How to Fish a Jig for Bass – An Angler’s Guide
What is Jig Fishing?
Jig fishing is utilizing a hook that has weight directly connected near the hook tie. Jig fishing for bass, references a jig type with a skirt and is often accompanied by a trailer or plastic lure that enhances the lure profile. Jigs can be fished in multiple water levels from just sub-surface to scrounging on the bottom of the lake. Due to their natural silhouette and movement in the water, this fishing technique catches both numbers and larger sizes of largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Equipment Needed for Jig Fishing
We can fish a jig with any rod and reel but to optimize this fish catching technique, it is best to use equipment suited for the type of jig we’re throwing and the conditions we are faced with. To learn the technique, it is best to start with 7 foot medium-heavy casting rod with a fast action. This will allow you to feel the jig as it makes contact with structure and when the bass strikes the bait.
Jig fishing is typically a technique where we use the rod to impart the action on the bait. We then use the reel to pick up the slack line we have created. For this reason, we use a faster 8:0:1 ratio casting reel. We can pick up that slack line quickly and be ready to keep working the jig or set the hook.
When it comes to line, we stick to straight fluorocarbon mainline tied directly to our jig aside from punching jigs, where braid is often required. We like 15-17 pound fluoro for most bass fishing applications.
How to Jig Fish
Anglers can fish a jig a variety of ways. It often depends on the type of bait the fish are feeding on and/or the structure.
When to Fish a Jig
We always have a jig tied on and ready throughout the fishing season. When we need to be tactical with our cast and need to get our bait in and out of cover, a jig is an essential tool. When bass are spawning or moving into shallow dingy water to feed, enticing a reaction strike with a swim jig is hard to beat. In the colder days of fall, when crawfish are moving, dragging a jig on bottom can catch the biggest fish in the lake.
Where to Fish a Jig
We have jigs that can do a few things well and jigs that are specifically designed for the area you are fishing it. Let’s review each one and their pros and cons.
Swim Jig Fishing
When the grass get’s almost to the surface or the fish are shallow feeding on crappie and bluegills, it’s hard to beat a swim jig. More often than not we are throwing this bait in bright white colors, with a paddle tail trailer. We keep this bait moving around weeds and wood in shallow water where big bass hunt.
Pros: Cover water quickly, go where other jigs cant
Cons: Lower Landing %, oversized hook
Flipping/Pitching Jig Fishing
Flipping a jig is a great way to just flat out catch fish. These jigs typically have a horizontal line tie and an oval shaped head with a flat back side. This is to easily slide that jig in and out of cover with short precise casts. Typically, we will let the jig fall until it hits the bottom. Pause. Now begin short pops with the rod tip. Staying in touch with your bait and the bottom is critical for this technique.
Pros: Gets bit, can go into submerged wood
Cons: Avoid thick weeds, not good on long casts
Football Jig
One of our favorite ways to catch them is throwing a football jig. As the name implies, the jig head on this is shaped like a football and due to that, can deflect off rocks, shellbeds and mud flats really well. You can casts these jigs out, let them fall to the bottom and do slow methodical drags bag to the boat. We like to work them back to the boat with short small rod twitches. This imitates crawfish scurrying along the bottom. We focus on deeper water with this jig fishing technique. 10-15′ is where we see the most crawfish activity.
Pros: Great on hard bottom, casts a mile
Cons: Not weedless, smaller profile typically
Finesse Jig
Growing up, a small finesse jig on spinning tackle was a sure way to catch fish. That remains true today. These are typically downsized football shaped or round ball head skirted jigs. They have 1-2/0 sized hooks and can be fished with lighter line and equipment. We love still throwing these to break down specific structure like dock pilings or a seawall. Typically lighter, we prefer the 1/4 version which can worked around weeds and hard structure both effectively.
Pros: Snack sized, multi-purpose
Cons: Lighter equipment best suited, lighter line needed
Punching Jig
When the weeds are too thick to fish around and the frog bite isn’t happening, we will try punching a jig before packing it away for the day. This jig fishing technique can elicit some vicious strikes. It is best to increase your power with this technique as these jigs typically weight in over 1 oz to get through the thickest top part of the vegetation. We move to a 7’6″ Heavy Fast rod and 50# braided line. This gives us a fighting chance of getting that big bass out of the weeds.
Pros: Gets in there, No doubt bites
Cons: Requires heavier gear, landing % tough
Go Fish a Jig!
When you and I are active and moving, so are the bass. We’ll start with a faster retrieve and the let the bass tell us how they are feeling. As the water cools, we slow down how we fish a jig, almost to a dead crawl. Fish are not as willing to chase a bait and burn up critical calories. From ice up to ice out, you can fish a jig and catch a big pile of bass.
Tips and Tricks
Adjusting the length of the skirt on the jig can increase or decrease the plastic trailer’s action
Set the Hook! Jig bites rock your whole arm or be soft as a kitten, if it feels different, swing
Apply the 3 color rule – Natural color, Dark water color, Reaction color
Check out our 3 favorite jig trailers
