By Joe Sheaffer
A couple of years ago, I observed a man on the Venice Jetty catching a Pompano on this weird looking lure. Being curious, I asked him “What is that thing?” he said “It is a Silly Jig.” Others call it a Wacky Jig or Banana Jig, most people refer to it as a Pompano Jig. I bought a few and tried them without much success and basically thought, these things don’t work. With time and persistence, I continued to try these Silly Jigs and have had success using them in the surf, especially along passes and heavy current areas. I have caught many species, including pompano, Spanish mackerel, snook, flounder, bluefish and many others. A few keys that help me have success with these lures may help you catch a few more fish using this presentation.
These jigs come in various colors, single color, two-tone colors and extreme bright colors. I have had the best results with the pink and white. Other popular choices are just pink, chartreuse, chartreuse and white, and just white. I would encourage you to try a few different schemes because one might work better for you. I prefer jigs with a small skirted stinger hook attached to the eye, usually a different color from the jig itself. I usually use a pink and white jig with a chartreuse stinger. I have found that many of the fish I catch with this lure will be hooked with the stinger. That extra flash and erratic action can be the key to getting a bite with these lures.
Having a selection of various weights can be the main key in getting bites with these jigs. I usually will have jigs from ¼ oz all the way up to 2 oz. Having the correct weight for the current flow is very important. The jig needs to get to the bottom so it can bounce and puff up the sand, especially targeting pompano. They are attracted to the sand puffing up on the bottom, thinking it is a crab, shrimp, or sand flea. Most of the success that I have had with these jigs is bouncing or popping it off the bottom with the current. Sometimes aggressive popping works, but many times more subtle bounces can be very effective. Having a few of these jigs in your tackle box the next time you go to the beach may be the presentation that saves the day. Good luck and keep on casting.