Bass Jigs 101: Six Jigs For All Bass Fishing Conditions

Lake Bass Fishing (Picture Credit: @Thechamplainkid)

Bass fishing has evolved over the last few years from using crankbait, swimbait or catching big bass on jigs. The skirted bass jig is one of the best lures that you can fish with to catch largemouth bass. There have been so many tournaments and fishing competitions won with these skirted jigs that they are a norm amongst true bass anglers. These bass jigs are perfect for any time of year. The skirted jig is a force to be reckoned with and it's one of the only bass lures you can fish from spring to late fall no matter what water clarity or depth.

One thing that anglers often get overwelmed with is the type of jig to fish with. The right jig makes all the difference. There are so many companies now days who are making jigs, it can get confusing when searching through their prodect. There are many different jig head shapes that alter the way the jig moves in the water. These jigs come in a varity of different colors that are matched according to seasons, water color or water temperature. Some of the jigs heads shake, soome have rattles while some are silent assisins. Each head often have different weights and have their own strengths. Some come with plastic lips and some are weedless. The point is the bass jig comes in many different shape and sizes. Let us help you pick what is best.

In order to help each angler figure out what is the best jig to fish with, we have put together this blog from our own fishing experiences. We have performed countless hours fishing to figure our what is the best jig type for each presentation of use. We know conditions will be different for each angler but this will give you a rough idea of what you will need. You only get one shot at catching the fish, you might as well not waste your time fishing with something that will not yeild fish.

Blue Gill Series of Swim Jigs from @Customyourlure

1) Swim Jig Fishing

The swim jig can be one of the deadliest jigs to use when catching largemouth bass. It is truly a skill to be able to swim it right and often this is why manry pro anglers prefer it. The first thing to remember when fishing a swim jig is speed kills. You must become a master of the retreival ensuring your jig never breaks the surface. Th swim jig must gracefully swim through the water column much like a crank bait. The best weight range for a swimbait is 1/4oz to 1/2oz. These jigs will usually come with the lightest weed guards bcause they are more retrieved at higher speeds. The jig head shape should be more bullet shaped to ensure it will pull through weeds and debris easier. These jigs often come with a less heavy duty hook compared to the other jigs for bass fishing.  The hook should be as sharp as possible and narrow for a better hookup ratio. These jigs often have an average size and shaped skirt. To better oufit these jigs, they should be fished with a trailers. The best trailers for high speed retrieval are grub tails, paddle tails and any soft plastic that will create lots of motion and movement to attract the fish.

2) Casting Jig Fishing

In my opinion, one of the most versitle jig is the casting jig. The range with these are often the best when fishing down a bank. The most common weights for the casting jig are 3/8oz to 1/2oz. The head shape is unique to a casting jig because it features a round shape or flat bottom head. These heads are often refered to as arkie style. These jig heads help ensure it will remain off the bottom to prevent hang ups. Many of these jigs come with a weed guard. Often, these guards are not as tough as a flipping jigs weed guard. These jigs can be fished with or without a rattle. A rattle is just a bonus for attracting more fish. Some of the best trailers for casting jigs include but are not limited to creatures, grub tails or crawfish plastics.

3) Flipping Jig Fishing

The jig of choice when fishing around heavy debris, tree stumps, fallen trees or dense brush is the flipping jig. This jig is ment for hard terrains without getting damage to the jig. The common weight that most anglers use for their flipping weights is 3/8oz to 1oz. These jigs come with a heavy gauge hook that will help ensure that you increase your hook up ratio. The jig head is often compact but the flipping jig skirt is what makes the lure. Usually a good rule of thumb is larger is usually better when it comes to the skirt. The larger skirt gives the fish a bigger target to bite and ensures the fish see it from farther away. Most flipping jigs come with nylon or plastic weed guards to help ensure the lure stays weedless. Another great thing on a flipping jig is a rattle. This will attract any fish in the general area. The best flipping jig trailers are a grub tail, crature bait or crawfish plastic.

4) Grass Jig Fishing

Grass is one of the hardest conditions to fish. Some of the largest bass hangout in the grass making it an area that you have to fish. The most common used sizes for the grass jigs are from 1/4oz to 1.5oz. These jigs have a unique head that often resembles a cone with the eye of the hook near the top to ensure they can penetrate the grass better without getting stuck. This shape also allows for less collecting of grass which is frustrating for any angler.

These jigs are some of the heaviest bass jigs people fish with. They often require heavy tackle and a strong heavy duty hook. The trailers for the grass jigs are not as complex with may appendages because these appendages often get tangles in the grass. The perfect trailer for grass is a grub tail.  

5) Football Jig Fishing

One of the best areas to catch large mouth bass during the summer months are around rocks. The sun often hits the rocks and warms the water around them quicker. In order to fish these rock you need a jig to hold up the bump and grind of being pulled over the rocks. This is where the football jig comes into play.  

 The football jig head resembles that of a football. This unique shape allows for it to be dragged over rocky bottom without it falling into cracks and becoming hung. These jig heads come in a variety of sizes. The most common sizes are 3/8oz to 1oz in weight. The skirt on these jigs are often fuller and resemble more of an umbrella shape. The hook they come with are usually a wide gap hook. Often times angler fish these with a weed guard. We remove ours because our hook up rate is better without them. In order to finish the jig you need the proper trailer. The trailers of choice for the football jig is creature bait, grub tail or a crawfish plastic.

6) Finesse Jig Fishing

You may be asking yourself, What is a finesse jig? Well a finesse jig is designed to mimic a small crawfish. Some of the best companies for finesse jigs are Booyah's Pro Boo Bug or Strike King's Bitsy Bug. The first thing that comes to mind is a smaller jig. These jigs are usually the smallest of all bass jigs. The weight range oftern varies from 1/8oz to 1/4 oz. They usually come with skirt that has shorter strands with a ball shaped head. These jigs have a slower fall rate making them a perfect jig for winter time fishing. 

Several things that make them deadly to fish with include:

• Jig head design: Line placement as it reduces the amount of snags and tie ups allowing them to be fished in areas with rocks, wood and weed coverage.
• Coller behind Jig head: When a bass bites, it slides in the bass mouth imitating a crawfish legs which cause the bass to bite harder and hold on.
• Jig guard: Makes it weedless
• Rattles: Usually come with a rattle or hook shaft to attract the fish.
• The hook: The hook of choice is often the Mustad Ultra Point 60-degree flat eye hook. These sharp hooks will increase hook up ratio.

Often, finesse jigs are paired with a small crawfish or creature bait trailer to help complete the image. These tails give it the necissary movement that a large mouth bass can not resist.

We hope this will help you choose the best bass fishing jig for your next fishing trip. Unfortunatly, we can only give you advice, you still have to get out there and catch the fish.

Bass from @Steelefishing

Do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] with any questions may have. Send us your best bass pictures with jigs to be featured on our social media and website. Please leave comments below!