Lure of the Month / bi-week, bi-weekly curious - Part Five - Something Jiggy?
 

Got a PM to have this round's Lure be a Jig. Because Jigs are such a big and diverse area, we should split some up to discuss this week and maybe more next week.

Jigs - what should we discuss in this go-round?

Favorite plastic/jig head combo rigs.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Its almost time for rubber shads...one of my favorite lures as it turns inept fools like me into experts with little training...worthy of a thread, IMO. Some don't consider them to be jigs, though.

I was thinking the same thing. Last year was the first that I used the real heavy ones like jigs in deep, fast moving water. They must be pretty good because even I caught fish with them, and I'm about as inept as it gets. Before last year, I had always used the smaller, lighter ones with a more traditional retrieve.

I'd say lets figure which traditional jigs to go with - shads at a later week, no?

Shads are multi purpose and deserve their own week. Jigs and jig heads along with their accoutrements (smart Guy talk) can be used in so many different settings that it would be cool to see how others utilize the same items to do different things. For example how many different things have you set up on a wobble head and been successful. Or even a regular old jighead
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I fish them like jigs, usually instead of bucktails unless I know the bluefish are around. I picked up some of the deep shads over the winter and am looking forward to trying them out in a few spots this season! :fishin:

Did pretty good on those Scented Hurley Eel Jigs in the ditch this past year. The pink one always seemed to get shredded to ribbons by blues, but the green one did ok holding up to about 5 or 6 stripers before the rubber starts to get gnarly. They got down fairly quick even in hard currents, where most of the strikes happened

For jig innovations - check the Hogy lineups.

For plastics, any ball or bullet head with a strong 7/0 or bigger Mustad forged hook.

For bucktails, nothing beats a Kevin Ledoux "Mr. Pogy" jig.

I would post my killer diamond jig techniques, but don't want to give those jabronis in the stern of the boat any ideas :bshake:

OK, now you have my attention, I need to know more.

I had requested this for discussion, since I saw Jim White at PISC last month and have forgotten most, if not all he had said. (didn't take notes) What I did learn was that we are light years behind the fresh water crowd in this area and that there are so many jigs for specific conditions. Would be killer if we could coax Jim to participate in this. His photos of all the available jigs and their uses were an eye opener for me.

Jim gives a good presentation and is very knowledgeable on that. On the other hand he is - admittedly - not too good on the 'puter. Perhaps Clammer can tutor him on the Innernets.

He'll probably yell at me for telling this but I had to set his digital watch the other day with the time zone change :devil2: :tooth:

As for jigs - maybe one place to start is how styles / shapes affect sink rates and weights needed like a Smiling Bill style -v- an Upperman style and why one might be used for one condition -v- another condition

This is definately one of my weakest points fishing jigs. Look forward to reading your input on jigging.

I fish jigs and rubber almost exclusively, starting early spring with 4" split-tails on 3/8 and 1/2 oz Kalin Ulimate jig heads for schoolies, transitioning to heavier heads and bigger baits as the season progresses. I can't think of a more versitle combination, one which will catch everything for scup to 100 lb tarpon.

Stop by my booth at the MSBA show the end of the month, on my board I'll have at least a dozen examples of different jig/rubber combinations. I love a 2-1/2 to 4oz jig with a 7" split tail, around the Vineyard in the summer, I can use the same set-up to drift and jig for stripers, blues, black sea bass and fluke.

If I have time I'll write more but here is the biggest thing to be successful with jigs.

Be totally alert when using a jig. You need to be right on top of every feel you get as feedback from the end of your line. A fish grabs a jig just for a second then he knows its not edible. You need to be able to nail the fish instantly or wait a pre planned second or two etc but if you are gabbing or spacing out you miss your chance. The plastic bodies and the ones impregnated with salt may give you an extra second or the fish may be feeding with reckless abandon and inhaling everything at any given time but in general , being totally commited to following that jig at the end of the line with total awareness will mean a huge amount of difference in your success rate with jigs.

If you are bouncing the bottom , you will get feedback through the line and you can tell the difference when its doing what you want or about to get snagged. Again , you have a split second to do something about it or get snagged and possibly lose the jig.

A "Mr. Pogy" jig is sort of a cross between an Upperman and a ball jig. It's flattened a bit on top and on the bottom, but it has round "cheeks" like a ball jig in the middle.

They're really hard to find, unfortunately.

For round or bullet jigheads to use with plastics, M&Ds has plenty. All of the weights have 7/0 or 8/0 forged hooks.

I have been saying I am going to make a mold for that jig Mike for several years as I have some originals but it keeps getting put on the back burner as I really don't fish jigs anymore. I know they work well but I just can't get into it as far as jigging the canal goes.

if you don't make it, i will

don't make me do it

jigs with plastics
 

The jig heads from CC Charlies are also very good.

Why is it that no one makes a collarless jig mold? Most people cut the collar off anyways.

I have been jigging the canal for 4 or 5 years with progressively more and more trip each year dedicated to doing it. As soon as I think I have something figured out, I seem to go backwards... That said a couple things that I find make a difference is to use super glue (I use a gel one) or zip ties to hold the bait on. You can get a lot more use from each if you do that. The other tip is don't ever mix red and black sluggos with anything else. That color is a good one, but they'll turn everything else red....

M&Ds and CCCs sell the same bullet jigheads. CCCs also sells them painted, in black and white.

B&D Enterprises jigheads are also very good.

i've been using a 3/4 oz. jig with white and red pork rind for decades.
used with an egg in white water, deadly