by Bob Johansen, May 07, 2009

MOST BASS ANGLERS CARRY LARGE TACKLE BOXES LOADED WITH A VAST ARRAY OF DEADLY LURES DESIGNED TO TRICK MR. BASS INTO STRIKING. THE JIG JUST MIGHT BE ONE OF THE BEST.

You could say that a bass anglers tackle box is deadly arsenal of many different weapons – All designed to tempt the black bass into striking. Each of these weapons either represent a favorite food of the bass or they are “impulse baits” -- a bait the bass will hit just because its there and he can catch it. One sometimes wonders, just why does a bass hit a lure? I have seen small bass actually get hooked on a lure that was larger than they were. I have seen larger bass hit a jig when it still had the tail end of a fairly large catfish still in its mouth. I have caught bass with their stomachs packed with crayfish or sculpin and they still hit an artificial lure.


Many bass anglers, in spite of the vast array of lures in their tackle boxes, usually select only a few favorites when they are actually out on the water. I am guilty of this questionable habit and sometimes will fish most of the day without changing lures on any of my four pre-rigged poles. One of the most dependable lures, throughout the seasons, in my tackle box is the jig. One of my rods will always have a jig attached.

Jigs are also one of the favorite lures in many other anglers tackle boxes. Jigs are fairly easy to fish and much faster to fish than plastic worms. This allows anglers to cover more water more quickly. Jigs are usually fished by casting them near shoreline cover. Old stumps, logs, overhanging trees and brush, edges of pad fields and edges of reed patches are all favorite targets of the jig fisherman. Private docks and floats that provide shade, shelter and ambush points for bass are also great places to fish a jig.

One way to effectively fish a dock is to cast up to the shoreline and hop the jig, parallel, along the bottom all the way out to the front. Another way is to cast the jig onto the dock and pull it off gently and allow it sink to the bottom. Always watch your line as the lure drops. Bass will often hit a jig as it falls. Sometimes you will never feel the bass pick up the jig. Line watchers will see only a slight “tic” to the line as the bass picks it up. Set the hook hard and immediately. Unlike a plastic worm, most bass will not hold a jig in its mouth very long.

Jigs come in many different weights, sizes and colors. They have different shaped lead heads, different skirt material and different sizes and brands of hooks.

The most popular jig weights here in the great northwest are 1/8th through ½ ounces. Heavier ones are some times used in deep water or on steep drop offs. A good rule of the thumb is, use as light a jig as is practical. In shallow water, use light jigs and in deeper water use heavier jigs.

Jig skirts come in many colors and different materials including live rubber, silicone and bucktail. The skirts and trailers are what adds color and “action movement” to the jig. New jigs also come with different lengths of skirts. If they are quite long, I like to trim them to about ½ inch beyond the end of the hook. I have, however, seen other anglers have great success with longer skirts. Some of the most popular colors include black, black/blue, white, pumpkin/craw, brown/orange. They also come in many other colors and combinations of colors.

A fish attracting scent seems to improve the number of strikes on jigs. Have you ever smelled a new jig right out of the box? They don’t smell very much like “bass food.” Of course, not being a bass, I’m not an expert on just what does smell like bass food. Scent is especially important when fishing jigs in dingy colored water. Bass in these waters will depend less on eye sight and more on smell and sound than their clear water cousins. Dingy water is also a good place to try jigs with built in rattles.

All the bass anglers that I know use some kind of trailer on their jigs. Most of the trailers are various shapes of pork or plastic. Uncle Josh is one of the most popular brands of pork trailers. They make several different shapes and sizes including the popular frog and eel baits. Pork is strong and durable, naturally scented and have a soft, real food texture that fish will hold in their mouth. These pork baits also come in many different colors and even different scents including garlic and crawfish.

Plastic trailers are probably even more popular than the pork trailers. They come in an almost unbelievable selection of colors and shapes. Look at the selection at your favorite sports shop or in a catalog like Bass Pro Shops. You will find every color in the rainbow plus a few that don’t even qualify for a rainbow. And, on many of these baits, you will find sparkles and glitters built in. And, many have built in scents and some come already salted. I guess bass like salted snacks as well as some of us homo sapiens.

To fish a jig effectively, anglers need a rod with plenty of backbone. I like to use bait casting rods and reels when fishing with jigs. Bait casting reels are usually smoother and have better drag systems than spinning reels. With a casting rod, you can slow the lure as it enters the water, making less noise and splash. Sometimes, however, I think a little splash attracts the bass. As an example, a jig cast near the shoreline and hopped into deeper water may trick Mr. Bass into thinking a frog just hopped off the shoreline and is just in time for lunch. Jigs cast under overhanging brush and trees may fool him into thinking something tasty has fallen from the cover above.

When fishing jigs, always use quality line. Depending on fishing conditions, use lines ranging from about 12 pound test to about 20 pound test. When picking a line for clear water use, try to select one with a smaller diameter. The thinner line should be less visible to suspicious bass. And, although I usually avoid using colored lines, I have seen other anglers have excellent using the fluorescent blue and green. Perhaps, because the under world realm of bass is predominantly a world of blues and greens, such colors simply do not arouse an alarm in the fish.

When fishing jigs in open holes in pad fields, an angler needs a strong, tough line. With a dependable line, you have a reasonable chance to keep the bass moving toward the boat after he is hooked. Once he dives down and wraps around a few pad stems or maybe a submerged log any thing can happen. And, quite often, it won’t make you smile. More than likely, you will be gnashing your teeth instead of merely showing them with a happy smile.

Jigs come with weed guards making them easier to fish in various cover. Weed guards also come in different materials including bristle, plastic and, now even in titanium. They will occasionally hang up in underwater wood but are usually easily pulled free by repositioning your boat and pulling the lure in the opposite direction. Jigs will pick up weeds on a very weedy bottom but this can be somewhat controlled by fishing the jig a little faster. They will also occasionally hang up in the “V” of a lily pad but with fresh, quality line these can usually be pulled free. Like any other lures, they will hang up in brush and trees on a wayward cast. Weed guards have not yet been invented to prevent these kind of hangups.

Maybe another plus for jig fishing is their price. A quality jig sells for much less than a quality spinnerbait or crankbait. Of course, with quality line, an angler can minimize his lure loss. Some anglers use “lure knockers” to dislodge their lures from deep underwater hangups. Checking the last few feet of your line often will also pay off. Even quality lines will get nicked and frayed when fished around rocks and other heavy cover.

Like other lures, sharp hooks are very important. Check your hooks often and try to keep them needle sharp. Hook quality has improved dramatically during the past few years. Unlike the past, most hooks are now fairly sharp right our of the box and on new lures. They should, however, be checked often and it’s a good idea to keep a small file or some other type of hook sharpener in you tackle box at all times.

So keep your hooks sharp, your lines taut, a few jigs handy in your bass arsenal and enjoy exploring the numerous, and very beautiful bass lakes here in the great northwest.

Bob Johansen, May 2009