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Old 10-24-10, 07:50 PM   #1
BassFeverJohn
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Default I feel stupid.... ie... Jigs.

I have maybe 6 jigs. Mostly in the 1/2oz size. I have several in blue/black, and a few in more natural shades of browns and green. I do my best to match the trailers. I emulate what I see others do that catch bass with them and yet I am pretty sure I have never even had a strike. I just don't know what i am doing wrong here.

I have seen more fish taken on the blue/black colors, and that is why I bought those. A few on the natural colors. The craws here tend to be pretty dark brown in color, unless the have just molted. Is this just a game of persistance or what? Maybe I am just whining, but I really want these things to work. I love using them, but not catching fish is a real bummer.
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Old 10-24-10, 08:13 PM   #2
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I have not caught a fish on a jig until this year. After you get that first fish though it starts to become easier.Try different methods of fishing it like dragging alond the bottom,or hopping,or maybe even swimming.
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Old 10-24-10, 08:17 PM   #3
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I'm right with ya BFJ, I have caught fish on jig heads with soft plastic, but not on traditional jigs with trailers......until about 2 weeks ago. Although always fishing for bass, I caught 3 northern pike on a traditional 1/2 oz. Black & Blue with blue chunk trailer. I was THRILLED !!! at least I got to feel what it's like to have a fish pick the jig off the bottom, although the species was a disappointment...it's a start...baby steps !!
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Old 10-24-10, 08:27 PM   #4
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I'm going to be trying to use more jigs myself. I have been trying to get better at different baits. Jigs are def. something that will challenge me. I hope that you have luck with them .
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Old 10-24-10, 08:33 PM   #5
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IMO, I would start with lighter jigs 1/4 or 3/8 oz (3/8 has always been my best producer). Pick a color and stick with it.

I don't know what else to say about jigs. I know I wouldn't go fishing without them though!
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Old 10-24-10, 08:49 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ran24 View Post
I'm going to be trying to use more jigs myself. I have been trying to get better at different baits. Jigs are def. something that will challenge me. I hope that you have luck with them .
It has been a challenge for sure. I have gone back and forth fishing jigs and being too bewildered to try them for years. It is only this year that I have made an honest effort to use them.
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IMO, I would start with lighter jigs 1/4 or 3/8 oz (3/8 has always been my best producer). Pick a color and stick with it.

I don't know what else to say about jigs. I know I wouldn't go fishing without them though!
I am pretty set on blue/black. I started off using a 3/4, but quickly realized they were too big. 1/2oz feels better, but I do have a 3/8 in B/B, so i will give it a shot next time out. I may go to a "use nothing else" technique, but that is very difficult for a guy like me.
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Old 10-24-10, 09:23 PM   #7
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As my very close friend ROLAND MARTIN (wishing anyway) said at a siminar "keep jigging it, just keep jigging it". You will get one john, I did, and I did just waht ROLAND told me to do. I am serious now.
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Old 10-24-10, 09:38 PM   #8
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Yeah the only Jig I have produced with is a finesse jig in green pumpkin/green flash... but that doesn't keep me from trying to use larger jigs... but i do stick to natural colors except at night or really stained water when I go black/blue... I think the trick to Jigs is location location location.... putting the jig in the right spot as you imitate that craw...

I have caught one swimmin a jig by accident once...
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Old 10-24-10, 10:02 PM   #9
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Try flippin stumps...you gotta be ready for what happens though...quick
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Old 10-24-10, 11:39 PM   #10
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For me, pitchin and flippin jigs in heavy cover is where jigs shine. Not so much in open water, although I have caught a couple under more open conditions. I like a lighter jig for open cover and a heavier jig to get through more dense cover. However, at times, a heavier fast falling jig will get you a fast reaction bite as the bass sees this jig streak by him and hits without thinking about it. I too prefer a black/blue color combo. I have pitched green and brown jigs till my wrists ache without a hit. But if I change over to black/blue, I'll start getting strikes. DOn't kknow why. Might be a regional thing. I use stout tackle. A 6'10"heavy/fast rod with a Revo STX reel. The rod has enough flex to help pitch the jigs easily. This year I was using 20 pound P Line Flouroclear and loved it!
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Old 10-25-10, 01:37 AM   #11
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Hang in there buddy, jig fishing gives a lot of people fits until they gain some confidence in it. Jigs are without a doubt the bait I have the most confidence in, when things get tough I almost always slow down and drag a jig around and a lot of times it pays off. Here are a few things I can tell you from experience.

1. I would be willing to bet you are getting bites and not knowing it. I know it sounds funny but I would bet you a hundred dollar bill that you have had bites that you didn't detect, probably because of a few reasons. A huge percentage of bites on a jig are very subtle, to the point that the only way you can tell if you have a bite is your jig either feels a little bit lighter or heavier than normal. Sometimes you will get the all telling tap tap that we all think of when we think of a bite, but so many times you just can't feel the jig all of a sudden. Watch your line all the time, even on the fall. Let it fall on a semi-slack line and watch for it to jump while the jig is falling because you will get a lot of bites on the fall. DO NOT BE SCARED TO SET THE HOOK! If something feels different then set the hook, you will swing and miss a lot but you will also amaze yourself at how many times it's a fish and a lot of my better jig fish bit very very light.

2. There is really no wrong way to fish a jig, but lets talk about the basic retrieves. Cast the jig out and let it sink to the bottom. Let it sit still for a few seconds because a fish might have followed it down and could be sitting there watching it. After a few seconds you can start your retrieve. Slowly dragging on the bottom by sweeping your rod to the side is a great way to get bites, I especially like this on flatter bottoms where there isn't a lot of stuff to get hung up on (How fast you sweep your rod will depend on depth and weight of your jig but just make sure you are keeping bottom contact). If I am fishing a lot of rock or brush I will hop the jig on the bottom because I am able to keep the jig from getting hung up better this way but this retrieve can work well in other types of areas too.

3. Play around with different trailers. There are tons of different trailers out there and they all have their time and place. More action, less action, more bulky, and less bulky are all characteristics that you want to consider when choosing a trailer.

4. Since you are just getting started with jig fishing I know that buying a rod and reel just for jigs is out of the question, and that is fine. But all of my jig rods have a few things in common. They are at least 7', they are all Heavy powered, and they all have a fairly soft tip. The longer rod will help you no only make a longer cast but will also take up a lot more line on a hookset and if you are fishing a jig in deeper water this is huge. You want the heavy rod for obvious reasons with the hookset but a soft tip will help you make a longer more precise cast as well. For line I fish all of my jigs on 15lb Seaguar ABRAZX. The Flourocarbon line has very little stretch which helps a lot on the hookset and also this stuff is very sensative and really helps you detect stuff like what type of bottom you are coming over or maybe a light bite.

6. If you aren't getting hung up once in a while you are doing something wrong. Jigs are designed to get into places where big fish live and as a result even the best designed jigs will get hung up some. However as you get used to how a jig feels when it is getting ready to drag over a limb or it is trying to dig into rocks you will be able to pop it loose with a sharp pop of the rod tip before the jig gets hung up, this works probably 90% of the time for me.

If I were you and I was trying to gain confidence in jigs I would throw a roundhead finesse jig. The roundhead will come through a lot of stuff without getting hung up and the finesse skirt with a smaller profile trailer like a Zoom Super Chunk Jr., Baby Brush Hog, or those Ultra Vibe Speed Craws you were talking about earlier will get you a lot of bites. But don't get it in your head that a finesse jig won't catch big fish, some of my biggest jig fish have come on finesse jigs.

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. Anyways we are giving our whole jig company a big make over and we hope by months end we will be rolling out the new website with several videos on jig fishing so be sure and check it out and see if there is anything on there that might help you also. If you have any questions feel free to pm me and I will help you the best I can.
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Old 10-25-10, 06:51 AM   #12
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Hey C Rig, send me a pm when the upgraded site is ready for viewing. Looking foreward to checking it out. C:
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Old 10-25-10, 08:10 AM   #13
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John, you've been given some great advice here. If you are walking the shoreline, then a jig may not be the right bait for you. It's not so much that you can't catch fish from the bank, but it's just harder to pick apart different types of cover thoroughly from the bank (which is where a jig really shines). In "Flawda" the primary cover is vegetation. A big old jig and craw in vegetation can be dynamite when it presented vertically, like "punching" the grass mats or flipping and pitching the pockets then lifting and dropping the bait in one spot to provoke fish into bitiing. There is a truth here that you have to be aware of and that is a Texas rigged Crawworm or crawworm rigged on a football jighead (unskirted) can do the same thing, and sometimes more effectively. In your situation, day in and day out in your state, a 10" or 12" paddletail worm on a 5/0 hook and bullet sinker will catch as many or more bass than a jig, when fishing from the bank. The point is to not beat yourself up because you haven't caught a jig fish. More than likely you just haven't been in the right situation yet. When the time is right, you'll know it.
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Old 10-25-10, 09:21 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01 View Post
Hang in there buddy, jig fishing gives a lot of people fits until they gain some confidence in it. Jigs are without a doubt the bait I have the most confidence in, when things get tough I almost always slow down and drag a jig around and a lot of times it pays off. Here are a few things I can tell you from experience.

.......

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. Anyways we are giving our whole jig company a big make over and we hope by months end we will be rolling out the new website with several videos on jig fishing so be sure and check it out and see if there is anything on there that might help you also. If you have any questions feel free to pm me and I will help you the best I can.
Wow, that is a lot to digest. I really appreciate you taking the time to lay all that down. I can't wait to see the new site! I was looking over the site last night actually. I was about ready to pop on a 1/2oz trauma. Maybe I'll go for a few finesse jigs when ya'll get all set up.

Thanks!
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Old 10-25-10, 09:37 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by BassFeverJohn View Post
Wow, that is a lot to digest. I really appreciate you taking the time to lay all that down. I can't wait to see the new site! I was looking over the site last night actually. I was about ready to pop on a 1/2oz trauma. Maybe I'll go for a few finesse jigs when ya'll get all set up.

Thanks!
I've got quite a few ThunderStruck Jigs, you will be hard pressed to find a better football head jig anywhere! I've caught good fish on the football jigs and the finesse football jigs.

What rod are you jig fishing with John? If you are throwing 1/2 oz jigs you need at least a H power rod and like C-rig said, It should ideally be 7' or longer. I don't believe that success is based on money spent but I do think that some techniques benefit more than others from better equipment, jig fishing is one of those. You need a rod heavy enough to be in complete control of the jig and it needs to be as sensitive as possible. I like to use braid on my jig rods but fluoro is a good option too. Use the most sensitive rod you own and match your jig weight to the capabilities of that rod. If that means using a light finesse jig for now, that's what you should do.
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Old 10-25-10, 09:52 AM   #16
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I've got quite a few ThunderStruck Jigs, you will be hard pressed to find a better football head jig anywhere! I've caught good fish on the football jigs and the finesse football jigs.

What rod are you jig fishing with John? If you are throwing 1/2 oz jigs you need at least a H power rod and like C-rig said, It should ideally be 7' or longer. I don't believe that success is based on money spent but I do think that some techniques benefit more than others from better equipment, jig fishing is one of those. You need a rod heavy enough to be in complete control of the jig and it needs to be as sensitive as possible. I like to use braid on my jig rods but fluoro is a good option too. Use the most sensitive rod you own and match your jig weight to the capabilities of that rod. If that means using a light finesse jig for now, that's what you should do.
I am using a 6'6" cherrywood MH with a fairly fast tip. I have a BPS Extreme reel with 30# power pro on it. If I were to go finesse I would use my 7' Amp rod with a Pflueger Criterion with 20# Suffix Performance Fuse.

As C-rig mentioned, I am not really prepared to go out and get a jig specific rod. In fact most of my rods pull double, or even triple duty. The curse of being poor. I'm going to keep at it though. I am determined!
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Old 10-25-10, 10:05 AM   #17
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Hey John, I think it's a rare bass fisherman that doesn't go through that stage of confusion and doubt. As for myself, I was given a good piece of advice on really becoming a decent jig fisherman, and that is put the time in. When you can just go out in a boat by yourself, take nothing but jigs and trailers and the rods you have that can throw them. There is a lot of info on the web about what size and colors to use for season, cover, and so on. You want to base your selections speacifically for the applications your going to use them in and just spend all day picking every piece of cover and irregularity apart. Think in terms of edges and presentation. The more edges there are in a spot the more likely it will hold fish. Presentation is acuracy, stealth and just as important is fall rate and action. Jig fishing isn't as simple as one might think it is so you got to put in the time on the water, and acumate as much knowledge that you can that pertains to the particular body of water your fishing most often.
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Old 10-25-10, 10:31 AM   #18
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Jigs were one of the toughest things for me to gain confidence in. I got my first jig fish last year, and am still slowly gaining confidence in them.

I also use a 7' H F rod for most of my jig fishing down to about 1/4oz. I throw less than 1/4 oz (and the occasional 1/4) on a 7' MH XF. I do agree that a long rod is better for jig fishing. As I use my jig rod for pitching plastics, and fishing frogs, I use 30lb braid.

I agree with C-rig. You've probably had bites that you never even knew about. That why sensitivity is so important in jig fishing. I'd recommend getting the most sensitive rod you can afford if you eventually get a dedicated jig rod. Just remember, even with the most sensitive rod, you'll still get bites you can't feel.

Just keep fishing them and don't give up. And don't be discouraged because you're fishing from shore. My first jig fish came while I was shore fishing. When I fish jigs from land, I cast them out, and drag them or hop them back to shore. For this, especially if you'll be bringing it through weeds, a flipping jig, or even a swim jig is probably you're best choice.

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Old 10-25-10, 08:32 PM   #19
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The best two pieces of advice I was ever given about jigs.
1. If you feel anything you normally wouldn't feel in a bathtub, set the hook.
2. Hooksets are free and should be used accordingly.

I agree you have probably gotten bites that you didn't know you got. Start swinging for the fence if you feel anything out of the ordinary.
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Old 10-25-10, 09:14 PM   #20
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John, a couple/three summers ago I had the chance to fish Table Rock with C-rig. I thought I knew a little something about jigs then. What I really knew was bupkiss. The dude is a natural with the bait. What he says is spot on and every bit from massive amounts of personal experience. Good luck with the jig education and good luck trying to choose which Thunderstruck Jigs to get.
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Old 10-25-10, 09:18 PM   #21
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Don't feel bad, at least you're not the guy who has never caught a fish on a lipped crank bait.
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Old 10-25-10, 09:20 PM   #22
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Quote:
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Don't feel bad, at least you're not the guy who has never caught a fish on a lipped crank bait.
Haha! I did that when I was a kid.

Anyway, cranks are a lot easier to learn than jigs...
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Old 10-26-10, 12:12 AM   #23
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John, a couple/three summers ago I had the chance to fish Table Rock with C-rig. I thought I knew a little something about jigs then. What I really knew was bupkiss. The dude is a natural with the bait. What he says is spot on and every bit from massive amounts of personal experience. Good luck with the jig education and good luck trying to choose which Thunderstruck Jigs to get.
Thanks for the kudos buddy. I still think about how much fun it was when you came out here and fished with me for a few days. I hope that you find time to get your Old Dominion booty out here to do it again
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Old 10-26-10, 09:08 PM   #24
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Do what I did, lol. Get one of every thing lory has. Or at least try. I got bout 6 or so I think.
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Old 10-26-10, 09:54 PM   #25
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Thanks for the kudos buddy. I still think about how much fun it was when you came out here and fished with me for a few days. I hope that you find time to get your Old Dominion booty out here to do it again
My pleasure, sir. Here's a link to your article for them that's interested:

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