Secrets of Jig Fishing

[CrappiePro]

Give us your insight on fishing with a jig. Live, Breath and eat Crappie

[catman]

i love the little thump, i actually catch more on a slow vertical rise than a fall .

[JCCLARK]

The slower the better.

[PapermouthLegend]

I used to be a minnow man and now I can't remember the last time I bought minnows. Here are my tips for fishing with a jig.

1. Use Hi-Vis line - You can see the line better. I find myself to be more of a 'line watcher' then a 'feel' fisherman. Even my most sensitive, high dollar rods can't beat watching the line. Better then half the fish I catch just 'tick the line'. The bigger the fish, the smaller the tick.

2. Tight Lines???Loose lines?? Now I am gonna hop the fence on what most people believe to be true on tight lines. I actually like a small bow or curve in the line between the tip of my rod and the water. I use a 10' Wally Marshall signature series rod for jigging. It allows me to gather the slack line with a good hookset. Shorter rods do not take up the bow (slack) I like to to keep in the line. It also gives helps me to see suttle bites and ticks on the line.

3. Pull your knot Every time you catch a fish or snag, grab the jig and pull your line toward the hook on the jig. This seems to give the jig a little more 'natural' horizontal look in the water. I have used a double trilene knot all my life when I am just using one jig. I use 4# test line. I will only twist the line 3-4 times instead of 6-8 and this makes for a smaller knot. This is not the most sensitive knot, but it works when you're watching the line.

4. Pitching vs Casting I like to Pitch jigs around cover. I believe it makes the jig land softer on the water. I have caught many fish in the 1st 1-2 feet of depth when pitching. I cannot say the same for casting. I pie cast when I am trying to locate scattered or suspended fish.

5. Slow down your retrieve I like to move my jig just fast enough to hold its depth. The deeper I am fishing the slower my retrieve.

6. It's not a bass or other trash fish You don't have to bounce the rod tip to give a jig action. Hold the rod still 95% of the time and maybe twitch it 5% of the time. I think people confuse bass fisherman pitching jigs (usually on bottom) with crappie jigs. Less movement is more with smaller crappie jigs. I use 2 sizes of jigs the entire year (1/32 and 1/16). I don't go too much bigger unless I am really on some big fish. I do use 1/64 oz ice fishing jigs right after ice out. Then I progress into larger jigheads.

That's all I have. I can't say I am an expert on jig fishing, but these tips work for me.

[shipahoy41]

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=63635

[wwwUncle]

6. It's not a bass or other trash fish You don't have to bounce the rod tip to give a jig action. Hold the rod still 95% of the time and maybe twitch it 5% of the time. I think people confuse bass fisherman pitching jigs (usually on bottom) with crappie jigs. Less movement is more with smaller crappie jigs. I use 2 sizes of jigs the entire year (1/32 and 1/16). I don't go too much bigger unless I am really on some big fish. I do use 1/64 oz ice fishing jigs right after ice out. Then I progress into larger jigheads.

That is the hardest thing to teach those that ask me how I catch all those crappie with my jigs. And, hey, I like anything that hits my little jig while fishing- no such thing as "trash fish". :D

[deathb4disco]

Read this book:

http://www.fishingworld.com/Slider/D...46895&SKU=Book

IMO, it is the Bible of fishing jig-type lures.

[crappiekeith]

Fishing meatless with hair or feathur jigs is one of the hardest things to get a minnow guy to use until you get him out and show him a few times.
With artificials you have way more control on size and color then with meat.

Look at some of the links these other guys posted for the info your looking for.I'm sure there's more then enough there that I do not need to reiterate.
CK

[Cane Pole]

[slab_slayin_fool]

cane pole that is cool is it made of metal i would love to have one if so
so i can fish it at the local lock system those hybrid guys would look at me soo funny it would be great and to me well worth it