# -Best Times for the Jig-



## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

*I recently read a post from a good/experienced angler that stated that he wanted to learn more about the best conditions to throw a jig.*

Here are a few things that I have learned over the years regarding JignTrailers/JignPigs and Flippin' techniques.

- When the water temps are cool, and you've got blue-bird/clear skies, the bass will sometimes hold near the cover (wood, rocks, brush, bushes, vegetation) on the sunny side of the lake. When the weather is cloudy, the fish seem to scatter, and they don't hold as tight to the laydowns as they do when it's a high pressure sunny day.

- If the lake is muddy, you should be able to catch bass with the jig near shallow water cover almost any time of the season.

- If the water is clear, you may have to run your jig near deeper water in order to find the bass.

- With a jignpig, you need to set the hook immediately when you detect a change. If you miss the fish, pitch back into the area as quickly as you can for as many as twenty more times.

- On an outing, after catching your first bass on the jig, an angler needs to do everything they can to find an area that is similar to where they caught their first fish. If they caught it in a bush, they need to find other bushes. If they caught it on a vertical stump, they need to find other vertical stumps. But most importantly, the angler needs to fish the area completely out before moving on.

- Last but not least... An angler needs to learn when to put the jig down and start throwing other presentations. A tournament angler or a fishn'-for-fun angler can live or die by the jig on some days. It's a hero or zero technique on some days.

There are many more things that could be discussed about the wonderful jig. And I am sure that many of our OGF members could add plenty more helpful comments.


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## wtrprfr1 (May 1, 2009)

Great stuff JNP! It is hard for me to put the jig down


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## jcustunner24 (Aug 20, 2007)

Thanks for the thread and advice. I'm a novice with the jig, so any tips are always great to read.


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## Flippin 416 (Aug 18, 2005)

That is great advice!!! Thanks!

Any tips on size?


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## flippin fool (Apr 3, 2006)

can't go wrong with a 1/4 oz. jig. sometimes 3/8 oz. is needed. then there are times when you need to go heavy depending on cover, or lighter for lack of....lol. but to keep it simple for newbies a 1/4 oz black and blue jig is a good jig to start with.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

The largest weight I use is 5/16th and the smallest is 1/8oz. With either one I vary my trailer style and size,all depending on what they tell me they want on that particular day. Yes you do have to know when to put it down in favor of trying other presentations. For me my best producing combo of colors have been a 3-D green pumpkin with a green pumpkin trailer. If that isn't working then I'll switch the color on my trailer first and try that. If that isn't working out then I'll try a different colored jig head n skirt next. It's all a matter of experimentation. There are days where you can light 'em up on a jig n pig and others where it doesn't seem to matter what kind you use. With that being said I never go anywhere without a jig n pig tied on one of my rods.


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Ive wanted to get into jig & pig fishing..... but it seems i always have the zero day, not the hero! i know its pry the best big bass presentation there is and i hope your post will help, thanks. Do you seem to have more hits when using pork or zoom chunks.... or does it matter? ive always known the ole standby is blk/blue 3/8 oz. but do red/brown or craw colors catch thier fair share? thanks for any more jig info.... i need it!


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

buckzye11 said:


> Ive wanted to get into jig & pig fishing..... but it seems i always have the zero day, not the hero! i know its pry the best big bass presentation there is and i hope your post will help, thanks. Do you seem to have more hits when using pork or zoom chunks.... or does it matter? ive always known the ole standby is blk/blue 3/8 oz. but do red/brown or craw colors catch thier fair share? thanks for any more jig info.... i need it!


I personally have never used a pork trailer. I use plastic ones exclusively with my primary choice being Netbaits' line of products. Yum makes some good ones as well especially the crawdad colored ones. I also like Strike Kings' Rage Tail chunk line. To me it's all trial and error til you find which ones you like to use the most. You just have to go out with the mindset that you're gonna nail 'em on a jig n pig,I think that goes a long way. Having the right mentality is key in any situation. Plus if know where you outta use 'em and when the jig n pig can be your new best friend.


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## Tiny Tim (Sep 19, 2006)

I am never out unless I have at least one flippin stick with a jig on it, but like Jig said, you have to know when to put it down also. I fish jigs that are anywhere from 1/8 oz. up to 1/2/oz. depending on what the weather,water and time of year is. Unlike spfldbassguy I start out the year when the water is really cold with nothing but Pork trailers on my jigs. As the water warms up closer to the spawn and thruout the summer into the early fall I like plastics as trailers instead of pork. The Rage tail trailers are really good. As far as color I try to stay with whatever the fish tell me to use. Some days they may want something dark other days they want something with a lot of color to it. It helps to make tour own jigs like I do so I have a wide range of sizes and colors to fit any condition you run into. If you want to catch the biggest Bass in the body of water you fish, tie on a Jig and start fishing. She will come sooner or later.


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## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

flippin fool said:


> can't go wrong with a 1/4 oz. jig. sometimes 3/8 oz. is needed. then there are times when you need to go heavy depending on cover, or lighter for lack of....lol. but to keep it simple for newbies a 1/4 oz black and blue jig is a good jig to start with.


I couldn't have said it any better myself. But I might add a touch to it... Sometimes any color will work as long as it's black.

Note - This thread is not intended to be condescending at all. And I hope it is not interpreted in that manner.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

Tim also! Ive used them since the early 80's. Texas rig became my search tool for fish. I wasnt puttin it down! I dont use them as much in-land anymore because I troll mostly but the fish to lure ratio is 10 to 1 with the jig over cranks. Sure cranks get fish but more so at night or on cloudy days when fish want to chase something. Maybe a nice sunny day in a muddy bay! I grew up fishing clear water and it made for tough fishing at times. Learned :B feed at night mostly. Made for tough day fishing enless I fished tight to cover. Tough to do with cranks! Guess bottom line is let your senses tell you what works. Most the time those fish are in the top 10fow.


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## FLIPNPITCH (Apr 15, 2009)

Love the black/blue, been a favorite forever! The last couple of years, though, its been hard for me to put down a brown jig with a green pumpkin trailer!! MWCD lakes especially. When I'm on the river I like throwing grn pump/ grn pump. I mostly use plastic trailers but will switch to pork once in a while just for a different look, action and sink rate. Is it just me or does hardly anybody carry pork trailers anymore?


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## bman (Apr 20, 2009)

I am by no means a great jig fisherman but I've found one money pattern that you can pretty much rely on: Post-spawn during the crawfish molting season (around June usually in the Midwest.) Probably not a secret but thought I'd throw it in this thread.

One other way I've caught bass on the jig is actually swimming through weeds in areas most guys (including me) would usually be throwing a spinnerbait. I was outfished 10:1 on a weedy Illinois lake one time when I stubbornly stuck with my trusty spinnerbait. I also caught my biggest spotted bass to-date on KY Lake swimming a jig like this (4.5lbs).

This thread is helping me with my lack-of-fishing withdrawl...keep it up!


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