please help me learn how to jig???????

[usmc_0311_hunter]

okay alot of people would say im not a real bass fisherman but its true what they say when you find something that works its hard to try something new. well the truth is i have never done alot of strictly bass fishing other than farm ponds!! where all i needed was a twister tail and i have done alot of trolling on tville lake for hybrids and me and my dad used to sm fish on the patomic alot hen i was younger but they always hit the twistertails/curly tails. i have never learnd how where and when to jig for them using long artificall worms i dont know how to retrieve where to throw what depth or what color. i have heard alot of good thingd abou tx rig and carolina rigs but i dont know how to use them. and does it work good in creeks for sm? any advice is welcomed.

[walkeraviator]

Texas Rigs are one of my favorite rigs, They are super versatile and easy to rig and use. First, how to rig one. There are a number of recources on YouTube to show you how to rig one, but is a bullet weight, and a hook. Thats it. You can choose what hook you want based on how you are gonna fish and what plastic you wanna use. For what you are targeting (Smallies) and the kind of fishing you do around here (no mat punching)... i recommend a smaller hook...2/0 Extra Wide Gap (EWG) hook. Same for the bullet weight, you arent punching mats, and you are gonna target smallies so you can stay on teh light end of the spectrum.. say 1/4 oz or less. Simply slide line through bullet weight and tie to hook using your favorite knot. Then Texpose your plastic of choice. For smallies, I would stick to 4-7 inch worms or my favorite when river fishing... a smallie beaver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NpndQeBhnU

http://www.bassfishin.com/videos/video.php?v=15

Now comes the fishing part. This thing can be reeled in at a steady pace like a swim bait, hopped along teh bottom, or simply dragged. I like a slow drag. Simply cast past a desired target, then let it sink to the bottom. Reel out the slack with your rod straight out at a 9oclock position. Slowly raise the rod to an 11 oclock position and pay attention to what you feel through the rod. You will feel the bait dragging bottom, hitting rocks and branches other stuff. If you get to a rock that it sticks on... Pop it off that rock and let it fall and sit there. If you come over a branch, same thing... let it fall and sit a second before dragging some more.

When you hit the 11 oclock position, lower the rod tip as you reel out the slack. Always keep slack out of the line so you can feel when a fish hits it. This is the hardest part to learn in my opinion. Knowing the difference of a fish hitting the lure and when you have bumped a rock hard. But once you have actually hooked a few fish you will start telling teh difference. When you feel a bump you think is a fish, lower teh rod tip immediately to allow slack in the line. Reel in that slack with your rod pointed straight at the fish... and set the hook. Until you learn to tell teh difference in a rock and a fish you will set the hook on nothing quite often.

Later you can start changing your retrieve. Sometimes fish want a fast drag, sometimes they want short hops. Sometimes they want it to soak a bit...drag a few inches and let it sit til you cant stand it no more. Just experiment. As with any new technique, leave everything else at home and take just your T-Rig fishing til you get proficient with it. It can be a killer way to catch fish.

For me, when fish arent hitting cranks and spinners, The T-Rig is my go to slow down bait. I like it better than Jigs or C-Rigs by a country mile.

[Duayne]

It's really hard to say where or how because both vary considerably. The T, C and jig are all probing baits. They are baits you use when you have a really good idea where the fish are and they are not chasing very far. They are not a good bait to use when searching. One of these three will work in just about any location and how you retrieve it is based on that location. For me, the trick is to vary the presentation until the fish like it. Almost anyone here who has used these type baits a lot will tell you of times where they've made six, eight, ten, 20 casts into a spot, varying the angle and presentation then finally finding success. They can also tell you of times where they could throw those type baits into a spot and hit fish after fish.

Think about WHERE these baits fish. These are baits that cover the bottom and they do it in all depths from the bank all the way back to the boat. So these are baits you use when bass are holding close to cover on the bottom. They are designed to fish through the cover, for the most part, and limit how much you snag.

Now, think about what these baits mimic when they are fished. The T rig and the jig both work like a crayfish moving on the bottom, then takes a defensive posture. The T rig falls faster than the jig and jig has more bulk. The C-Rig is designed to look like something that is swimming darting or dieing just off the bottom. The amount off the bottom is determined by how long your leader is. It's also designed to simulate something that might be chasing the swimming darting bait by stirring up the bottom and creating noise. That sense of something chasing helps gain the fish's attention and interest. That's why the C-Rig is sometimes much more deadly than the T-Rig.

I'm a big believer in WHY much more than HOW.

[AndyG]

There isnt a bad time to throw a texas rigged plastic, its probably the best option for someone wanting to get more into bass fishing. I am a jig fanatic, but a jig does much better in cooler weather for whatever reason. During the summer try big worms. Another good bait to start with is a shakey head worm, fish bite it good about anytime, and you'll get a good feel for what areas hold fish and what the bites feel like.

In the river or creek, the smallest size big-o crankbait, a super fluke, and white grub in a 1/8 or 3/16oz jig head.... thats all you need.

[raincheck]

In running water i have been doing good with a jig.Just throw and real it back.Spinner bait same thing.I beleave that color is the trick.Find out what works and good luck.
River Basser
Terry Adolph