Swimjig

[BNL]

Anyone swim a jig on St Clair / Lake Erie? Any success with this technique on these lakes or inland lakes when targeting smallmouth? What color combinations would I need to consider if I wanted to do this? And lastly, do you use a baitfish/small swimbait style trailer, single tail grub or a crawfish profile?

I don't expect any secrets to be given, I just really have no idea on this topic and I'm curious.

[McCarter]

Hey BNL,

I have a new color swim jig i am making specifically for LSC smallies.  if your going to be at the Ultimate Fishing Show in Novi, stop by the Nemesis Baits booth located in the Wonderland Marine West booth for a "free sample"  to play with once the ice thaws.

McCarter himself

[mikesmiph]

Me Too, Me Too, Me Too

[fiker]

I've tried 2 different trailers on the Nemesis swim jigs. 

A 3" Kalins grub in bluegill color.   (not bad, smaller profile).

My best success was with a white jig, and a Net bait baby paca craw.  In the spring on some of my favorite inland lands I was hammering some really big fish with this set up.

And then.... like most of us.... if it works, I quit using it and go on to something else.   Go figure.

[markgoetsch]

This is one of my go to ways to catch big sacks on both st. clair and erie.  Not many people use them but they're a big time confidence bait for me.  The trailers depend on day to day you just have to try different ones until you find what they want.  The kick'r craw from revolution baits has been great and also a kalin 5" grub.  In my opinion there is no better swimjig out there than the brovarney swimjig the custom gammy hook is amazing!  As for colors the best day in and day out are white and chartruse.  Though all colors have there time and place. 

[oldjigger]

tailwalker lures has a swim jig in their copperhead selection.  they have a swim jig in about 5 colors to this date and they flat out catch fish

[BNL]

Wow, thanks for the all the information.  I don't hear or read much about swimming a jig on LSC/Erie, so it is exciting to hear people do have success with it out there.

As for the rest, it definitely makes me want to go out and make some purchases.  I am little surprised on the bluegill color.  Do smallies often eat bluegill? Or is it just a good color imitating the general forage fish out there.

McCarter, unfortunately I will not be able to attend the show, but very much appreciate the offer.  I will have to find a way to check out the Nemesis LSC swimjig.

[LennyB]

Most of the time, the real key to getting fish to bite is just getting the lure in front of them with the presentation they want. It is better to have the wrong lure in the right place than to have the right lure in the wrong place. Color is way over thought. Next time you get in an area on St. Clair or Erie in an area that has a lot of fish were you are consistently catching them and know your really on them, switch colors back and forth to prove this. I've been out there many times with multiple boats in the same area were we knew we had a big school under us and have found that most of the time color doesn't matter as much to the fish as it does to the fisherman. I have seen however were presentation is a big deal, especially in the hottest part of the summer when the water temps are peaking in mid and late August. Sometimes if you over work the bait they won't touch it. Many trips I've had that time of year, we had to leave our baits motionless to get them to pick it up. The guys that were moving it didn't get bit. Again, presentation and location is way more important than color.

All that being said, any jig can serve as a swim jig. Some designs are better than others. Swim jig is really a presentation, swimming a jig versus hoping, crawling, pitching, etc.... There are many trailers that work well. Single and double tail grubs, Zoom speed craws, plain old chunks, the list is endless. The real key is trying different presentations, swimming, hoping, crawling, deadsticking, until the fish tell you what they want. Once you find something that works that you have confidence in stick with it until you loss confidence and start the process over. Hope this helps.

[Eric]

Brian, I will be at the show and I will grab his free sample for him.

And believe it or not, Cheetam hasn't started hitting me up for beer yet.

[karol]

 i got a 20.00 gift certificate for b-day last year and got 3 KVD swim jigs from BPS. 3/8 size, put a gym swimming senko on the back with half of it tore off and put the tail upside down with the paddle up instead of down. really gives a more active swimming motion and the local bass really like it too. just match the trailer to the jig and you're all set..