Fishing with a Jig: my thoughts on the subject
I was asked a great question about getting started fishing with a jig. There are lots of online resources, videos, and commentary about jig fishing, and I would encourage you to take a look at as many resources as possible. The library used to have a copy of Denny Brauer’s book on jig fishing, but while it is no longer in our collection, we can still get a copy through inter-library loan. Just visit your local public library branch, and speak to one of the librarians. That being said, here is my take on getting started learning to fish a jig for largemouth bass.
First of all, I recommend minimizing your expectations for catching fish with the jig, until you really get the feel for it. A jig is one of the most versatile lures in your tackle box, but for right now we’re going to use it as a crawfish imitator working it slowly and carefully along the bottom around thick cover. I prefer fishing this rig with a fairly stout rod that has a lot of sensitivity and lighter fluorocarbon line in 12 to 15 lb test because of its low visibility and lower stretching properties that will help to increase sensitivity. Your practice on the water with the jig will primarily focus on getting a feel for the weight of the jig when it falls and getting a feel for the bottom as you work it slowly across submerged cover.
Very often, you won’t feel the fish take the bait but will rather notice that the line begins to move off or simply stops during the fall sooner than you expected it to. Getting familiar with how that jig feels is critical. With a soft plastic lure, you’ll often get a couple of taps and then set the hook. When fishing a jig, the first tap is the bass inhaling the lure while the second tap is the bass blowing out the lure. It’s for this reason that many anglers give up on being able to catch bass on a jig. Jigs may tend to get fewer bites, but the bites they get are more often from bigger bass. It’s that first thump that you have to react to quickly, and set the hook with force.
You’ll want to use a smaller finesse jig like the StrikeWorks finesse jig that I mentioned recently, perhaps a 1/4 oz or less, with a matching soft plastic trailer. There are many options here for customizing your jig, but I’m going to recommend the NetBait Paca Chunk trailer. You can find these easily at our local Academy. I thread the trailer on the hook so that the top of the bait pushes up against the head of the jig and hangs as straight down the shank of the hook as possible. This will make it a bit more compact. I very strongly believe in using a cover scent on your jig. Two scents that I use are Carolina Lunker Sauce in crawfish scent and any one of the garlic scents that come in a spray can. My goal is to get that fish to hold on to the bait as long as I can as well as masking any human scents I may have imparted on the bait. In other words, don’t gas up the boat and then immediately tie on a jig with an unwashed hand!
Now, for what areas you’ll want to target using your jig, stick to visible cover. Remember, the trick to Lake Arlington, especially, is finding transition points. ANY transition points. You’re looking for something different in an otherwise featureless area. Those small stickups and stumps are where you’re going to find your fish. Although the lake is very low, there are still flats and nearby creek channels where fish can move up and down in the water column and will stage on those transition areas: bends in the creek channel, old road beds, old log piles, rocky banks along the dam, concrete retaining walls, etc. Also remember that with the water clarity being murky in many areas of the lake right now you need to be thinking about lure visibility, vibration, and/or sound. You noticed in my post of the big bass I caught Sunday afternoon, I was using a bruised craw jig. There are various reasons for choosing colors, but I wanted something darker. I also added two small rattles to my jig for a slight clicking noise to help the fish find it.
Learning to fish with a jig is one of the best things you can do to hone your skills as an angler. I often learn as much or more about fishing when I don’t catch them than when I do. But, when you do catch them ask yourself some key questions: where was the fish when he bit, how deep, was it the corner of the dock, the back of the dock, on the windy side of the brush pile, the protected side of the brush pile, what are the weather conditions, etc.? Then, if you can catch a fish again under those similar conditions during the day, you’re on to a pattern. A third fish seals the deal, and you’re on your way to cashing a check in that tournament or bragging to your friends about how you limited out. :)
One more thing that I will mention about time on the water learning how to fish a jig is that jigs are designed for heavy cover, and they excel in those areas. However, it can be a great source of frustration getting hung up regularly, and then you’re forced to either lose jigs or disturb an otherwise good piece of structure sending bass out of the area in a hurry. Approach cover with some degree of caution, until your prowess with the jig increases. Fish around the outside areas, move your jig more quickly above the tops of the log piles, the stumps, brush, rocks, etc. Your goal for the moment is going to be keeping contact with something as much as possible but also keep the “live to fight another day” mentality especially in the beginning.
Given my choices, I think I would rather catch bass on a jig more than any other lure. It’s not always the best option, but when you find the fish on a good jig bite fewer things in angling are harder to beat. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and it’s an advanced skill that few truly master. And talk about versatility! There are so many ways to customize a jig and so many ways you can fish them. If you think about it, a spinnerbait is simply a jig with a spinner on it. Be safe, be Naturally Fun, and I will see you on the water!
First of all, I recommend minimizing your expectations for catching fish with the jig, until you really get the feel for it. A jig is one of the most versatile lures in your tackle box, but for right now we’re going to use it as a crawfish imitator working it slowly and carefully along the bottom around thick cover. I prefer fishing this rig with a fairly stout rod that has a lot of sensitivity and lighter fluorocarbon line in 12 to 15 lb test because of its low visibility and lower stretching properties that will help to increase sensitivity. Your practice on the water with the jig will primarily focus on getting a feel for the weight of the jig when it falls and getting a feel for the bottom as you work it slowly across submerged cover.
Very often, you won’t feel the fish take the bait but will rather notice that the line begins to move off or simply stops during the fall sooner than you expected it to. Getting familiar with how that jig feels is critical. With a soft plastic lure, you’ll often get a couple of taps and then set the hook. When fishing a jig, the first tap is the bass inhaling the lure while the second tap is the bass blowing out the lure. It’s for this reason that many anglers give up on being able to catch bass on a jig. Jigs may tend to get fewer bites, but the bites they get are more often from bigger bass. It’s that first thump that you have to react to quickly, and set the hook with force.
You’ll want to use a smaller finesse jig like the StrikeWorks finesse jig that I mentioned recently, perhaps a 1/4 oz or less, with a matching soft plastic trailer. There are many options here for customizing your jig, but I’m going to recommend the NetBait Paca Chunk trailer. You can find these easily at our local Academy. I thread the trailer on the hook so that the top of the bait pushes up against the head of the jig and hangs as straight down the shank of the hook as possible. This will make it a bit more compact. I very strongly believe in using a cover scent on your jig. Two scents that I use are Carolina Lunker Sauce in crawfish scent and any one of the garlic scents that come in a spray can. My goal is to get that fish to hold on to the bait as long as I can as well as masking any human scents I may have imparted on the bait. In other words, don’t gas up the boat and then immediately tie on a jig with an unwashed hand!
Now, for what areas you’ll want to target using your jig, stick to visible cover. Remember, the trick to Lake Arlington, especially, is finding transition points. ANY transition points. You’re looking for something different in an otherwise featureless area. Those small stickups and stumps are where you’re going to find your fish. Although the lake is very low, there are still flats and nearby creek channels where fish can move up and down in the water column and will stage on those transition areas: bends in the creek channel, old road beds, old log piles, rocky banks along the dam, concrete retaining walls, etc. Also remember that with the water clarity being murky in many areas of the lake right now you need to be thinking about lure visibility, vibration, and/or sound. You noticed in my post of the big bass I caught Sunday afternoon, I was using a bruised craw jig. There are various reasons for choosing colors, but I wanted something darker. I also added two small rattles to my jig for a slight clicking noise to help the fish find it.
Learning to fish with a jig is one of the best things you can do to hone your skills as an angler. I often learn as much or more about fishing when I don’t catch them than when I do. But, when you do catch them ask yourself some key questions: where was the fish when he bit, how deep, was it the corner of the dock, the back of the dock, on the windy side of the brush pile, the protected side of the brush pile, what are the weather conditions, etc.? Then, if you can catch a fish again under those similar conditions during the day, you’re on to a pattern. A third fish seals the deal, and you’re on your way to cashing a check in that tournament or bragging to your friends about how you limited out. :)
One more thing that I will mention about time on the water learning how to fish a jig is that jigs are designed for heavy cover, and they excel in those areas. However, it can be a great source of frustration getting hung up regularly, and then you’re forced to either lose jigs or disturb an otherwise good piece of structure sending bass out of the area in a hurry. Approach cover with some degree of caution, until your prowess with the jig increases. Fish around the outside areas, move your jig more quickly above the tops of the log piles, the stumps, brush, rocks, etc. Your goal for the moment is going to be keeping contact with something as much as possible but also keep the “live to fight another day” mentality especially in the beginning.
Given my choices, I think I would rather catch bass on a jig more than any other lure. It’s not always the best option, but when you find the fish on a good jig bite fewer things in angling are harder to beat. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and it’s an advanced skill that few truly master. And talk about versatility! There are so many ways to customize a jig and so many ways you can fish them. If you think about it, a spinnerbait is simply a jig with a spinner on it. Be safe, be Naturally Fun, and I will see you on the water!
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