Help with Jig Fishing

[bunsenfishing]

Hi,
I've been fishing a jig for sometime now on the delta, but always run into a particular problem. First off my setup is as follows: Powell 704c (7' H), Daiwa Alpha F reel, 16# Sugoi Fluoro, and I usually throw a 3/8 or 1/2 oz brown jig with a 5" yama single tail. The problem is that I detect I strike, and then set only to bring back the jig with a tailless grub. This doesnt happen on every strike i get, as i do have a fair number of solid hookups. But I would like to know what you more experienced anglers think about this. I have tried setting immediately after detecting the strike, as well as delaying my hookset, but i seem to see similar results. Is it just bluegill or small fish biting the tail off? Short striking bass? Should i delay my set even more? Is there something wrong with my jig setup? Or is this just what I should expect when fishing a jig and grub? I can usually distinguish between bluegill bites and bass bites when im fishing a senko or worm, since its a lighter rig, and i usually wait til i feel the weight of the fish before setting. But with the jig i find it hard to distinguish since the jig is heavier and i feel that the fish wont hold onto the jig as long as a worm/senko. Any thoughts on this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[185vsfrog]

Try fishing power pro and fish a little deeper. You might be getting smaller fish too shallow. Also maybe change colors of your bait/trailer. Hope this helps.

[basstamer]

to me this situation just SCREAMS for pork! They will NOT tear the tail off some Uncle Josh plus the soft saltness will make them just gobble it up even more. Just my .02
Scott

[Mike]

There are a couple of things going on here. I've had the same thing happening latley. The first thing is, the Yammy grub gets really soft in the summer heat and the force of it going through the water on the hook set will tear if off. So if you miss a fish or just set on something you thought was a bite and more times than not your grub tail will be gone. The other thing is the crawdads are on a killer bite right now on the Delta. I noticed this most in Sherman. You feel a tick, tick, pick up and feel preasure, and set the hook, and you come in without a trailer. I had this happen a couple of times, so the next time I felt this, I just picked up my bait slowly and pulled up a big red crawdad. This happend about every 10th flip in this area.

I would also recomend switching to 50# power pro. You will have sooooo much more feeling of your bait and will be able to tell what is a fish and whats not. Might save you some grubs.

[Lefty's Lure co.]

I also use single and twin tail yamamoto 5" grubs behind my jigs thats my first choice also i go to a silicone skirt jig and most skirts are 40 strand skirts i cut them back to 25 strands before i tie my skirts also i go with a 30 strand weedguard i also like to use sweet beavers behind my jigs this time of year they are very good for flippin in shallow water.

[Cooch]

Bf,

What yer experiencing, is just a product of post spawn/Summer time fishing. Yeah, Mike hit the biggest shot on this, them Yammie grubs are made of very soft plastic, not much there between the body and tail, don't take much ta tear one off. And when it git's really warm, they tear more easily. Instead of leaving that bag of grubs on the deck or on the floor where they are exposed to the sun, toss em in yer boat's Ice checst, heat problem resolved!

In general, the fish are really short striking a lot right now, not just jigs, listen to the froggers and topwater guys. Some cases these are smaller fish, other cases not small at all, just agressively whackin at that movin tail and missin the whole bait. Git some scent goin on them jigs, load em up. Give those fish a little something more ta feast upon once that jig gits in their strike zone.

Couple more things ya can do. First and foremost, If yer gonna use Sugoi, dude go up to the 20# line fer jigs on the River. You will have less heart aches, and that 20# test is far more sensative than the lighter line. Personally, I don't recommend to use braid when pitching and flippen around the rocks of the river. No line gits beat up and freyed more than braid when flippen and pitchen in the rocks. Yer also at a big disadvantage when in the clear water when using braid. Delta fish can be line shy too!

The trimming of the weed guard is another good idea. Trim the entire strand off though, right at the base. Typically I take away at least 50% of what's there. Don't cut the strand in 1/2 or feather em down, you only creat a stiffer guard with the shorter strands. The thing about doing this though, it really is not gonna prevent the tail grabbers, hell, they ain't getting to the hook anyhow. But if yer poppin fish, they come running off the bank or go flyin' in the air and come off, trimmin the weed guard is yer ticket to resolve that and provide a better hook up ratio.

Another thing ya can try is trimming about 1/2" off the rubber skirt. Then take about 1/3rd of the grub body off. This will shorten up the profile of yer jig. The fish are poppin that jig out of an instinctive reaction strike, not cause they is hungry. Doing this will give them a smaller target.

Keep plunkin away, missin tails is all part of summer jig fishin no matter where ya are. Sooner or later, you'll start putting more of them short strikers in the boat.

[ash]

Good stuff here, I would also say if I am getting tail bit I'm pullin out the pork, and adding some scent to my bait. My rule of thumb for hook sets on jig fish is I hit them as hard as they hit me, so if they just suck it in I will reel down and setup up if they thunk me I cross em HARD. I know last weekend out there I barely felt any of my flip fish, they were just there.

Zippy

[bunsenfishing]

wow thanks for the great responses thus far. this forum is such a great resource. I will definitely give these recommendations a try. Cooch, your idea of creating a smaller profile is a great one. I already have my weed guards and skirts trimmed as you mentioned, but I will try pinching off a piece of the grub. Regarding the scent some of you mentioned, what kinds do you guys prefer?

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

But Smelly Jelly is more readily available And probably a close second.

[ash]

I like the mega strike, as its in a tube and have recently started to use the Smelly Jelly. I really dont think the brand of scent matters you just want that fish to stay on that bait a few more seconds.

Jig fishing IMHO is an awesome technique and there really are even more things you can do to get rid of these short bites like put on a BIGGER craw trailer and bulk it up or like Cooch said make it smaller. Fish will eat it either way, I was flippin a black red jig with a Sweetbeaver trailer on the Delta and I was not getting short bit HAR!

[Ray L.]

Scent.... I use Bang. Much cleaner than most and usually you don't make such a mess as with other scents. Never thought about putting the trailers in the cooler. Thanks Cooch.

[BigJeff]

One thing I learned with Bang, don't buy the spray bottles. Get the aerosel cannister.....trust me on this one.

[Ray L.]

I agree with that. I forgot to say that.

[MIKE TREMONT]

Is this Hog Snot new? I've seen it mentioned twice today. Does the hook have it?

[Cooch]

BANG, either Pure Craw or Combo. The aerosol can is the way ta go, remove the cap, insert the jig in the cap, give it a spray. Remove yer jig, stick yer buddies jig in there, swirl it around and yer done. It's fairly clean like this and will keep the excessive spray to a minimum. Personally, I like the oily based scents, it emitts a slick like trail from the point of entry till that bass grabs it. Does it help, can't say fer sure, but it sure seems logical and the physical proof is good enough fer me.

Scent is a personal preference thing, no one scent is any better than the next, it's all good. Yet the only bad scent, is the one ya don't use!

[Don]

what color jigs and trailers should I be throwing this time of year on the delta?

[Don]

what color jigs and trailers should I be throwing this time of year on the delta?

[Don]

what color jigs and trailers should I be throwing this time of year on the delta?

[ash]

I am not a "Delta Rat" by any means Heck I have only been out there twice, but I can tell you this the Dads that the fish were spittin up and had in thier mouths were BRight RED and black so... I was gettin bit on red and black. I know Cooch will tell ya purple, and he wouldnt be wrong there either HAR!

[RichThiel]

I've been throw'in Brown(Light shade) with a Rootbeer Trailer in Stained water. Averaging atleast a 5lb'er or better a trip on this combo....1/4oz head/w/rattles. Shake and kill it.

Rich Thiel

[Lefty's Lure co.]

Black/blue Black/red greenpumpkin/orange craw blk/char are all good colors to throw if your fishing stained water 1/4 3/8 1/2 oz roundrubber or silicone skirts also mix the two skirts hand tied gives better action. ( Lefty's Lure co. ) since 1979

[Cooch]

Got a couple of options. Toss black/blue jigs early, once the sun comes up, go to black/reds. Use crawdad or Beaver trailers. If yer in areas where the fish are eating craws, you'll catch em. The other option is ta chuck a big Megabait Bubble Pop type chugger fer the first 3 hours of the morning. I've been out every day this week and have managed 2-3 fish a day in the first three hours in that 6-8 pound class. Then toss a brown jig with a 164 5" Yamamoto single tail grub the rest of the day. Stay below 8 feet, stick to the points and deep drop offs and be ready fer one of them big blue gill eatin river toads! This has been a really solid pattern for the past 4 weeks on them fish in the 3-7 range.

Most days, fishing like I am right now, yer not gonna git a lot of bites. But the 10-15 ya do git will be quality fish. Some days the smaller popper will put a ton of fish in the boat when the wind does not blow that first three hours in the mornng. Ya can also catch a lot of jig fish on the rocks in the afternoon, but right now for me, they tend to be the smaller fish.