Bass Fishing Jigs
When it comes to jig fishing for bass, it can be confusing with so many buzz words being thrown around. Well we are here to show you that jig fishing doesn’t need to be hard or confusing. Let’s go ahead and break down a couple popular types of jigs and how you would use them.
Swim Jig: The swim jig is a versatile jig. It usually is rather light, about 1/16oz to 1/4oz. Imagine a swim jig like a spinner bait but with no spinner. You fish it the same way, and around the same cover as well. Just cast it out, and reel it in at a moderate pace, while giving it some action from the rod tip. When you get a bite they are going to slam it just like when you are catching a bass on a spinnerbait or a crankbait.
Football Jig: The football jig is a great jig for fishing in the summer time. A lot of people use these for flipping by attaching a small trailer (like a craw) to the jig and then flipping it in and around cover like dock posts, bridge pilings, or boat lifts. You can also target downed trees, weed edges, lily pads, or anything else that looks like it might hold some fish. The benefit to a football jig is it really gets down to the bottom quickly, and allows you to find fish easily. A bite on a football jig is going to feel like a thump or some heavy weight, like getting a bite on a texas-rig.
Shaky-head jig: The shaky head jig has become popular in the last few years with finesse anglers who are targeting more pressured bass who don’t always want a 3/4oz jig plunked right in front of their nose. You fish a shaky-head jig by putting a finesse worm like a Zoom Trick Worm on it, casting it out, and shaking your rod tip during the retrieve to really make that worm squirm and wiggle on the bottom. It kind of imitates something feeding on the bottom, and that lifelike motion will drive bass crazy. A bite on a shaky head can be violently powerful, or it might just feel like a little bit of extra weight. It is all about how the bass are feeling that day!
Hopefully you learned a few tips and techniques in this article. Jig fishing can be a great way to bring some bass into the boat when nothing else seems to be working, and is very fun as well. By having a good selection of a few different types of jigs in a few different weights you can be sure that you are always prepared for whatever situation you are presented with. Good luck and tight lines!