Multiple uses of the Jig
By: Daniel Langton
Daniel Langton is a member of the Kidlizard Pro-Staff, and is looking for other potential sponsors as well.
In this article I am going to explain the different uses and techniques of the jig.
THE TRUTH ABOUT JIGS
Jigs can be fished anytime throughout the year and almost always come out productive. Jigs are known as the "big money bait" on the top tournament trails. They are the most versatile lure ever know to man. Jigs can be flipped, pitched, hopped, swam, and used as a weight on a drop-shot rig. Endless possibilities! Jigs catch the Elusive Largemouth bass, all the way to the deep-water Kentucky spots, and the diehard smallmouth bass. With a little practice a jig can be a great weapon for the beginner, all the way to the advanced angler.
GENERAL TACKLE FOR JIG FISHING
When I’m Flipping and pitching in shallow water cover, I like to use a Daiwa TDV reel, with a Team Daiwa Flipping stick in the 7’6" length, and Heavy action. Remember that in heavy cover you need to set your drag tight so that you can get the fish out as quick as possible. I like Strike King’s line of jigs. They have a strong Mustad hook, and a wide head to prevent hang-ups. I use Stren Extra-strength, 25 pound green line when flipping and pitching in the tough stuff. When I’m fishing in open water, I go with Stren Extra-strength in 17-pound test. I choose line color according to the surroundings, water clarity, and weather conditions. I tie a Uniknot on all my jigs. When I’m Fishing a jig as a weight for a drop-shot rig, I use a Team Daiwa TDS spinning reel with 8lb Stren fluorocarbon line. When purchasing a rod and reel, I make sure that I am buying a good quality reel. I look for at least 4 stainless steel ball bearings, and a good anti-reverse system. When choosing a rod, I go with a graphite series rod in at least 7’ of length.
PRE-SPAWN JIGGING
When choosing a Pre-spawn jig, I like to go with a 1/2oz. Strike King Pro-model jig. I choose my weight according to the depth that I will be fishing. I like to fish submerged weeds in about 8-12 feet on secondary points. This is where the bass are staging to move in to spawn. That is why they call it the pre-spawn. I like to swim my jigs at this time of the year. When choosing a color, I like to go with a red, brown or pumpkinseed to resemble a crawfish. I swim my jigs just on the top of the weed line. I try to touch a few weeds in the process, and then break free. It is really just a balancing process. This is when most of the strikes will occur. I cast my jigs to the bank and retrieve them from shallow water and work them into deeper water. I choose jig size so that the jig will just brush the tops of the weeds. If you are getting too many weeds, either speed up your presentation or go with a lighter jig. If you aren’t getting the depth you want, just go up a little on weight. When I swim my jigs, I always use a plastic crawfish type trailer. I like to use a Kidlizard Bait co. Huffer, or a Strike King Wild Thang using the bottom half of the lure. I cut the lure just above the bottom flaps. These flaps are important. They give you the necessary flapping action. The Huffer has 2 curly tails that are really enticing to bass when the water gets cold, and gives the action needed for muddy water conditions. As for scents, I like to use Bang’s crawfish formula. Follow the bass as the days go by as they move into shallower water to spawn. You probably wont find bass schooling up much when they start to move in to spawn. But when you do find a bass, it will probably be a very large one.
JIG FISHING DURING THE SPAWN
My favorite time of the year. There is nothing better than being able to see the fish on the bed and flipping’ right to it. Bass just hate to see a crawfish there because they know that little old crawfish is looking to pick off a nice meal. For the most part of the spawn, there will be 2 fish on the bed, male and female. First the males will move in to make the nest. Then the females will come in to select the nest that they think will have the highest success rate among the fry. After the female lays her eggs, she leaves and the male guards the fry for 4-7 days. Remember that during the spawn, bass will tend to grab the bait for a brief moment, try to crush it, then spit it out. So Feeling your rod, and line watching are both very important. By a bass’s bed, the water will normally be very muddy due to the bass fanning the nest. Some people say, "what is the ideal spot for a bass to spawn"? The first place to look is in the back of a bay. This bay must be protected from thrashing water, and be pretty calm. A bass will choose a spot according to the bottom contents, and how many hours of light the spot gets each day because eggs need light and warmth to hatch. Bass like to spawn in shallow water that is right next to deep water just incase they get spooked. I also look for some cover in that deeper water so that when the fish gets done spawning, it will move into its post-spawn position where it regains it’s strength. Bass tend to suspend at this time of the year. So I like to swim a jig over that cover.
POST-SPAWN
When I fish the post-spawn, I swim the jig off the first source of cover for the bass in about 8-12 feet of water. I like to line up the secondary point with the mid-depth cover, and then I can usually find the general location of the bed. When I swim a jig, I use a 7’ MH rod with a 6:2:1 gear ratio TDV reel. 17-pound Stren sensation line is my favorite so that I can detect bites better. I use a 1/2oz Strike King pro-model jig with a Strike King Wild Thang cut like I said earlier, and the Huffer by Kidlizard bait co. I always use scents when swimming a jig. When I swim a jig I put my rod tip at the 10 o’clock position and use short but rapid jerks. I space these jerks by jerking, then reeling up slack and then jerking again. This retrieve gets that trailer in the flapping motion. I detect my bites by feeling the jig more than sight. When I am retrieving the jig I feel the bite, then I take one more jerk, then reel up the slack and set the hook HARD! Bass just seem to slam that jig when it is being swam. You will probably have to experiment a little to find the depth of the suspended bass. Sometimes just bumping it into the cover will draw the strike. But be sure to fish the bait above or through the suspended bass, never below.
SUMMERTIME JIGS
Jigs that are fished in the summer can be fished throughout the day, and night. Mornings can be a very successful time to swim a jig. These bass may be located on long, main-lake points, submerged weeds, humps and roadbeds. When swimming a jig on a point, start out in the morning fishing the shallow part of the point. As the day moves on, move out to deeper water. Try to fish the shady side of the point when the sun is shining. Submerged humps are also very successful places to fish in the mornings and afternoons. The bass are chasing shad, and using the hump as an ambush point. Also, fish the ditches on the old roadbeds. Stay away from conductors of heat. When I say conductors, I mean shallow riprap, black floats on boat docks, and old junk like refrigerators, cars, tires etc. When the waters rise, either from tailraces when they turn on the turbines on the dam, and rain, fish shallow shady cover. Over hanging willow trees seem to be bass magnets. When the water rises, follow the fish into the shallow cover. A largemouth will move up as far as possible into that rising water. This is an ideal time to flip and pitch a jig. Use bulkier baits, rattles, and scents because the water will normally be muddier when the water rises. Bass will start to move back out into deeper water as the water level goes down. It is a good idea to look at your shoreline surroundings while fishing in normal lake levels to find key locations for fish to be when the water rises. The best points to look for would be ones that have the main channel running parallel to it. When most people hear of channels, they think noisy boats running through while they are fishing. Don’t worry about that. That just stirs up plankton, which causes the baitfish to go crazy, and the bass crazy. A great summer tactic is flipping to busy boat docks where the boats stir up the plankton. This also occurs when boats are being launched at the ramp. Docks are great places to fish year-round. In the summer it just has to be made of wood, and close to deep water. Docks are bass magnets. When you are working streams with jigs, look for breaks in the current. And ALWAYS through your bait upstream and let it come back downstream. You will have greater sensitivity while fishing upstream. Most of the time bass will face upstream, looking for bait that passes along.
FALL JIGS
One of the most overlooked usages of a jig, is swimming it. When you swim a jig the best color to start from, would be white. White is one of the closest colors to resemble a baitfish. I match the size of my jig, with the available forage. I use a Strike King Pro-Model jig in 3/8oz. Most of the time. But don’t be afraid to go larger. I also team up my jig with a Kidlizard Huffer. I use the little Huffer for 1/4oz jigs. The best I’ve ever done with jigs in the fall is 20 pounds in 5 fish, in 5 minutes. When you swim a jig, it is a rush. You never know when a fish is going to slam it. I fish my jigs in the fall around boat docks, main lake flats, creek channels, humps, and creeks. In the fall, a large portion of the bass will be located on the grass that is still living. So search for green grass, and you could fill the boat.
WINTER JIGS
I like to fish small jigs in the wintertime. When I’m talking about small jigs, I mean jigs about 3/16-1/4oz in size. I like to use the Strike King Bitsy flip. It doesn’t come with a rattle. But that is good because in winter, I believe that a rattle can spook a fish. Wintertime is the perfect time for fishing with pork. It has a strong scent, and a lifelike feel that will surely land a few fish. Remember that in winter, a bass’s metabolism decreases. This means that a bass will feed about one in every three days. It takes three days for a bass to digest its food in most lakes. It’s no secret that bass relate to wood in the winter. There is just some reason why bass are attracted to it. Maybe because crawfish and other forage live, and hide here. Maybe because it retains heat longer in the winter. Bass also relate to sharp break lines. They like these because they don’t have to travel far to get from deep to shallow water. Bass like to hang around docks with black floats, and rocks because they retain heat well. Don’t overlook tire reefs.
CONFIDENCE
You must have confidence in yourself, and in your tackle, that you will catch a fish on every cast. If you don’t have confidence, you’ll catch a lot less fish. Well I hope that I was able to help a few people learn how to be better bass anglers so they can enjoy their time on the water. And remember to wear a life jacket when running an outboard, because the safe way is the best way.
Daniel Langton
Age 15
Haubstadt,IN