When you first start bass fishing, people will probably tell you that a jig is a good way to catch big fish. What they probably won’t tell you is which jig to use at particular times. It’s actually not as tough as we often make it out to be.
For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, this entire lure category can be a bit intimidating. I think that because jigs are known as great tools for big bass, some beginners often assume that you’ll have to sacrifice bites. That’s not always true. In some cases it might be the only way to get bites, and in other situations, it can be a great numbers producer.
I’m going to try to simplify matters for you. First, I’ll start out by excluding “winding baits” like swim jigs and vibrating jigs. They’re related, but an entirely different animal. Instead, I’m going to focus on the jigs meant to be fished on the bottom or in cover. That’s a pretty daunting list too. The selection is almost endless when you dive into head shapes, hook styles and skirt composition. You don’t need to have all of them, but you need to develop confidence in a few basic styles. As you gain experience with more styles, you’ll get hung up less and bit more.
If you go back maybe six or eight years, I was getting a lot of work done with just a basic Strike King flipping jig. I had success with it not just in heavy cover, but also as a swim jig and for some offshore casting. One lure covered a lot of bases for me, and you can do the same with your flipping jig or choice.
With a few more additions, however, you can be much more efficient. If you’ll be fishing in a lot of brush, consider supplementing your selection with something like the Strike King Denny Brauer Structure Jig. It has a tapered nose that comes through brush well and still crawls the bottom exceptionally.
If you’ll be fishing offshore, on shellbeds or on ledges like those found on the TVA chain, consider a football jig. There’s something about that round head that crawls on the bottom in a way that kicks the trailer up in a defensive crawfish posture. That provides lots of action and triggers strikes.
Another one that I really like is Strike King’s Bitsy Flip. It has all of the quality components of their bigger jigs, just in a more compact package. I used it as a way to generate keeper bites or when I’m confronted with finicky bedding fish.
With those four choices, you can cover a lot of ground. I exclusively use Strike King products, but no matter which brand you’re considering there are lots of things to look at to ensure you’re getting a quality product.
The first is the hook. If you’ll be using braid, you’ll want heavier gauge wire, but “heavier” does not necessarily mean “bigger.” If the hook you use is too large you’ll spend a lot of time hung up. I typically don’t go bigger than 4/0 or 5/0.
Pay attention to how close the point of the hook is to the jig head and the weed guard. You need some serious bite to maximize your hookups.
Look at the skirt too. Make sure that the material isn’t all knotted up or matted up. You want it to provide lots of action.
Also, the weed guard can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Compress it down toward the point of the hook – it only needs to be about 1/4 inch past the point to be effective. If it’s too stiff or too thick, you might never stick a fish. If you’ll be fishing in relatively open water, you can thin it out or even remove it directly.
In recent years, there’s been a tungsten craze. I like the compact nature and increased sensitivity that tungsten provides, and it probably shows up better on forward-facing sonar, but there’s a time and place for it. If you’ll be fishing in heavy rock like riprap, I guarantee you it’ll find every crevice, and you’ll be hung up much more than you would with a lead jig.
Finally, with the proliferation of skirt materials and colors – plus the endless choices in trailers – color is a hot-button issue. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by choices here too. In my opinion, the two best options are Green Pumpkin and Black and Blue. As you build your collection, stock up on those two and you’ll be able to catch bass anywhere in the country.
If you can only choose one, consider Strike King’s “Bruiser,” which is a combination of those two shades. It’s not always the single best choice, but it’s just about always a good starting point.
There’s no reason to be intimidated by fishing a jig. In fact, it’s one of the most productive and potentially simple techniques to learn – if you have the right tools. Keep things simple, build your collection gradually and keep a jig rod locked in your hand until you develop confidence.
