Freshwater Fishing Basics

A Jig is nothing more than a molded weight with a hook sticking out.

Jigs are one of the most popular fishing lures of all
time.
Many fisherman have said if they could
have just one lure, it’d be the jig. What makes jigs so popular? It’s the versatility that makes them an awesome bait. They can be fished vertically or cast and retrieved. Jigs can be used in the weeds, flats, drop offs, rocks, the list goes on and on…. They can be fished fast, or as slow as you want. The options are endless! What fish will go after a jig? Almost any species!

Jigs don’t have built in action like other baits. The angler supplies the action. That’s very empowering for a fisherman. You don’t have instructions to follow, or wonder if you’re doing something wrong. Simply twitch, pull, or snap the rod and you’ll create the action you want. The art of the jig is in the action you create.

When looking at jigs, pay special attention to the jig head. Jig heads come in a variety of shapes, sizes and, weight. In addition, you can buy them either weedless or not. Looking at the head will give you an idea how it’s going work. Some jig heads are shaped with a slope to help work through the water. Others are shaped like a football so the jig will stand upright. Looking to try a new tactic? There is probably a jig head that can help you.

After you pick out a few jig heads, you need pick up some plastic grubs or worms. If you want you can even to add a skirt to better hide the hook.
Plastic baits and skirts come in many colors. Changing the look of your jig is easy and the combinations are virtually endless!

As I said before, you can either cast and retrieve the jig, or fish it vertically.

Here are a few ideas:

If you’re looking to cast and retrieve, try casting it at the top of a drop off, let it hit bottom and slowly pull the jig up to the top of the drop off while keeping it on the bottom.

Another method would be to cast it in the weeds, let it hit bottom, then pull the rod up. Let the jig lift up and float back to the bottom.

To fish it vertically, let it hit bottom and experiment by giving it action. Pull the rod up and let it float back to the bottom. Maybe you’d prefer to twitch it and make it hop??

Regardless of where you use it, work on various retrieves and see what works for you.

Jigs are a versatile lure. They can be fished virtually anywhere and for almost any species of fish. They come in all sorts of colors, size and shapes. Their look is made to order. You can fish them anyway you want. The action you give them is completely up to you and your imagination. Now, go grab a handful of jigs and have some fun!

© 2007, Scott Gaines. All rights reserved.