If you want to be a successful bass angler, you have to learn to fish a jig. I don’t know anybody, anywhere, who’s a successful bass angler, who doesn’t know how to fish a jig well. It is so versatile, and it catches quality fish. Personally, I love a good jig bite, so it’s also one of the most fun ways to fish.
There’s not another lure on the market that has been tweaked and built to fish different types of cover and structure like a jig, and that’s part of its appeal. Jigs come in so many different shapes and sizes that the possibilities are endless. Changing out the jig’s trailer can make all the difference in the world, too.
Jig Fishing: Where to Start
If you are just starting to get serious about jig fishing, an “Arkie”-style jig would be best to learn with. A 3/8- to ½-ounce size, really the first kind of bass jig head that ever came out, is where to begin. I use it for flipping, as it works well around wood, rock, gravel, ledges, and you can even swim it.
You basically fish it like a soft plastic worm. Cast it out and let it go all the to the bottom on a slack line. Pull it off the bottom a few inches and then crawl it along. Most of the time when you’re casting or flipping, you’re imitating a crawfish, so think about a one of those walking around on the bottom. He’s not going to be jumping around a lot. If something chases him, he might scurry along quickly, but they usually move fairly slowly.
Jig fishing does take the right gear. I fish 20-lb. Vicious fluorocarbon with an improved clinch knot, a good high-speed reel and an NEPS 90HF rod from MHX. It is a 7’6” heavy-action rod with a fast tip. That rod is absolutely perfect for jig fishing. You can make accurate presentations with this fast-action tip, and the heavy power gives you the backbone to pull fish out of the cover.
There are tons of jigs with this style. The best ones always have a good Mustad hook. Keep the colors simple; green pumpkin and orange in clear water and black and blue in dirty water. Jigs are weedless and made to be fished in heavy cover. Give them a try, and you’ll soon see why everyone who bass fishes likes a jig.