Heavy Duty Jig N Pig Fishing

Before we get into this, let’s understand that I consider any jig 1/4 oz or larger to be heavy. Catch 10,000 or so smallmouth bass in 1/16, 1/8 and 3/16 oz jigs and so would you. When fishing with heavy jigs, I leave the realm of spinning rigs for a sturdy rig for casting baits. This is necessary to transport your offering to unsavory places and retrieve it. I don’t normally jump with a bait casting rod. It can be done, but you must have an extremely educated thumb to avoid backlash. I exclusively use Shimano reels. I’m going with a Scorpion 1001 or a Calais Antares 101.

Unlike many other anglers I don’t use very heavy line, a 10 or 12 pound line is fine and can handle most situations. I like the hybrid line. Gamakatsu G-Lock is also very good at flipping. I have used Vanish fluorocarbon and like it too. It has a great resistance to abrasion. I just tie my jigs with a pigeonhole knot. I feel like this is the strongest, most reliable knot anyone can tie. I trust Kistler Helium rods. I prefer a medium action rod. The lighter line and medium action rod make this a light line method compared to the 25 and 20 lb test many guys are using. I’ve been doing a lot of flipping with a 6-6 ML rod and Scorpion 1001 reel. I don’t usually go above a 3/16 oz jig, but it’s a dynamite combo. It’s pure fun. I have never broken a rod while jig fishing.

low orientation

I can flip, I can jump, I can throw. Which is the best? Do what works for you. I am most effective jumping with a spinning rod, so I don’t normally jump with bait casting rods. My presentation is a cross between flipping and throwing. It is a kind of balloon under the hand towards the water that may be jumping in reality. When the bait hits the water, there is very little disturbance.

I am always looking for goals to achieve. I’ll put stencils in places where a lot of guys won’t. You can’t worry about losing a bait. If you do, you will hurt yourself mentally. Putting jigs in tough places can mean the difference between catching a horse and practicing tossing. I hit my targets from many different angles. This gives the fish a presentation that you may not have seen. I see too many guys drop a jig on a stump once or twice just to keep going. I don’t fish my jig back to the boat. Once I feel like I’ve saturated the target, I roll up and cast again.

Hits range from a soft weighty feel to an unmistakable bite. I learned to fish jigs by forcing myself to only take jigs with me while fishing. I learned early on to discern how the squad felt at the end of my line. Anything lighter or heavier was surely a bass. This is what I have come to call “Weighing the Line”. I learned what a 3/16 oz jig feels like in the water. This strategy has helped me learn complex techniques and has definitely made me a better and more consistent angler.

Let’s talk about sets of hooks. If you are fishing correctly with a jig, you will have very little slack in line. It is a contact bait in which the fisherman must know what he is doing at all times. This makes for instant hook sets and excellent sensitivity. If you feel something out of the ordinary, get on it, hook sets are free. I put my hook hard on my right shoulder. He’s violent, he’s lightning fast and he gets the job done. I realize that very few anglers get the gist of hookset in most applications. No jogging around here, set it up like you mean it or go home empty handed. No style really, just speed and power.

Detecting a hit will come as a natural feeling over time and with practice. The time it takes you to spot a shot and swing is the difference between getting hooked and getting hit over the head by your jig. A template is made of metal and silicone. A bass will rarely hold on to it for a long period of time. Scent and salt can help increase the odds by half a second or so, but it’s important to set it up as soon as you spot the hit.

Rattles

Rattles can give the angler an advantage when the water is cloudy or cold. I prefer to fish without rattles 95% of the time. When I wear them, I prefer the neck strap type so the bells hang on my skirt. This way they don’t get in the way with my set of hooks. A little trick I use is to add a small piece of sponge to the shank of the hook. I spray it with a little bit of garlic smell or crop. I think it at least gives me the confidence to be more effective.

A jig is a contact bait. It is designed to be used in nasty spots and is strong enough to pull big bass out of them. Lots of guys make the mistake of not trying to go deep on deck with them. By not doing this, you decrease your chances of success. You have to enter the places where these fish live.

Although I am a light tackle jig guy by nature, I am smart enough to realize that heavy jigs definitely have a place in my arsenal. On the other hand, do not use only heavy baits. You will be pleasantly surprised when you put on a lightweight jig n pig.