trimming jig weedguards and skirts

[I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole]

please let me know if i need to trim the weedguard or skirts of these jigs and do these jigs only catch big bass or can i still catch 1-2 pounders on these

[geno]

all my jigs are 4/0 or bigger and I catch small fish as well as larger ones. I trim all of mine on a angle when pushing the guard down to the hook it barely clears, don't know how the big boys do it just the way the jig maker told me to do it.
geno

[pig n jig]

What terminology do I want to use ? Folcrum ?The longer the bristles, the easier it is to collapse the bristles ? The shorter, the stiffer the bristles become ? Do not cut them off on a taper if your bristles seem too heavy for a good hookset. Instead clip 3, or 4 bristles off at the base giving the weedguard a more desirable hooksetting ability.I don't notice any problem in todays jigs anyway. Everything seems to be more precisely designed than from the old days.No modifications are really needed. P N J

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by pig n jig

I don't notice any problem in todays jigs anyway. Everything seems to be more precisely designed than from the old days.No modifications are really needed. P N J

I'm no expert on JNP's But I tend to agree here. Rarely, if ever, do I do any modifications to my Jigs. They catch fish right out of the package. I always check the hook for sharpness. And by the time it's ready to be sharpened, I usually have lost it anyways rotfl.

Lizards

[Rebbasser]

I always trim the weedguard off parallel with the hook-Not sure if it makes any difference but I have more confidence doing that.

[JB]

Me to reb, however after viewing pnj's viewpoint, it makes sense to me!
And, I think I've heard about weeding out a few bristols instead of trimming them, but as I've stated before, the trend up here is tubes, the fish react to them, I'm thinking the clearer water has something to do with it, but in the 80s-90s it was pig and jig as a standard on every anglers pole for
when the opportunity presented itself..

[I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole]

i just got back from fishing at this golf course this was my first time usin a pnj and i got 3 fish i like these lures now but i have 2 problems with them i thought they were weedless but when i throw them in thicker cover i catch weeds every cast and the other problem which is probably my fault is that i sometimes swim the bait and twitch it as im bringing it away from the cover and i get bites but i set the hook to late or something i cant react that fast

[Rebbasser]

i thought they were weedless but when i throw them in thicker cover i catch weeds every cast

Weedless is a bit of a deceprive term. What most people refer to as weedless means the hook won't pick up weeds and you won't get hung up as much. Throw a jig in a bunch of snot moss and you will get it back with a bunch of snot moss on it. For that type area I'd go with a soft plastic stick bait like a Tiki Stick or a Yum Dinger.

[bassking22]

What's a Pig n Jig, where do you get them, and what is the best way to fish a jig?

[I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

Weedless is a bit of a deceprive term. What most people refer to as weedless means the hook won't pick up weeds and you won't get hung up as much. Throw a jig in a bunch of snot moss and you will get it back with a bunch of snot moss on it. For that type area I'd go with a soft plastic stick bait like a Tiki Stick or a Yum Dinger.

roger that.

[flfireman]

The few I have are thinned out. Someone posted a similar thread some time ago. They posted that it's easier to thin out the bristles vs shortening them. I believe it was for the same reason posted above. Shorter bristles= stiffer bristles with less flex.

[ILfishinman]

a pig n jig is a jig with a pork trailer

[KenDammit]

they're not "weedless" they're really just "snag-proof" which is also deceptive. Better believe you CAN snag a jig just like any other bait..you just have to do some extra special maneuvering to actually do it, lol.

You throw it in the water, it comes back wet..throw it in the moss, it comes back mossy. Throw it in the mud, it comes back muddy...the joys of life.

I don't trim the guard on all my jigs, but there are some I feel are way too long(like arkie jigs) that I do trim. I do thin out the guard though and really, really fan them out so that the jig stays snagless even if it falls over.

[pig n jig]

Originally Posted by flfireman

The few I have are thinned out. Someone posted a similar thread some time ago. They posted that it's easier to thin out the bristles vs shortening them. I believe it was for the same reason posted above. Shorter bristles= stiffer bristles with less flex.

Thank you for paying attention to the threads here. P N J

[JB]

You'll find out that a jig n pig is easier to use in a big lake, verses a pond that has tons of vegetation.. as far as getting lots of moss stuck to the weed guard.

[Jackl]

I agree with KENDAMMIT'S theory about the brush guards. I leave them the original length, but I put my thumb against the base of the guard and push it forward as hard as possible, then I grab strands and pull them off to both sides. This bushes the weedguard out and forward so that it deflects off stumps and branches instead of hanging up. This trick was shown to me by a jig maker and guide on Lake Fork, TX.

JackL

[I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole]

Originally Posted by Jackl

I put my thumb against the base of the guard and push it forward as hard as possible, then I grab strands and pull them off to both sides. This bushes the weedguard out and forward so that it deflects off stumps and branches instead of hanging up.JackL

any pictures so i can see i dont really understand do u mean u push it towards the hook or the other way and out both sides?

[ILfishinman]

think of weedless more like weed resistant. same with snag proof

[bassking22]

Lol you notice its weedLESS not weedproof. Less weeds not weed free, but "snagproof" lures do get snagged too.

[ToPwAt'R GuY]

When I fish jigs I usually trim the skirt leaving a few fibers at full length.

[I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole]

So, i went fishing at another pond today and i was flippin a jnp in little clumps of lilypads, and i kept catching pads and stuff sometimes i wouldnt but once when i thought i snagged another pad i started jerkin my rod back and a fish started moving towards me with it.................how do u know the difference between a snag/weed and the freaking fish cuz it felt just like a lilypad

[Rebbasser]

Originally Posted by Jackl

I agree with KENDAMMIT'S theory about the brush guards. I leave them the original length, but I put my thumb against the base of the guard and push it forward as hard as possible, then I grab strands and pull them off to both sides. This bushes the weedguard out and forward so that it deflects off stumps and branches instead of hanging up. This trick was shown to me by a jig maker and guide on Lake Fork, TX.

JackL

Jack, that is a great tip-hadn't thought of that before.

[KenDammit]

Originally Posted by I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole

any pictures so i can see i dont really understand do u mean u push it towards the hook or the other way and out both sides?

no need for a picture, really.

All you do is take your weedguard, push it towards the head of the jig...enough to put your thumb at the base of the bristles. THen take your thumb and just press forward. It'll make the weedguard fan out, then you can take and grab the bristles individually and bend them out to the sides even further. Eventually, it'll look more like a hand fan than just a stump of bristles. Hope that helps explain it a little further.

[BassAddict]

All you do is take your weedguard, push it towards the head of the jig...enough to put your thumb at the base of the bristles. THen take your thumb and just press forward. It'll make the weedguard fan out, then you can take and grab the bristles individually and bend them out to the sides even further. Eventually, it'll look more like a hand fan than just a stump of bristles. Hope that helps explain it a little further.

I do about the same thing to my jigs. Fan the bristles out some. I also trim the skirts on my jigs to just below the hook. For some reason it seems to catch more fish for me. Maybe it's just a confidence thing but I trim all my jig skirts that way.

Eric

[3dkicker]

Originally Posted by I<3LrgMouthsOnMyPole

how do u know the difference between a snag/weed and the freaking fish cuz it felt just like a lilypad

1) The pads don't swim off with the jig!!!!
2) Sometimes you feel a tick or tap.
3) You see your line jump or move.
4) The heavy mushy feeling doesn't feel the same as a lilypad (This is probably the most difficult to learn).