Keep it Simple, fish with what works for you on your lake on that day. Experimentation is fun, sometimes necessary, but not required. Drop shot + Live Bait = Catch Fish........then I know what I would be fishing with
This lake I fish I have tried all kinds of jigs lures. I will catch very few if any fish. I have tried floater fishing with jigs jigs tipped same results I can take worms or crickets with floater on same results. Get my drop shot rig out with live bait bam start catching fish
Keep it Simple, fish with what works for you on your lake on that day. Experimentation is fun, sometimes necessary, but not required. Drop shot + Live Bait = Catch Fish........then I know what I would be fishing with
redearhoosier, skeetbum LIKED above post
Random thoughts:
1) I've said it a hundred times before, and I'll say it again: I would not use a float with a jig or any other artificial bait. You're not helping yourself, IMO.
2) Maybe the reason you have success with the drop shot it because you're fishing on the bottom. When fishing with a float, are you fishing on the bottom? When float fishing, most people have no idea where there bait is in relation to the bottom. Most people set the depth of their float in relation to the surface, which is the exact opposite of what you should be doing.
3) If you want to get good at jig fishing, you have to do it a lot. Years ago, I read an article where this guy really wanted to learn how to use a fly rod. So ... he left his spinning rods at home and just fly fished. Today, he's a professional fly fishing instructor. Many times I've heard the bass guys say something like, "I wanted to learn spinnerbaits, so I left all my other baits at home and just fished spinnerbaits. If you want to learn jigs, leave the drop shot and bait at home.
4) The keys to artificial baits is depth and speed. If you're not catching, depth and/or speed is probably a factor. When in doubt, slow down your retrieve and experiment with different depths. Let your jig hit bottom. Then, lift it up and swim it back.
If you touch bottom in this lake you will have what I call green slime on your bait. It is very thick on the bottom with the drop shot I gone get it on the bait as bad but still do it must be a foot thick on bottom in places. It’s just strange this is only way I can catch fish. I have sent a lot of time with trout magnets catch a little one once in a while is all. Thanks for any opinions or help
Can’t you just use a drop shot with a jig?
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
You have to do what works. I've yet to find a lake where I couldn't catch brim with a 1/64th oz. jig with or without a float, but I haven't fished your lake. It may be that the forage in that lake is all in and very close to the weeds on the bottom and that is the only place the fish are looking for food.
I have had days where live bait worked much better, but never get skunked using a very small jig. A lot of the lakes around here have the same green slime and the key is to get your retrieve speed to keep the jig a foot or so above the weeds, or to set your float so the jig is no more than a couple feet from the bottom. Jigs under a bobber are usually only real effective for me on the flats where the depth doesn't change much, and the retrieve speed almost always needs to be painfully slow. Then it's just a matter of finding the right depth to set the bobber. If your lake doesn't have flats that hold fish, the only other good way would be casting parallel to shore so that the jig will be in the range above the bottom that the fish are looking for much of the retrieve. In any event, you know where the fish are when you're catching them on the drop shot and you need to be able to get the jig into that same area. It can be difficult to do without fouling the jig in the slime unless the fish are very aggressive that day. Like deathb4disco says above, you have to commit to fishing the jigs in order to get a feel for what works. When I go fishing by myself and am not trying to put family members with lesser fishing experience on fish I don't bring any live bait. Sometimes that leads to pretty slow days, but I also often have days where I know I catch even more than I would have with waiting for the fish to find the live bait. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to get very close to the fish, you really need to fish 2 lb. test diameter line in order to fish a 1/64th oz. jig without a bobber.
One thing I've never tried, but I just looked it up and apparently drop shotting with a jig can work too, at least under certain conditions. I've linked to an interesting article talking about Bill Dance using that technique. It is cold water fishing, but I would think it might be even better when the fish are more aggressive.
Bream Fishing in Bitter Cold - Dance Bundles Up, Reels in a Boatload - Redorbit
Ive tried 1/32 oz road runners with slider grubs of all colors. Beetle spins of different colors several hand tied 1/32 and 1/64 jigs trout magnets. I want to be able to catch them on something other than live bait.