Fine tuning jigs

[DadofJolly]

Saw that post about trimming the feathers on hooks. Made me wonder what everyone does to fine tune their jigs. Do you trim the skirt or weed guard or both? Do you add rattles when they don't have them? If not when and why for both? Does everyone here always use scent attractant? Do you use a pork or plastic trailer? If you use pork, do you do any trimming or modifications to it? If you use plastic, what is your favorite trailer baits? Enough question?!?

I usually trim the skirt to about 1/4in past the hook bend. I do not use pork trailers anymore - not very user friendly. I usually use a Wave worms Tiki-craw or a Yum bug for my trailer; except for my very light finesse jigs where I like to use the Strike-King XXX craws for their buoyancy.

Thanks,

[carolina-rig-01]

i almost always trim the skirts on my jigs. when i buy jigs i get several of the same size and color. i will trim the majority of them. i do it to make the bait more compact looking. i will use the ones i don't trim in murky or muddy water as they are bulkier and displace more water. i always use rattles, not sure if they actually help as much as i think or if they give me a false sense of confidence but i swear by them. as for trimming my trailers is when i use pork. i use pork only in cold water or when night fishing but with pork i will take a knife and split each leg in half giving it kind of a pincher look. this, just like the rattle may be my imagination but it gives a little more action and i little different look and seems to help get bit.

[K-Driz]

Sometimes I trim the skirt. It just depends on what I feel like the fish tell me they want that day, whether it's a slower and bushier bait or a more streamlined bait.

As for rattles, they've probably got their time and place, but I haven't noticed much of a difference between rattles vs. no rattles in the number of fish caught. Most of my largest bass have been caught on jigs with no rattles.

And for trailers...I only used pork once, couldn't get it off the hook and it fossilized on my jig. So, now I only use plastic trailers. I like the FLW mulberry color (red/black/blue) trailers, Sizmic trailers (the big ones), and NetBait Paca Craws or Paca Chunks for trailers.

[dampeoples]

I'll trim the weedguard, but not as much as most, and sometimes not at all, I use a pretty soft guard, so I feel I don't have to. As far as the skirt, when I build them, I trim just past the hook bend.
Trailers, I like a P-craw because of the looks, but have used 'standard' looking with lot of success. I really like the Phantom claw pork trailer by Uncle Josh, but they have their faults, so I have a similar one I like to use that I pour.
I always use rattles, not sure if it works or not, but I do.

[JB]

I about always thin out the number of jig silicone strands and then cut the weed guard back a 3/16th, and also give the strands a haircut..I also cut the pork trailer in 3 dif slices to give it more flexibility, and take half of the body of the pork off with the knife, and also make that prepunched hole bigger to get the pork off when not being used, to prevent it from drying .

[Mac1]

If you use the chunk trailers with short legs or swimming legs, hook the chunk so the legs come off the bottom edge of the chunk. You will get much more action from the legs if they are down, rather than trailing the top edge of the chunk which puts it behind the mass of the jig, killing the action as it passed through the water.

[carolina-rig-01]

yeah i forgot about the weed guard i trim it too. also on pork trailers i will slice the body cross ways into even segments, it will also add to the action. i forgot about that until jb reminded me.

[lizardsrule]

I don't do anything except put a Baby Paca Craw on them and catch fish LOL.

Lizards

[dampeoples]

Yeah, but Scott, the rest of us have to go out and work for our fish, we don't have numerous 5 pounders circling our boat at all times!

[HOG Ranger]

About the only things I do is trim the weedguard a 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch and add a plastic trailer. I would say 90% of my jigs have rattles.

[zooker]

skirt and weed guard get a trim job..

zooker

[hackattack]

for trailer its hard to beat a smallie beaver from reaction innovations. Im a western guy so reaction innovations baits are inheritably a stable

[hackattack]

i mean staple...

[ToPwAt'R GuY]

I trim the skirt and weedguard always. Sometimes I file the head into a different shape too.

[BassAddict]

I always trim the skirts just below the hook. I'll trim the weedguard too and flare it out a little. I use plastic trailer exclusively now. Mainly a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. I'm going to try the Paca Craws this Spring though.

Eric

[pig n jig]

I used to be way out there about my jig preference.I wanted a bullet head, Heavy shanked round bend hook and a flat eye tie, 34 strand skirt tied on and trimmed an half inch longer than the hook bend. Now all I care about is a round bend hook instead of a wide gap hook.I don't ever trim the weed guard shorter, I may clip 2, or 3 whole length bristles out of the weedguard, but as a rule, the people who design their product has already made a good product. Rattles, aren't important to me, the fish already knows the jig just fell down through the water somewhere near by. P N J

[Fish2win]

Good Comment P&J. I think rattles hurt in real clear water. I also agree about the manufacturer designing the product. Wasting silicon skirt material is not something that a good bussiness would do when they are building thousands . That adds to a lot of money.
I usually spread the weed guard in a fan shape and bend it back several times to make it slightly more flexable. I have also cut a few strands of the weed guard out. I just feel that when it is fanned out it blends better with the skirt. Fish2win