Bass Fishing Jigs
Bass fishing jigs are part of the anglers arsenal normally used when the bass are not in the shallow water along the banks. There are hundreds of reasons why they would be in deeper water, but to be effective at bass fishing you need to go to the fish.
This is where the bass jig comes in. When we are talking deeper water, we are not normally talking 100 feet or other crushing depths; it is just that bass like a specific environment at different times of the year or even day and they will go where they want.
The term “Bass fishing jig” is a very broad term that covers more than just a type of bait or lure. There are specific products manufactured and marked as “bass fishing jigs” that have very few other applications than a bass jig, but a live or plastic worm could also be a bass jig, it is all in the application.
You can even use a bass jig as a type of crank bait or lure if you are trying to just get some depth on your retrieval. There are very few rules and not many states have inspectors to ensure your spinner spins or your jig jiggles.
We will cover both the bass fishing jig (the lure) and the bass fishing jig (the rig and technique).
First for the lure type of bass fishing jigs.
This is a specific piece of tackle that normally has a lead ball at the front with an “up” facing hook incorporated into the lead. The lead looks like the head of a fish or some other animal and you simply attach a plastic worm or a skirt to the jig to make it look more appealing and give it some action.
There are two techniques to use this jig as a bass jig (jigs are used universally for almost all types of fish) and you will never get three people in a room with the same thought as what is best, so I just use both.
Irrelevant of the depth of the water the bass will collect in a layer or band at the temperature they want. Your goal is to go through that layer until you find them. Some people think you need to hit it from the top, others say from the bottom. I don’t think it makes a difference because gravity is gravity and to come from the bottom you had to go through the top at some point.
Cast out a little and let the line out so the jig drops, but count in your mind how long it is dropping. If you get a hit on the way down remember the count. After a reasonable amount of time (few seconds, 10 at the most) bring it in and if you get a hit coming up remember the count. If you consider the time count and mentally factor in how far you cast you will have a ballpark depth of where the fish are.
After a bit of “tuning” lets say you isolate the fish to a depth of about 12 feet. Now you can cast out, do the “count” and then retrieve your bass jig quickly through this depth band of fish.
If this is too complicated you can just have a seat and lower your line over the side of the boat and “jiggle” it at all depths and hope to get a bite.
Second is the rig type of bass fishing jig.
With this type of bass jig you configure your bait to be a jig. You do this by putting on a plain hook with about 3 feet of extra line behind it. On the extra line slide a bell sinker up and tie it off at the distance you want your bait to be off the lake bed (most people like about 2 feet).
Simply put on your favorite bait (plastic worms work great) and you are ready.
The rig type of bass jig is much more versatile than the lure type especially in shallow water. Just because the rig type carries a title of “bass jig” does not mean you cannot cast it over to a nice dead log sitting in 3 feet of water.
The purpose of the rig type of jig is to get your bait in front of the fish, wherever they are.