# jig tips



## gamedogs

any one got any tips for fishing a jig an pig? Im a cranker and the jig seems boring to me, but they catch big bass so here I go.


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## Coonhound

Man...here's a topic i could go on about for hours!

Some quick tips:

Skip the pork unless the water is cold. I like plastic trailers in warmer water. They come in more shapes and sizes, and move better IMO.

Here's how i see most people rig a trailer:









I've never been a big fan of rigging trailers like that. I have problems with the trailer balling up on the hook shank or on the barb. Here's how i rig a trailer, when i fish a traditional jig:









If i fish a jig with a weed guard, i always trim it. Here's a jig with a stock weed guard, and one trimmed:









In addition to shortening the weed guard, i'll also thin it some by removing some of the strands. I'll do this when fishing thinner cover so i get a better hook set. I also shorten the skirt to the bend in the hook. I always do this if i feel like the fish are hitting short and not getting the whole jig in their mouths. I like a bit more compact jig. The bottom jig in the above pic shows this.

Now. Having said all that, here's how i keep a jig rigged all the time. I'm not a board sponsor, so i can't tell you to contact me for info on purchasing them. I get much better hook sets and VIOLENT strikes with my jigs rigged like this. Rigging them like this removes the weed guard entirely and allows much faster penetration of the hook. Rigged this way, the trailer becomes the weed guard. It also keeps the trailer up off the lake bottom, putting the trailer in a "defensive crawdad" position. Pics will be attached at the bottom of this post, with one or two showing fish caught on the VJJ.

As far as fishing jigs, i think they're just about the most versatile bait in your box. They can be fished fast, slow, on the bottom, on top...you name it. I fish them in cover, on bare bottoms, around docks, through weeds...D) all the above. You just have to listen to the fish and see what they want. If they're not taking it fished slow around cover, try a few casts 'swimming' it back to the boat. You might get the rod ripped out of your hand.

For colors, match the hatch in clear to stained water. I like a green pumpkin with some blue and maybe a bit of brown. In really muddy, off color water, fish any color you want as long as it's black. Or black and blue. That big, dark silhouette is much easier for a fish to find in muddy water.


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## DogFaceClown

The jig and pig combo is my bread and butter bait. I hop it on the bottom in rocky areas and pop it off submerged timber. I fish about medium speed. I've caught my biggest bass on a jig. 

A lot of the pros like to use a football jig and reel it along rocky areas like a crankbait with a steady retrieve making sure it always stays in contact with the bottom.

I could talk about jigs all day. This winter I am going to try and make my own.

Sent from my Droid


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## gamedogs

thanks fellas


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## in2crappie

Great information Coonhound!! Thanks for sharing


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## USMC_Galloway

Great information am a crank and plastic guy, trying to expand my tools. Post like this are awesome for new guys like me! Thanks again.


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## Coonhound

Cool! Glad you guys like 'em. Hope those tips help you guys put fish in your boat!


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## Coonhound

gamedogs said:


> Im a cranker and the jig seems boring to me....


Man, i'm just the opposite. I *LOVE* tossin' a jig, but i dread throwing a crankbait. :lol: A jig does seem to catch bigger than average fish for me, but it seems like i get fewer bites. I do get more bites on a crankbait (if they're hitting them), but seems like they're just not as big. Seems like the big girls like something they can eye-ball before they eat. Don't get me wrong, i have caught a ton of good fish on a crankbait...i guess i'd just rather throw a jig.  I've always got two crankbait rods rigged (a 7'3 for small cranks and a 7'6 for bigger baits like DD22's), but i also always have two jig rods rigged...a 7' MH for 1/4oz and under, and a 7' H for bigger jigs. I might have a 7'6 H on the deck if i'm fishing off-shore structure like drop offs or long points with a football jig.

Something i left out of my tips above was to leave the jig lay after the initial drop for as long as a 15 count...or until you figure out that leaving it lay isn't helping any. A lot of fish will HAMMER it if i leave it sit at about 10 seconds. I think it just takes time for the fish to locate it once it hits the bottom. With my jig (the VJJ), the trailer stands up and will move with the currents. Seems like this just sets them off if i don't move the jig. I LOVE it when they're on that kind of bite. They just about rip the rod out of your hands!

I was home on leave in July and went up and fished the harbors for greenies. We smacked a ton of good fish, with the best ones coming on jigs. We were fishing the rock jetties that go into the harbors. I'd toss up shallow, then stair-step the jig down the rocks to where the rocks met the sand bottom. If i let the jig lay there for a fast 10 count, the bass would throttle 'em. They'd almost rip all of the slack out of the line. It was a blast!


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## buckzye11

Great info Coonhound, i may just give them another try. I gave up on them after i discoverd Senkos, but there is no denying the big Bass effect of J&P. I'm sure a few lunkers will change my mind, but i was always getting skunked when first tried.... hopefully i'll have the patience to learn it.


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## JignPig Guide

gamedogs said:


> any one got any tips for fishing a jig an pig? Im a cranker and the jig seems boring to me, but they catch big bass so here I go.


Do what Coonhound says, and you'll be just fine.

Most (not all) of my over 5-pounders over the years have come on the JignPig set up. 

Some days the bass will want a horizontal presentation such as a crankbait or a spinnerbait, and other days the bass seem to want a vertical presentation like a JignPig or a tube. The vertical bite will get you the bigger fish. A giant bass needs to use less energy to inhale a falling or crawling JignPig or a tube than it does catching up with a crankbait or spinnerbait.

Good luck!


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## Coonhound

Thanks Jeff!

I'd say 50% of my big fish have come from a jig. The other 50% have been caught on a mixture of big worms (10" +), big crankbaits (DD22's), and a Chatterbait type lure I make. I think some conditions require certain baits and certain presentations. But a jig is a consistent producer, and I've always got at least one rigged and ready on the deck. 

Something else to think about - notice how all of the other baits I mentioned are bigger baits? I think that's something that is often overlooked. Big baits catch big fish. Be it a jig, worm, crank...you name it. It's been my experience that a bigger jig with a fuller profile will draw less strikes, but the ones it does bring will be bigger. On average, I usually go with a medium bodied jig...something around 3/8oz with a trimmed skirt and a 3.5" Smallie Sweet Beaver for a trailer...and catch a wide variety of sizes of bass. But if I'm in conditions where I'm looking for a bigger bite, I won't be afraid to bulk up on the size of my jig skirt and trailer. 10" worms seem to be an exception. While they catch big fish, I've also caught bass that aren't as long as the worm and used some trick of physics to get the hook in their mouths!


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## JSykes3

Coonhound said:


> Thanks Jeff!
> 
> I'd say 50% of my big fish have come from a jig. The other 50% have been caught on a mixture of big worms (10" +), big crankbaits (DD22's), and a Chatterbait type lure I make. I think some conditions require certain baits and certain presentations. But a jig is a consistent producer, and I've always got at least one rigged and ready on the deck.
> 
> Something else to think about - notice how all of the other baits I mentioned are bigger baits? I think that's something that is often overlooked. Big baits catch big fish. Be it a jig, worm, crank...you name it. It's been my experience that a bigger jig with a fuller profile will draw less strikes, but the ones it does bring will be bigger. On average, I usually go with a medium bodied jig...something around 3/8oz with a trimmed skirt and a 3.5" Smallie Sweet Beaver for a trailer...and catch a wide variety of sizes of bass. But if I'm in conditions where I'm looking for a bigger bite, I won't be afraid to bulk up on the size of my jig skirt and trailer. 10" worms seem to be an exception. While they catch big fish, I've also caught bass that aren't as long as the worm and used some trick of physics to get the hook in their mouths!


Haha, I'll agree with you on the worms. I have caught fish half the size of the worms I am using. And the hook is waaay bigger then their mouths. Wonder how they do it.


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## tw1nny03

Nice tips!


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## SMBHooker

I like coonhound&#8217;s advise, this is the same thing I do with mine. I trim the skirt but I do like it a little past the hook. Dark colors always in discolored and stained water. It does not have to be a slow working bait I can cover an incredible amount of water with it. I like to let it settle good to the bottom before retrieving as well but I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ve ever got close to a 10 second count. I may just have to add this to my routine! Thanks for the tip!

Here&#8217;s my favorite set-up its fairly simple but, it works: a 1/8 oz. Enticer jig from BPS (allows for a nice slow fall) and a river bottom lure&#8217;s Getsem trailer. 










I prefer the PBJ colors but, whatever you have confidence in as long as it&#8217;s dark colors.

There&#8217;s been some great advice here already and I&#8217;m no Jig n Pig expert by any means but, it&#8217;s a big fish bait for sure. This beast was caught this spring on the above rig:


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## Tokugawa

That green/blue rig is awesome!!


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## Pigsticker

Lemme ask you how many jigs do u lose up on the rock jetties at Erie? I keep trying the same thing and I just get snagged up nearly every other cast and lose like 2-3 jigs an hour. So Inevitably I go back to senkos , cranks and spinners just to stay away from the jig eating rocks.


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## Coonhound

Not many. A few a day. Are you fishing from a boat or from the jetty?


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## Pigsticker

Coonhound said:


> Not many. A few a day. Are you fishing from a boat or from the jetty?



From a boat. Usually going through the channel slowly using electric motor about 30-40' from shore/rocks pitching the jig. Trying to walk it down the rocks all the way to the bottom in about 8-14 fow. Then always hitting both end of the channel as well like u mentioned. Those are usually prime spots. I'm trying to increase the size using jig because most I catch there are buckets in the 12-16" range with an occasional 3-4lber every few trips or so.


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## Coonhound

I tend to fish lighter jigs when i fish spots like that to keep the hang-ups to a minimum. Seems like a heavier jig wants to bury itself behind rocks as soon as it touches them. I generally throw no heavier than 1/4oz. 

If i'm flipping wood i'll go heavier, up to 1/2oz to make it get down between the branches.

Also, when i fished those rock jetties, it was busy as heck with boat traffic. I had to keep my boat no more than a boat length off the rocks to keep from getting out in traffic. I ended up fishing at about 1-o'clock from the front of the boat, if the bank was on the right side. My wife was fishing out of the back and was complaining that i had the boat too close, but it didn't seem to slow her bites down any...lol.


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## Pigsticker

Well my problem must be jig weight because I always throw 5/8 and 3/4oz. They sink like a rock right into the nooks and crannies of the rock wall. There's so much bloody current in those channels I figured heavy was good so id have a constantly tight line. I've never tried to throw a jig that small anywhere honestly but ill give it a shot next spring. Thanks.


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## HookBender

What About J&P in rivers and/or ponds? Do or Don't?


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