Heavy Fishing Jig N Pig

Before we get into this, let’s understand that I consider any 1/4 oz or larger stencil to be heavy. Capture 10,000 basses or so in 1/16, 1/8, and 3/16 oz jigs and you would too. When I’m fishing heavy jigs, I leave the realm of spinning tackle and switch to sturdy bait casting equipment. This is necessary to transport your offering to unpleasant places and retrieve it. I don’t normally jump with a bait rod. It can be done, but you must have an extremely educated thumb to avoid kickback. I exclusively use Shimano reels. I’m going with a Scorpion 1001 or a Calais Antares 101.

Unlike many other anglers, I do not use a very heavy 10 or 12 pound line to fill the bill and can handle most situations. I like the hybrid line. Gamakatsu G-Lock is also very good at flipping. I have used Vanish fluorocarbon and I like it too. It has a great resistance to abrasion. I just tie my templates with a dovecote knot. I feel like this is the strongest and most reliable knot anyone can tie. I trust Kistler helium rods. I prefer a medium action rod. The lighter line and medium action rod make this a lightweight line method compared to the 25 and 20 pound test that many guys are using. I’ve been doing a lot of cartwheeling with a 6-6ML rod and Scorpion 1001 reel. I don’t usually top a 3/16 oz jig, but it’s a combination of dynamite. It is pure fun. I have never broken a rod while jig fishing.

Orientation to the bass

I can flip, I can jump, I can throw. Which is the best? Do what works for you. I’m most effective jumping with a spinning rod, so I don’t normally jump with bait rods. My presentation is a mix between flipping and throwing. It’s a kind of underwater underhand throw that may actually be jumping. When the bait hits the water, there is very little disturbance.

I’m always looking for targets to hit. I will drop templates in places where a lot of guys won’t. You cannot worry about losing a bait. If you do, you will be mentally handicapped. Placing templates in difficult places can mean the difference between catching a horse and practicing casting. I hit my targets from many different angles. This gives the fish a presentation that you may not have seen. I see too many guys dropping a jig on a stump once or twice just to keep going. I do not fish my jig back to the boat. Once I feel like I’ve saturated the target, I go in and shoot again.

The hits range from a squishy, ​​heavy feel to an unmistakable bite. I learned how to fish jigs by forcing myself to carry them with me alone while fishing. I learned early on to discern how the template felt at the end of my line. Anything lighter or heavier was definitely a bass. This is what I have come to call “Weigh the Line”. I learned how a 3/16 oz template feels in the water. This strategy has helped me learn complex techniques and has definitely made me a better and more consistent angler.

Let’s talk about hook games. If you are fishing a jig correctly, you will have very little tightrope. It is a contact bait in which a fisherman must know at all times what he is doing. This makes for instant hook sets and excellent sensitivity. If you feel something out of the ordinary, put yourself on it, the hook sets are free. I put my hook hard on my right shoulder. It’s violent, it’s lightning fast, and it gets the job done. I realize that very few anglers understand the essence of the hook set in most applications. There is no vagina foot around here, set it up like you mean it or go home empty handed. It really has no style, just speed and power.

Detecting a hit will come as a natural feeling over time and with practice. The time it takes you to detect a hit and hit it is the difference between hooking yourself and being hit on the head by your jig. A template is made of metal and silicone. A bass will rarely hold on to it for an extended period of time. The aroma and salt can help increase the odds by about half a second, but it’s important to set it up as soon as you detect the hit.

Rattles

Rattles can give the angler an advantage when the water is cloudy or cold. I prefer to fish without rattles 95% of the time. When I wear them, I prefer the strap-neck type so that the jingle bells hang from the skirt. This way they don’t hamper my hook game. One little trick I use is to add a small piece of sponge to the shank of the hook. I spray it with a little garlic or lobster scent. I think it at least gives me the confidence to be more effective.

A jig is a contact bait. It’s built to be used in nasty places and is strong enough to fight off big bass. Many guys make the mistake of not trying to penetrate deep into the cover with them. By not doing this, you decrease your chances of success. You have to enter the places where these fish live.

Although I am a light tackle jig type by nature, I am smart enough to realize that heavy jigs definitely have a place in my arsenal. On the other hand, don’t use heavier baits. You will be pleasantly surprised when you tie a lightweight jig n pig.