50 Tips to Fish a Jig.. Yes, 50!

[WB Staff]

Over the years I’ve fished with a lot of pros, and the one lure they all agree on is jigs. Jigs are not only versatile, they’re known for being big-fish baits. There are a lot of ways to make a jig even more attractive or effective no matter what time of year you are fishing. Here are fifty of the best jig tips I’ve gotten from the pros.



1. Don’t buy cheap jigs unless you’re only going to use them for pre-fishing. Get the best jigs you can, and that means jigs with great hooks. Yamamoto jig heads have Owner or Gamakatsu hooks.

2. For better hooksets, modify a rubber-skirted jig by trimming the weed guard down to just above the point, then thin it down by cutting off about a ¼” of the bristles from the front. Spread the rest of the weed guard bristles out.

3. Add rattles to the hook, especially if you are hopping or shaking a jig.

4. In slower, colder months pitch the jig at a target and don’t move it – just shake it around a little to make it rattle, then move on to the next spot.

5. If it’s cold out, pork trailers are hard to beat. Try keeping a container of scent at the front of the boat, and soak your jig and pig in it when it’s not in the water. It will keep it from drying out and keep it scented at the same time. Use a snap-on lid rather than a screw-on lid so your line doesn’t get wrecked.

Read the other 45 tips here at Inside Line http://www.insideline.net/features/2019 ... e-jig-tips

[WRB]

Always interested in jig fish tips to compare what other anglers are doing.
I realize the listed 50 tips were gathered over a long time period with several references to pork rind jig trailers no longer availble. Today's bass angler has a wide variety of soft plastic jig trailers to choose from, pork is messy with solid colors and doesn't appeal to the angers.
I wrote a detailed article for In-Fisherman back in '95 Horizontal Jigging when pork trailers were still in favor. Horizontal jig presentation is basically what is referred to as a casting jig, similar to casting a T-rigged bullet weight worm except the casting distance is between 40 to 50 yards.
The list mentioned hook sets by reeling up slack line followed by a hard rod set, I call this a reel set with firm rod sweep when casting jigs, a technique I developed over 40 years ago
A jig is only as good as it's hook should be #1.Always use premium hooks.
ROF rate of fall #2. The speed a jig swims down through the water column is critical and often over looked.
Strike detection by line feel and movement #3. IMO over 50% of the big bass strikes are not detected by the majority of anglers. I know from experience fishing jigs for decades with highly skilled bass anglers that strikes are missed simply because angler technique of relying on the rod feedback.
Thank you for sharing,
Tom
PS, my top 5 jig bass; 2 at 17.4 lbs, 17.6 lbs, 18.6 lbs, 19.3 lbs, all on hair casting jigs with pork trailers.

[milehi]

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