Fishing Jigs

[biteme]

How do you guys fish your jigs? Whats your hook up rate? I was fishing Jigs yesterday and cought about 40 fish on them. But I missed a lot of fish. Seems like I have my hook set down pretty well. But it seems like a lot of fish are picking it up and setting it down. I cut the weed guard off and that seemed to help a little. Anyone have any tips?

[bassdude28]

trimming the weed guard definitely helps also the fish picking up and setting down may be the fish jsut blowing the lure off their bed if they are spawning where you are fishing. Also the moment you feel the slightest tick on the jig you should be swinging for the fences because bass will spit that thing out just as fast as they pick it up.

[biteme]

Do you use scent with jigs? Thinking about trying to Bang craw scent. Just to get them to hold on a sec longer.

[biteme]

Woah woah slow down

[biteme]

The problem is Im hooked on jiggin! I cant put the rod down!! I cought a decent # yesterday but I think about the fish I lost and not knowing what size those fish were is killing me,lol. I do know one thing. The Jig seems to bring bigger fish! The bait monkey is loving me

[bassdude28]

Scent definitely helps in my opinion I have used many of the ones on the market but the best one so far (just my opinion) is Pro-Cure's Super Gel. It stays on the lure for at least30-45 minutes without reapplying. I have noticed with Bang and some other spray on scents they tend to rinse off after 3-5 casts and you have to reapply more often. Since I have used the Pro Cure gel I have noticed the fish hanging on a lot longer than before. Smelly Jelly is another good one.

[Andy Giannini]

Don't tightline the fish, when you feel the bite, drop your rod tip and give a surprise hookset. If you stay tight to the fish, the fish can get rid of it, or sense something wrong. By dropping your rod tip, the fish doesn't know you are there. Get a crank or two on the reel, and give a slack line suprise set. Have confidence the fish will be there upon set. (The new high tech lines probably help the fish feel you as well.)

I don't think jig fibers can really prevent hookups. I leave them long, and fan them out unless a smaller profile bait is needed. Shortening the fibers should make them harder to bend vs. long ones. If they are really stiff, a guy can clip a percentage of them off near the jighead. My theory is the more jig fibers on board feel like a crawdad claw sticking up, or a sunfish's spines. The fish may spit it out to pick it up again, hoping this time it won't get poked. Bass would rather eat craws tail first for example, and sometimes crush them, spit them out, and eat them the easy way. Sometimes the bait gets spit just about when you are ready to swing.

There is another swing/miss thing that goes on not just little fish pecking your jig. Sometimes crawdads will attack your jig. They grab on with claws, and thump their tail trying to escape with the goods. That thump feels just like the "thunk" of a bite, and of course the line takes off sideways like a real bite. I started getting sharp slices in my plastic trailers from the claws. Could not figure it out until I reeled on in really slow, and had a big craw hanging on to my jig.

A.G.

[ash]

Could not figure it out until I reeled on in really slow, and had a big craw hanging on to my jig.

A.G.

That is Funny Right there!

I am an avid jig fisherman as well and understand your dilema.

1.)First I would say inspect your hooks, they should be needle sharp. (I trim weedgaurds according to where and how I am fishing the jig)

2.) Hook Set - My rule of thumb is I hit them as hard as they hit me if they thunk it I rip thier lips strait up (just as Andy explained I give a slight bow reel up the slack and WAMO) IF they are swimming off with it sideways I will reel up the slack and get into a good position and WAMO.

3.) If they are not eating the jig well there are two factors I look at
A. Rate of Fall - most of the time increasing the rate of fall will get a better commitment from the fish.
B. Color - If they are not eating it well and you have looked at all of the above factors then look to color, say from green pumpkin to brown purple - or orange.

[Cooch]

at this time of year! We experience this every year fer about 2-3 weeks in May/June. The crawdad thing is definately a possibility in some instances. Yet it's not the main reason this is happening.

Why do ya think the jig bite is so good right now? Two reasons, first, last month the craws came out in force and the bass have just been gorgin on them. Secondly, the gills are up and spawning BIG TIME! The vast majorty of these missed jig bites are from 7-10" gills fending their nests. Especially those fast, violent bopps and rat-a-tat-tats! Every now and then you'll stick on of these big gills, but fer the most part, there's no way they can git that jig in their mouth, their mouth is just too small.

One thing I've noticed since last Friday when the winds have calmed down and the fog has cooled things in the morning as it creeps over the ridge along Mount Diablo, the largemouth are biting that jig a lot differently than the past month. It's not so much of the violent KERTHUNK we've been used to, but infact they are just sucking it in to where the bite is unnoticable. Then running off with it. I've caught so many shallow bass this past weekend where I flipped the jig in there, saw the bass swirl and flash on my jig, yet never even felt a thing. Set and the rod loads and they explode out to the boat.

The bass are biting differently at the moment, those violent pops and missed strikes, are giant gills!

[biteme]

Thanks guys for the input! Scent is the key that unlocked the door! It gave me that extra half sec. to set that hook. I missed very few fish last weekend and that got me big fish and my team second place! Thanks again!

[leatherneck77]

Wooch,

Man you got to get rid of that swirly, psycho ball. Going to send somebody into an epileptic fit.

[Dewayne]

A dancing bananna!!

Are you crazy!

No Wooch on my boat if you come with a bananna.

[gt5bass]

==>It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!<==

[Cooch]

PBJ, what a subtle hint! And ya whined about me given' up the River secretes of Rats!

[gt5bass]

And my subtle hint even has the "Banana Man" if ya click on it

ps...the link is in my previous post...duh!!

[Cooch]

how slow art tho this day!

Read my title: Day U Go G! THAT, came from yer lil diddy! My reference to subtle, was in using PBJ worms in the post spawn, but never mind, it obviously was too subtle of a hint and 'll just keep it to myself! HAR! HAR! HAR!

[gt5bass]

Da link reference weren't fer U...I got yer reference...Me tanks yous been drinkin' delta water agin

The link reference was fer Woochey and the banana phobe

I ben duin da a Little PBJ Jig on da Posties lately when not tossin' the Wake Jr.

[Cooch]

Got ya! My bad! Damn I hate when that happens! It ain't the water, it's the beer, same thing though, they is both full of and taste like piss! HAR! HAR! HAR!

[gt5bass]

Udderwise, it could be I jes be drinkin' too much o' dis over chorinated So. Cal. water

I needs ta git up dar an git me sum Riva Bass!