I'm talking about the 3/8 - 1/2oz bass jigs that have a skirt and weed gaurd.

I want to learn this technique, but have no experience/confidence because I feel sure I'll get hung-up 90% of the time.

Been watching some old episodes of BassPro. THey throw them in the MIDDLE of a bush and, of course, never lose a lure.

Where I fish on Amistad is very comparable to the brush I watched them haul big ones in and I wanna try it.

Any thoughts?

thanks

I'm sure no expert, I'd like to know too. But I'd say, keep the weedguard up and spread out, and work it slowly through the stickups. Don't set the hook unless you're pretty sure its a bite.
Now let's hear it from the pros!

If you aint losing a couple of jigs you aren't throwing them in the right structure.

Most of the time they are target fishing and pitching or flipping at very close range. The presentation is mostly vertical. You pitch it into the middle of a bush and hop it twice then pull it straight back out and pitch it to another bush. You are rarely more than 30 feet from your target.

Boat control is paramount as well when you are fishing this way. You are up close & personal with the fish. Precise boat positioning keeps your presentation on target and keeps you from getting hung up constantly.

There is a lot more to it than simply drifting by a bush and chunking at it as you blow by. Hope this helps ya.

hate to say it, but you're gonna loose a few jigs until you develop the "feel." after much practice, you'll eventually be able to not only tell that your line is coming up a branch, but how close it is before it even hits it. different lines (like braid and some florocarbons) will help with you with this feel. normally i'll stop the jig just as it makes contact with the limb, and then with a smooth motion slowly pull (not jerk) and the jig will just come on over. if i do get hung, which does happen frequently, first thing i'll do is snap my line at the lure. to do this have a little tension to the line to the lure with the rod pointing just at a slight angle up from the lure, grab the line with you index finger and thumb in between the reel and first guide, pull the line to the side (increasing tension on the lure and bending the rod), and then release the line! i try to have the rod pointing right at the lure as quickly after the release as possible to allow some slack in the line. whats happening down there is that the line shooting back at the lure almost pushes the jig/crankbait/whatever off. trust me this works very very well! i'm sorry that i can't explain it any better. if someone else can chime in it may be more helpful. sometimes if i know i'm about to get hung i'll do this anyway to knock the jig back. heck, sometimes a fish will smoke it right after too! i've noticed that this doesn't work as well with braid line (though I still give it a whorl). there just isn't enough stretch to help shoot the slack.

In response to Ken A.:

It does. Thanks!

I take it, it would need to either be a windless day or an anchored boat.

You're right. They were "flippin."

Apparently you're saying after a jigging it a couple of times in the bush, reel like hell to keep it surfaced. Then, try again. Right?

I gotcha Aaron.

I use that technique when a slow dragging T-rig gets hung.

Guess I just need to buy cheaper Jigs till I get the hang (no pun intended) of it. I've been spending $5-6 a pop.

thanks

fo sho!

+1 on learning the feel. Making sure that you are throwing the right jig makes a big difference as well. I started out pitching a football head into cover and lost a bunch. Finally figured out that a flipping jig would come through the cover better and havent lost one in a while. Sounds obvious, but if you havent fished jigs before its easy to overlook and use the wrong jig in the wrong situation

You're going to loose a few. Make sure you're using the right style jig for what you're fishing. Football jigs are great unless you're around a lot of wood. I know I plug them alot, but JoBaby Brush Jigs are awesome for getting through nasty stuff--that's what they were designed to do specifically for Falcon. And it don't get much nastier than that lake.

Well, that solves one mystery.

The couple times I've tryed fishing Jigs in brush, and lost them in a heartbeat, they were Football Jigs.

thanks!

Fanning the weed guard has helped me immensely.

No you don't have to reel like hell. Just reel it up and pitch it into another spot. And no not a windless day or anchored boat. You just need to be proficient at controlling the boat position with the trolling motor. This takes a LOT of practice. The guy running the trolling motor and hitting the targets first WILL get bit much more than the guy in the back of the boat. You are throwing your bait at specific targets not chunking a Rattletrap and reeling it back.

The guys are right about football jigs not being good for heavy cover. FB jigs are designed for more open water deep structure. They will normally have a softer weedguard and lighter wire hook than a flipping/pitching jig. I like the Booyah A-jig for fishing heavy cover. It has more of a pointed nose design but it sits upright on the bottom and comes thru brush very well. Start with 1/2 oz for most applications and go up or down in weight as you see fit. If you are in shallow water brush you might go with 3/8.

One more tip... When you pitch a jig into the middle of a bush and a fish bites it, you are already hung up. Use big line. I use 50# braid. You will break off a bunch if you try to pitch into bushes with 15# or even 20# mono or fluoro. This is up close hand to hand combat. Use a heavy rod and big line or you will get your heart broke. LOL

Start out with lighter jigs, maybe finesse. Get the feel, then move to heavier stuff. When you think you're hung, pop it real hard but barely move your rod. That usually frees up the jig and also will creat a reaction bite by popping. Just have to spend time fishing it, some guys have fished for 25yrs and is still intimidated by jig fishing. Take one rod out and learn it, you'll be glad you did!

this is the method that i use to get un hung also. to explain a little more, you are using your line like a rubber band. imagin going up to your budy and poping him with a rubber band, it really hurts. so imagin that force going down to your lure. this method works for all baits and will work most of the time if your not rapped up or really got the hook burried.