend we have had rain and below 75 degree temps )

I just started using Jigs about a month ago and so far I love it.

Being in california where summer lasts forever, the fish around my parts behave differently then what the common standard seems to be.

The best luck I have had with jigs is using the 1/2oz swimjigs, with a big grub trailer in the color of whatever your lighter color on the jig is.

In my parts we have patches of vegetation everywhere, with big open spots of water to the next patch. So what I do is cast into the middle of the farthest patch. Wiggle around a bit, if no takers, i swim the jig towards me into the niext big patch of veg, shake around, swim to the next.

Been having some really nice success with that.

[pig n jig]

Black n blue is a great color because it uses 2 colors which is apt to be more visible throughout a wider range of water clarity and light conditions.I use red/ black more than black/blue but both work better than average natural colors. Solid black would be my third choice.I also don't match the trailer colors to the jig, you can acheive a contrast of colors by using a variety of jig/trailer combinations.The times I go to a more natural colors is when the bite is off or slow from cold front conditions.Have confidence and allow time for the fish to find your jig before retrieving it and presenting it in another section of water.Don't be afraid to throw the jig in the thickest cover you can find.You must get the bite before you can worry about landing the fis, big fish didn't get big by chasing jigs outside of the cover. I hope this helps.

[HarveysMinnow]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

Man I know this is a really long reply and I apolagize for that. But I don't want you to give up on jigs because they are one of the few baits that fish will eat year round and if you stick with it you will be so happy you did.

You had a lot to say and you said it well...no apology necessary for that. Yours is the type of informative and beneficial post that keeps me coming back to this forum. Thanks for taking the time.
/

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by HarveysMinnow

You had a lot to say and you said it well...no apology necessary for that. Yours is the type of informative and beneficial post that keeps me coming back to this forum. Thanks for taking the time.
/

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad I could help.

[BBD]

Just put in an order, C-rig. Getting ready to see what Thunderstruck is all about.

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by BBD

Just put in an order, C-rig. Getting ready to see what Thunderstruck is all about.

You're going to be really happy when your jigs come in!!

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by Jrob78

You're going to be really happy when your jigs come in!!

LOL thanks for the support Joe. Thing is, he kinda stepped into a bit of a nightmare because we are in the middle of finally changing our colors and the site hasn't been updated yet and some of the colors he ordered aren't around any longer. Man nothing like making a good first impression to a new customer lol.

BBD I sent you a pm so we can straighten this mess of mine out lol

[BBD]

C-rig, I'm easy to deal with brotha man!

PM inbound.