Nice post!

Joshpinck,
A swim jig is honestly one of the easiest baits I know to fish. By using the trailers mentioned the jig already has a great deal of secondary action. This allows you to basically just chuck and wind. Secondary action is often one of the hardest things to achieve while fishing but is often CRITICAL to getting bit. The best way to explain it is that when you're throwing the lure the tail is kicking side to side... that's primary action. When you add in the fact that the bait is wobbling/rolling from side to side, and that the skirt itself is pulsating... you've achieved secondary action. In my opinion this is one of the key factors that makes a bait "Great" instead of just "good". The reason for this is that everything living has secondary action (fins moving, gills flaring, claws waving, feelers reaching around) and most things that imitate living creatures (crankbaits, worms, jerkbaits, swimbaits, etc...) only have primary action.
Back to how to retrieve... I really don't feel that you need more than a steady retrieve most of the time. If I'm fishing in completely bare bottom I will keep the bait 3-5 feet off the bottom and just reel steadily at a medium speed so that I maintain my desired depth. If I'm fishing around rock I will fish closer to the bottom and let the bait occasionally "tick" the tallest rocks, but again its a steady retrieve. My personal favorite place to throw the swim jig is in and around weeds. I love to swim through the "lanes" of open water in weed patches but I have also found it to be highly effective swimming right through the heart of weed clumps. (a place that spinnerbaits and crankbaits just can't go!) Hope this helps! If not, let me know and I'll try to shed some more light on the subject.

Matt is a stud on most of any California waters....A few of the guys I know out there say the same thing. he is a danger to catch a lot of fish over 10 pounds any day. I have fished many of the southern california lakes in my time and had great success.

sometimes I wish I could go backout there and visit casitas, the delta and clear lake. Matt you a guide out there? or just great angler?

Great info as usual matt

Hey Mike,
Thanks for taking the time to write. I'm not a guide... just another guy with a fishing problem. I've got more time than sense and the result is usually a pretty serious sunburn!

supermat PM sent. Thanks.

thanks for the info

This is a great post and the reason I joined this forum in the first place. It's great to see people helping people.

Thanks Matt.. Nice Fish, Great Info and Jig/ Trailer Pix

Good job, Matt! Haven't heard from you in a while, you back to fishing more or still working a lot?

I haven't had too much success fishing jigs in the past. Reading about these techniques makes me want to get out there and keep trying. Thanks for the tips.

Great Post Matt,

Very informative and a great read.

Thanks for posting.

Yep, when you can read a post and KNOW you've been educated it's a great post. Thanks Supermat!

Splash,
Still doing quite a bit of both. Just got back from a very brief trip to Florida for business but its getting to be that big bass time of year again. The next few weeks should ignite the night time swim jig bite and I intend to be ready for it! Sorry I've been MIA, hope you're doing well!

good article!!

hey matt,
I have to say, I took only my box of jigs and some smaller swim baits to try out. I tried some of the stuff you were talking about and all I can say is wow. I got out to lake lewisville today for about an hour and a half. I got a buddy who makes a great jig and used some swimming senkos for trailers.

the fish were bigger and they tried their best to take the rod away from me.

thanks for the info. I will have to get you some pics of the jigs with the swimming senkos. but the weedguard to right on, it just pins the jig to the mouth.