Ok,

Since I'm stuck (again) inside, I'm wanting to purchase some new jigs. I'm pretty new to jig fishing for bass, but have found it to be obsessive.

I have had great luck with 'finesse' style jigs, but want to open my options so here's my question for the guru's:

When do you pick which type of jig; mop, football, flippin' etc.

Thanks
BD

I have the same questions, because I want to start fishing jigs. I have never cought a fish on one. If you don't mind can I add a question to this? What jig and weight to use in what situation? Also what colors do you use in what water color? I did not mean to hijack your post.

There is an article out there by Denny Brauer about jig fish that will shed some light on the matter. I read an old article in BASS years ago that said if you want to really want to learn to fish a jig leave every thing else at the house and just jig fish. That's what I did to learn, I hated it some days but 20 years later if I had to pick one bait to throw from now on and nothing else a jig would be the bait! I love it and catch fish on it all the time. The details are different from guy to guy but you have to learn the feel on a jig to know when you get bit.
Read all you can on types of heads for the given cover and just throw one till you get it. My .02.

The type of jig depends on what ur fishing rocks,trees,grass etc.I use football for rocks, and round,arkie,or f.b. for docks depending on what may be around or under the dock. The type of skirt(mop,spider,etc) and weight depends on how fast or far you want it to fall. And for the colors it depends on water color and what time of the year. In stained water i use natural colors(watermelon, black, pumpkin) in clear water use light colors(white,chart,shad,etc). Just my .02

Man, you guys asked a zillion questions without even knowing it. The reply to all of your questions would be a mile long. I'll give ya some basics, things that work for me, and then I'm sure some other guys will add to the thread.

I use a "flippin" style Jig head for probably 80% of my jig fishing, This covers everything from 1 foot to whatever where there is structure such as grass and wood. I use a bunch of different weights for various applications but more than 90% of this type jig in my boat is either 3/8 or 1/2 oz.

Finnesse jigs 1/4 oz and less are typically employed in cold water where fish are either finicky or heavily pressured.

Football Jigs get the nod in fairly open water with scattered rock and brush, and way out there deep past say 20 feet. This bait you drag similar to a carolina rig rather than hop it like you would with a flippin' jig. They come in all weights, 90+ percent of the ones I have are for deep water and range from 3/4 to 1 1/2 oz.

Swimjigs are for just what it says..."swimming" mainly in shallow water over or around grass, pads, reeds, etc. I throw anywhere from a 1/4 to a 1/2 on my swimjigs.

As for colors natural colors work best in most situations. Browns, greens, ambers, and all shades of black are about all you need. One exception would be for deep stroking or swimming through suspended fish where you want some shade of white/silver/shad.

Trailers for your jigs run the gambit. Crawfish imitators would be the most popular. I also throw everything from pork in low 50 degree water to hollow bodied swimbaits as jig trailers.

Colors on trailers sometimes will need to match you're jig closely while at other times the fish will prefer contrasting jig/trailer color combos.

I know that probably gives you even more questions, but that's about the best jig fishing 101 I can come up with.

One more thing. There is no other bait in your arsenal that can cover the entire water column in any situation and consistently catch fish like a jig. Plus the average weight of your jig fish will typically be better than on most other lures. I, like the gent above, choose a jig if I could only have one lure. Been fishing them for 35 years and have caught a bunch of DD's on 'em.

I love fishing jigs. I'm no expert but here is my experience. Like most I use black/blue when it's murky and green/pumpkin when it's clear. Sometimes I use white in really muddy water. Seems to really work in places like the Jim Ned on lake Brownwood. The football jig I use mostly in deeper water pulling off ledges where it's more rocky type bottoms. They do great "not" getting snagged on this structure. The flipping or grass jigs I use in shallower water and in much thicker cover. They come through grass and wood better than a football head would. Most shallow water has lots of cover and your deeper water has more structure type fishing so it's usuall an easy choice for me. As far as weight, I tend to get heavier the deeper I fish. The jig always seems to swim just a bit back towards me so if I'm fishing the jig in ten feet of water and want it to sink as straight down next to the stump or pole, I want it to get down before it swims away. If I'm in a creek and I flip to 1-2 feet I'll go lighter lots of time. Sometimes the fish do want a slower rate of fall an a lighter jig is best. But you can also control this some by the type of trailer you use. Pay attention to the types of bites you get. Sometimes you will feel a bump, sometimes your line stops before it hits bottom, sometimes it gets heavy, and sometimes your line will swim off. Notice two were detectable by feel and two were not. One thing I have found it when they swim off with it throw back after landing that one. They do that when there are more than one fish. It's that competition thing trying to get away and hog the jig all to themselves. I like fishing jigs all year round. But there may not b a better cold water bait. Maybe this will help some but there are lots of others on here that know way more than me. But one things for sure, you're gonna love fishing a jig.

fouzman-thanks!

That helps a lot. I'm anxious to try using more football jigs in place of carolina rig this year. I would think they would make a great deep summer bait.....right?

As far as jig selection goes, I like a football style jig for casting and dragging a jig across the bottom. That style head is especially good for harder cover and rock. When fishing vertical cover such as docks, timber, or grass I use a pointed style head. And when fishing very clear water, or when you prefer a smaller profile jig to get bass to bite, use a finesse jig.

I try to keep my jig colors pretty basic. I like a black and blue or shade of watermelon for all of my flipping jigs. A brown and black or other shades of green usually always work great for finesse and football style jigs.

When picking the weight of the jig, there are a few things that can come into consideration. When casting a football or finesse style jig the most important thing is being in contact with the bottom. You want to pick a jig weight that is appropriate for the depth in which you are fishing as well as the wind conditions. On average, if I am fishing 1-10 feet on a calm day, I like a 3/8 to 1/2 oz football jig. Any deeper than that and I prefer a 3/4 to 1oz jig. With finesse jigs, an 5/16 oz is my favorite size for 1-15 foot, and a 7/16 oz is better for deeper water or windy conditions.

When picking the weight of a jig for flipping, consider what type of cover you are fishing, the depth, and water color. If you are fishing wood you can use a lighter weight than if you are trying to punch a jig through standing grass beds. Usually with wood cover, I like a 3/8-5/8 oz jig. On calmer days and in shallower water, I use the lighter 3/8 oz size. And on windy days or when fishing deeper water I like the 5/8oz. With fishing grass use a 5/8, 1 or 1 1/2 oz jigs. I really like the 1 1/2 oz jig in warmer deeper water with thick grass where I know bass will be active. The fast fall of this jig gets great reaction bites out of bass.

Also I seldom use rattles with a football or finesse style jig, but will always use them on a flipping style presentation. Elite Series Pro Chad Griffin is the best jig fisherman I have ever seen and he taught me quite a bit about this awesome technique. You can catch huge bass with a jig. A lot of beginner fisherman are hesitant to use one, but once they do and get bit...they are hooked!

I have used a lot of jigs in the past 10 years, and I will tell you that it is very very hard to beat the amount of bites and solid hookups you get with an EZEE JIG. I never trim the weed guards and still always hook my fish well. There are great colors and sizes made on an Ezee Jig, and they fish great right out of the package. Visit this link to check em out. Hope this helps.

http://www.vendio.com/stores/EzeeJigs/

bd, yes a football jig is an awesome bait deep in the summer.

Since you now have it figured out, check these out!!! www.bassassaultlures.com

Nice looking jigs

When I was first using a jig I didn't think I was fishing it right because I didn't feel the bites. I believe thats the hardest part of jig fishing, detecting the subtle bites. The bigger fish tend to catch it on the way down or when it goes up over a branch and back down. It seems like they just sit there with it in their mouth and when you raise your rod tip they feel you and either drop it or move with it. So don't be afraid to swing if you aren't sure.

I only use 3/8 and 1/2 oz. for traditional pitching. A dark color like black and blue and a green type of color. The time of year dictates what color more than the water color for me.

Once you figure out what type of jig you want look the brands over well. It will be easy to tell the quality differences. Most jig companies will skimp on either the hooks or the skirts.

So which do u recommend