Jig weight

[dubyatee]

I'm kinda confused about what jig weight i should be using. I've always heard that a heavy jig causes a reaction strike since it falls so quickly. But in darker water, wouldn't you want a lighter jig so the bass can see it longer? I use heavy jigs to punch through grass but what about pitching into sparse weeds and wood? I'm curious to what everybody thinks and what yall typically throw. Any info on this would be appreciated. Thanks

[cassidyta]

I prefer a 3/8 but that is because I need to bust through the garbage. Also when fishing the beds because it is easier to get them to stay in the beds. I have several 1/4as well and prefer to use these in cases where I want to gain more action of the bottom.

[carolina-rig-01]

there is no right or wrong answer to your question. yes sometimes the fall rate will trigger bites, but this can be controlled with different trailer types as well as different weight jigs. some guys say go with the lightest jig you can get away with, others will say the heaviest jig you can get away with is best......different strokes for different folks. i personally use 3/8oz and 1/2oz the most but still throw a lot of 3/4oz as well. in muddier water i would go with a jig color and trailer that will get bites while i am working the bait on the bottom, any fish i catch on the fall i consider bonus fish.

[Mac2]

Should you want to have your bait look natural, the lighter the better. A living crawdad, for example, just doesn't weigh much, especially underwater.

I know one fellow experimented with identical soft plastics and simply used ball head jigs of various weights and found that on that particular lake under a variety of conditions, the lightest jigs worked by far the best for him. On the other hand, reaction strikes have landed some huge bass as well.

I've had good success overall, with no weights whenever possible, and very light weights most of the time when I have to get them down deep.

[BassAddict]

I use lighter jigs most of the time. Only time I fish with 1/2 oz jigs or heavier is in deep water. I mostly fish a 3/16- 1/4 oz jigs. I'll even fish 1/8 oz sometimes. I would say most of my shallow bites are on the fall.
You think about how a Senko falls and most everybody fishes them weightless... a light jig has the same principle when working shallow cover!

[Bmuskin]

I do not fish jigs nearly as much as most people. I have found that the lighter jigs sometimes work through brush a little better than the heavier ones that get trapped. They may be weedless but a submerged tree limb does not care about that.

[JB]

I use the 1/4 ounce hair jig for the river, most of the time on big lakes use 3/8 up to 5/16

[Lilmoosecountry]

Water conditions play a big role in the process of selection. Are you fishing a lake or river. What are you fishing rip rap or heavy vegetation. If it's a river what's the current like. On the missouri river i throw nothing less than 2 ounces. These are somethings you need to think about in the selection process.

[Fishnngolfn]

Can you guys post a few suggestions on your favorite jigs or ones that produce the most for you? I do not have any jigs and am looking to get started with a few to see if I like fishing that style. Let me know also the water clarity that you like to fish your jigs in. Thanks.

[doc]

Originally Posted by Fishnngolfn

Can you guys post a few suggestions on your favorite jigs or ones that produce the most for you? I do not have any jigs and am looking to get started with a few to see if I like fishing that style. Let me know also the water clarity that you like to fish your jigs in. Thanks.

I use a few different brands of jigs (whatever looks good to me). I really like strike king jigs. I just ordered some custom jigs (football head) from one of our members that look really good. http://www.thunderstruckjigs.com is the link to the site, carolia rig is the member that makes them.

[cassidyta]

I have been throwing a lot of booyah jigs. Lately I have been using the rattle jigs. This has been more due to availability than simply preference.

[Raul]

Originally Posted by Fishnngolfn

Can you guys post a few suggestions on your favorite jigs or ones that produce the most for you? I do not have any jigs and am looking to get started with a few to see if I like fishing that style. Let me know also the water clarity that you like to fish your jigs in. Thanks.

When it comes to jigs I am as cheap as I can get, I practice what I preach ---> if you ain´t fishin´where your bait is most certainly gonna hang up and get lost you ain´t fishin´ where they are, that means I fish jigs in the meanest & nastiest stuff I can find which obviously means I loose a lot of jigs on a regular basis, none of my jigs have survived more than a couple of trips and many don´t last even a couple of casts.

I like BPS jigs, not because the look pretty, because they have good hooks and are dirt cheap.

[dubyatee]

thanks for the replies guys, looks like I'm gona be doing some experimenting haha. I think i will take some jigs of different weights but same color and see what i can come up with.

[pig n jig]

Originally Posted by Fishnngolfn

Can you guys post a few suggestions on your favorite jigs or ones that produce the most for you? I do not have any jigs and am looking to get started with a few to see if I like fishing that style. Let me know also the water clarity that you like to fish your jigs in. Thanks.

All terrain grassmaster jig is the best weed jig I have used.

http://www.allterraintackle.com/products/grassjig.html

Picasso jigs used to be my favorite before the grassmasters but the witch I talked with about their spinnerbait wires easily breaking lost my business to the jigs as well. I am not always right, their products caught alot of fish for me but I will no longer buy their products.

http://www.picassooutdoors.com/cart....category_id=17

War Eagle jigs are a nice jig.They're priced right and the line tie eye design is better than alot of jigs on the market.

http://www.wareaglelures.com/index.p...ewCat&catId=19

Terminator jig is another good jig that I have quite a few of.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descp...JIG-TPTSJ.html

ISG scorpion jig comes through snagging cover pretty well.

http://store.ebait.com/merchant2/mer..._Code=scbssjig

Lunker lure jigs have been a main source for alot of years.I have a ton of their jigs,they work well.I like the triple rattleback and the ultimate jig.Both work very well for me and again they are priced right.

http://www.lunkerlure.com/store/inde...ff9331cb38bb15

Strikezone stinger jig is an excellent jig for sparse short grassy sandbars or fishing shoreline cover.It glides just off the bottom, probably the closest thing to a swimming jig I use.I make sure I use fluorocarbon or mono type line with this hook.It is a thin wide gap wire, I have tore off bigger fish using thin wire hooks so I normally stick with heavier wired hook and braided lines.

http://www.pkbasstackle.com/pt/12.html


Remember, All jig brands are usually pretty good or they wouldn't be made or stay on the market.

The key to successful jig fishing is not trying to control how and where you present your jig to catch fish.

The key to successful jig fishing is having the patience to keep searching and trying different lure components until the fish tells you what they want for that day.

Another thing I have noticed when jig fishing is that when you have figured out what they want and you are catching alot of smaller or normal size bass in an area.Yes its fun catch alot of fish but especially if your fishing a tournament,you need to move to another area and try to find bigger fish to catch.

I hope this helps. Ivan

[zooker]

i almost totally use 1/4oz football head as i tend to fish alot of rock.. rattles matter very lil imo. green pumkin with green pumkin ultra vibe trailer have been my go to jig color..but melon seed and cannabis -melon no flake- with a melon seed trailer have worked decently..

zooker

[Mac2]

The lead free jigheads I use are a lighter jig, about 20 percent lighter than the same sized leadhead. I mostly use the 1/8 oz size lead free jighead with collar and a chrome nickel sickle hook from www.leadfreejigheads.com
I've dealt with Keith Okimoto for sometime now and have never been disappointed....very good quality jigs and very good service.

[keithdog]

One thing I would like to mention involves the rattles used on jigs. I only use a rattle jig when the water clarity is very discolored. In that case I think the rattles definately help bass zero in on the jig. If you have average to clear water conditions, I prefer not to use a rattle. The jig will produce enough attraction without the rattle. In fact, I think in clear water, rattles could cause bass to be a bit suspicious of a jig and cut down on strikes. When I do use a rattle jig, I prefer to use a jig with the twin rattle bodies held out from the hook on flexable appendages. I really don't like the hard plastic rattles clipped onto the hookshaft and held close to the hook. To me, that style makes it difficult to thread on a trailer to the hook. I like my trailers to fit snugly againts the skirt.

[woody]

I prefer throwing a Strike King Bitsy Bug Mini Jig 3/16 oz.
I would also recommend using glue on your trailers.

[Joel]

I really like to keep it simple when it comes to jig size, color, and the use of a rattle. In cold water, low 40s I use a 1/4 oz jig without a rattle, and single tail grub cut to lenght as a trailer. This is strickly a finesse presentation worked very, very slowly. No hops, but a drag then a long pause. Post spawn through the summer and fall, it's 1/2 jigs with rattles and a big trailer. Unlike most, I work my jigs in weeds, weed holes, and rocky ground including walls. When I'm pitching into the thickest of weeds I move up to a 1 oz jig and have been known to use a creature bait as a trailer cut to fit. For colors I use black/blue 90% of the time, with Black, and green/brown the other 10% of the time.

I prefer to work a creature bait tex-posed along outside and inside weed edges over a jig. Why? Because it just seems to work for me, so I stick with it.

I loose alot of jigs, so I go cheap. I kike the Booyah jigs followed by Strike King jigs. Why, because my local Dicks carries them. My main order of all tackle is from BPS mid Feb.

[Fish2win]

During the summer I may use a 3/4 oz jig. In the winter I rarely use anything bigger than 1/8 oz.Rate of fall has a lot to do with activity level and how deep te fish are. Here is alittle tip guys. This winter when the water turns stained to muddy and the water temps are 45 try flipping a big black jig to isolated stumps or rocks near deep water. This is really true in Feb. It is similar to the old jig polers sucess. Fish2win

[mont_lunker_hunter]

1/4 or 3/8, homemade.

[keithdog]

Those are really nice looking jigs mont!!!

[mont_lunker_hunter]

'preciate it

[hookup]

I'm w/ Mac. Go as light as you can to get the jig into the bass' feeding area.

[set_the_hook]

prespawn i go with 3/8oz, with a full skirt and trailer it falls slow enough for me. 1/2+ after the spawn. natural browns or greens in clear to stained heavy stained black with some strands of something that stands out. ive been making my own jigs wich i will post in another thread.