Bass Jigs - What's More Critical? (Color, Presentation, Or Size)

[J-Doc]

****PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ABOVE!!****

I've fished bass jigs for several years now. It's never been my go-to bait although I have one in the boat about 90-95% of the year and use it often. I would say I've had a less success with it than I've had success overall. There were times when the jig was my go-to and I was having great luck. I've always worked the jig about the same, tried a multitude of color combinations, etc.

I'm posting this poll in hopes of getting a broad-based series of opinions.

Here's what "I do" when I fish a jig:

- jig rattles (always)

- usually a finesse jig (3/16oz up to 1oz football jigs)

- always pitching, pretty good at it

- fish docks, steep sloped banks with gravel, flats, trees, laydowns, you name it.....i've fished it

- I typically have a short "hop-hop-hop" cadence when working the jig

- I've tried dragging the jig only, little to no success although smallmouth seem to prefer the slow death drag

- jig trailers I prefer are Strike King Rage Tail

- typically i use a green pumpkin base on color

I've recently been looking into matching my jig colors with specific craws found in the lake I'm fishing. I want to match the jig color with craws I am finding in the lake (browns, bright red during molt, green in late summer/early fall, etc)

So what's your opinion on bass jigs???

[Al Agnew]

I voted size and profile. In my opinion, color isn't all that important, and matching the supposed colors of the crawdads in the water you're fishing isn't all that important, either. Any piece of bass water in the Ozarks will have several species of crawdads, of different colors, year-round. I don't believe bass are turned off by the "wrong" color. As I've said here before, what I do, IF I'm trying to imitate something real that the bass will eat, is look at the color of the bottom where I'm fishing and pick out a color that comes close to matching it, since most bottom organisms, crawdads included, are colored to match their habitat.

How you work it is important, and I thought about putting down that answer. But I believe that, rather than how you work it, it's more in where you put it.

As for size...again, I'm not worried about matching whatever the bass are eating. Bass are opportunists and if it looks edible and isn't too big, they'll eat it if they're inclined to eat. But size IS often important. For river bass, smaller is bettter in the winter. Larger is better when the water is murky, smaller is better when it's exceptionally clear. Heavier is better if you're fishing in the wind or strong current and trying to keep contact with the botttom. Lighter is better if you're wanting a slower fall and no "clunk" when it hits the bottom.

As for rattles, I tend to NOT use rattles, partly because so many anglers use them. I'd rather be a little less "in your face". The more stuff you have going on, sound, scent, wild colors, etc., the more likely that SOMETHING in all that stuff will turn a fish off instead of on. I like to keep it simple and limit the variables.

[J-Doc]

Good tips! Thank you very much!!

Can you describe how you work the jig? I've seen some guys use pretty hefty jerks vs slight subtle taps like most fish a Texas rigged worm.

I know there are swim jigs, vertical fall like a jogging spoon, etc. I'm talking about once you have bottom contact, what do you have the most luck on most of the time type stuff.

[fishinwrench]

It's all about the weight..... I think. :?:

[MeatintheFreezer]

I normally fish a jig just like I fish a texas rig worm. After the cast and the lure hits bottom, I engage the reel and lift my rod up to roughly the 11 oclock position, this gets the jig off the bottom. I try to move it in a fashion that would be like a crawdad taking off, kind of a quick twitch. As soon as I get the jig moving, I dip the rod slightly, to around 10 oclock. I want to get the rod tension off the line as soon as possible. Watch the line for a bite, or the lure to hit bottom again, which will make your line go more slack again.

Nothing better than the tell tale "thump-thump" as the line jumps. Reel down and lay into it.

If I turn and go back down a particularly good bank, I will change up my retrieve. Try holding your rod like you would to "walk the dog", just slower. It gives the jig a different action and keeps it closer to the bottom.

[J-Doc]

That describes how I try to mimic a craw now. Quickblittle spurts to take off and defend itself.

I've watched a fee videos on YouTube and MAN! Those little critters are bad to bone at defending themselves. One vid has several smallmouth attacking it slowly and they don't like getting pinched on the lip! Lol!! Took them several tries to get their meal. Little craw was violent and quick! Could move a lit more ground and fast than I thought originally.

[Buzz]

I voted, How you work the jig. I don't think you have to fish a jig like it is always getting looked at. Meaning, I fish it like a crawdad that's just doing its thing. Sometimes lift it after it hits the bottom and sometimes let it sit and give it slight twitches. The next lift can be the trigger to getting a bite.

As far as colors, I like a little difference between the skirt color and trailer. Black and blue, brown and lighter or darker brown, green the same, you get the picture.

I like to keep a tight line on jigs because it can be a very subtle bite, especially on a long fall like bluff faces. Cast to the face of the bluff and after it hits bottom lift it slightly because the next ledge might be a few feet below. When it falls to the next ledge is usually when the bite comes.

Rattle? You don't need them unless the water is dirty, and if it is you'll need to have a bigger profile.

If you want a fighting profile on your jig, use a craw trailer and rig it so the trailer rides high off the hook. This will put the pinchers up higher and they will give more movement in the water.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

After doing a lot of diving in the lakes, i have noticed that the bottom of the lake is pretty much covered with algea and what not, if you touch the bottom or a log it creates a big ca-motion and visibility goes to zero, so i think a bass sees that more than actual color, just a big disturbance in the water that gets them curious. And as far as rattles, i know a crawdad or a shad doesnt rattle but we like to take rocks and tap our aluminum tanks and the bass just come flying in to see what its all about, Walleye do it too but they get a look at you and they are gone so we usually have to shoot fast when spear fishing. Obviously its illegal to shoot bass, it would be to easy and deplete the population very quick. Diving has really taught me a lot about bass fishing, Bass are so curious they really will check out about anything that is different, getting them to eat it is a different story though... We Dive BS a lot more than Table Rock, because we like to spearfish and you cant do it in MO. If you ever get a chance though it is really interesting to dive and see how bass react in there own environment, im a fair weather Diver and only do it when its warm and we rarely go over 30 feet, you dont see a whole lot deeper than that in the summer.....Just my two cents. Once they get a good look at a jig i do think size is probably the biggest factor

[Quillback]

The first thing I think of is weight of the jig, then trailer size. How fast of a fall rate do I want? All that depends on what kind of cover I'm targeting. Docks, shallow wood, or deep gravel? The there's seasonality - I've had good luck with a 5/16 oz jig on pre-spawn fish, but once the spawn is done I'll hardly ever fish that small of a jig. So many variables, best to be flexible and adjust to conditions, IMO. As far as color, I like green pumpkin (with maybe a little orange or purple), War Eagles Pond Scum Perch, and black/blue.

[MeatintheFreezer]

I didn't know they made other colors besides green pumpkin!