Lovin the jig!!

[bassbuster]

So late last year I decided to start using a jig exclusively until I got proficient and more comfortable using one. After trying a few different brands I finally settled on the Bitsy Bug as my personal favorite. The size, look and feel is just comfortable to me for some reason as opposed to some of the other brands available........and for $1.99 each they're hard to beat. I've also experimented with trailers and I keep going back to Yamamoto super grub single and twin tails. I like the action and the fish seem to hold on longer than with some of the other trailers I've tried. And I can experiment with the fall by just changing up the single/double tail and the weight of the jig itself obviously.

At this point I am very comfortable using jigs just about anywhere. What I especially like about them is they are much easier for me to skip under brush and docks.............I used to really struggle trying to skip my t-rigged hula grub.  I keep generally just green and a blue/black in my box although they just came out with one that is labeled as a camo pattern that looked good so I bought a few to try out. And the trailer colors I use are generally smoke, cinnamon, watermelon and green pumpkin. I can usually find a combination between the jig and trailer that works well for me on that lake on that day with just having those things in my box.

The one question I still have is figuring out what fall the fish are looking for. There are times that I struggle with figuring that out. Last week I was fishing and my wife's grandpa was using a t-rigged twin tail hula with an 1/8 ounce bullet sinker. For quite a little while he was getting bites and I would struggle to get one. I kept experimenting trying to match his fall rate but for whatever reason I struck paydirt when I went with a faster fall rate.......why is that? I have learned that I won't always get as many bites on a jig but to stick with it because generally the bites I do get are bigger ones........I also wondered why is that?? To me it doesn't look much different than the t-rigged hula grub so why is my average catch bigger??? Anyway, this weekend I went with my wife's uncle and he out fished me with the hula grub. It didn't matter what color or what fall I tried I just couldn't get the bite he was getting. So my last question is at what point do you guys put the jig away and go to something else?? Last year on Freemont I got 3 bites all day by sticking with the jig. 1 was a 14 1/2" largemouth, 1 was a 4.25lb smally and the other was a 4.75lb largemouth. The same uncle threw everything in the box and came up empty so no limit for us. But that day sticking with the jig came up with some big fish and I never switched because he couldn't seem to put together a pattern either.

The jig is now my preferred bait but I'm looking for a little advice on how, when and what to change to fine tune it sometimes now that I have more experience using it. BTW, Sunday night was the first time I came up empty by sticking with the jig and man when the jig bite is on it sure is hard to beat.

[ROI Outdoors]

So late last year I decided to start using a jig exclusively until I got proficient and more comfortable using one. After trying a few different brands I finally settled on the Bitsy Bug as my personal favorite. The size, look and feel is just comfortable to me for some reason as opposed to some of the other brands available........and for $1.99 each they're hard to beat. I've also experimented with trailers and I keep going back to Yamamoto super grub single and twin tails. I like the action and the fish seem to hold on longer than with some of the other trailers I've tried. And I can experiment with the fall by just changing up the single/double tail and the weight of the jig itself obviously.

At this point I am very comfortable using jigs just about anywhere. What I especially like about them is they are much easier for me to skip under brush and docks.............I used to really struggle trying to skip my t-rigged hula grub.  I keep generally just green and a blue/black in my box although they just came out with one that is labeled as a camo pattern that looked good so I bought a few to try out. And the trailer colors I use are generally smoke, cinnamon, watermelon and green pumpkin. I can usually find a combination between the jig and trailer that works well for me on that lake on that day with just having those things in my box.

The one question I still have is figuring out what fall the fish are looking for. There are times that I struggle with figuring that out. Last week I was fishing and my wife's grandpa was using a t-rigged twin tail hula with an 1/8 ounce bullet sinker. For quite a little while he was getting bites and I would struggle to get one. I kept experimenting trying to match his fall rate but for whatever reason I struck paydirt when I went with a faster fall rate.......why is that? Typically fish react a lot better in the summertime to a faster falling bait because it is more natural; baitfish and crayfish move a lot faster with the warmer water temps so it makes sense that a faster fall is more natural and will elicit many more reaction strikes.I have learned that I won't always get as many bites on a jig but to stick with it because generally the bites I do get are bigger ones........I also wondered why is that?? Big Fish love crayfish and that is what a jig imitates 99% of the time especially with a twin-tail grub as a trailer; crayfish are the most common forage for both smallies and largies so it makes sense that if their favorite snack is right there in front of them the bigger fish will take a stab at them before the cookie cutters even have a chance.To me it doesn't look much different than the t-rigged hula grub so why is my average catch bigger??? Anyway, this weekend I went with my wife's uncle and he out fished me with the hula grub. It didn't matter what color or what fall I tried I just couldn't get the bite he was getting. So my last question is at what point do you guys put the jig away and go to something else?? Live by the jig and die by the jig - if you have enough confidence in it you can make them eat it eventually.  That being said my obsession with the jig has cost me over the last few years but not nearly as much as it has paid off.  One thing I am slowly putting together but do not have it quite dialed in is how moon phases affect crayfish activity - if you know of any streams or creeks with crayfish try visiting it periodically throughtout the summer and you will notice that some days they are just sitting out in the open basking in the sun and other days you can't find any because they are buried deep beneath the rocks and gravel.  This is definitely moon phase related and I have correlated better catch rates on the jig when they are out in the open.  I have been keeping track of my catch rates so maybe in a year or 2 I will be able to know when I need to put the jig down (but I still won't because it is just too much fun!!)Last year on Freemont I got 3 bites all day by sticking with the jig. 1 was a 14 1/2" largemouth, 1 was a 4.25lb smally and the other was a 4.75lb largemouth. The same uncle threw everything in the box and came up empty so no limit for us. But that day sticking with the jig came up with some big fish and I never switched because he couldn't seem to put together a pattern either.

The jig is now my preferred bait but I'm looking for a little advice on how, when and what to change to fine tune it sometimes now that I have more experience using it. BTW, Sunday night was the first time I came up empty by sticking with the jig and man when the jig bite is on it sure is hard to beat.

One thing I would suggest is that you go out and buy some 1/2 oz. and 3/4 oz. football jigs and some rage craw chunks; even on a bitsy bug or eakins jig the rage craw by far out performs any twin-tail grub in both action and realism.  A 1/2 ounce football jig with a rage craw as a trailer has almost the same fall rate 1/4 ounce jig with a twin-tail and the biggest bonus of the football is that once it gets to the bottom it looks and acts like a real crayfish.  I rarely get bites on the fall because I am usually fishing off-shore structure in 15-25 feet of water and if you really want to "love the jig" wait until you feel the bite when your dragging a football - the best thing about it is you know when you get a bite it is always a big fish and it's not even really a bite it is an inhale with the intention of crushing it from the shear force alone.  I don't know how guys don't love throwing jigs because it is one fun ordeal!

[bassbuster]

My biggest problem with fishing a heavier jig is that it usually digs into the mucky bottom making dragging it basically impossible. Are you only doing this on hard bottoms?

[ROI Outdoors]

Always on a hard bottom - muck bottom are for the most part unproductive unless there is ample cover but that is because I don't like fishing an area if I can see the bottom!  Fremont is pretty much all hard bottom and a great place to gain confidence in dragging footballs.  Big Whitefish is another good one.  A lot of guys try hopping and bouncing their jig but if you think about the natural movement of crayfish they never leave the bottom so the way to work is simple sweeping your rod vs. straight up and down; give it some rips like your setting the hook sideways and when you feel the gravel/rock/wood let it sit for a few seconds and repeat over and over.  Hit me up sometime and we can hit up Fremont with some footballs.