So many fishing jigs, so little time.
Did you ever wonder why they make so darn many different fishing jigs? It seems like they have one for every fish, every occasion, and for every body of water. Seriously, we've got soft plastics, hair jigs, bucktail jigs and marabou style just to name a few. At times it leaves us wondering. Are they made for the fish or the fisherman? However, it turns out there's a different jig for every season, scenario, and just about every species.
Whether you fish mostly in freshwater or in saltwater, there are jigs a plenty with every type of action and dressing on them that entices strikes. These are the one bait that every single fisherman should have in his or her tackle box. the more variety and styles you own, the better. They are the easiest to use and the easiest to learn of all the artificial baits on the market today, and they haven't stopped working yet. Let's take a look at the different styles, and then carry on to the jigs that are the best sellers because we all want to put more fish in the boat.
Jigs go deep, reach through the slop, ply open water, tease flowing rivers and still ponds, dig around oil rigs, and can be casted right off of the beach, but not unless you have them in your tackle box. Here's a short review of the different styles.
Fishing Jigs
Jigs and jig heads come in multiple styles for varying fishing situations. Most veteran anglers know this, but for some who just want a quick refresher, here are a few of those.
- Swim jig
- Finesse jig
- Football jig
- Flipping jig
- Punch jig
- Casting jig
- Bucktail jig
- Marabou jig
Some of these have more than one use, or can even be used for an application that the others offer. Honestly, an angler can find many uses for jigs since they are so very adaptable to so many situations. These aren't even all the variants out there. For instance, there are smaller versions of jigs that have spinners for enticing such fish as bluegill, perch, or crappie to bite, while others are made to imitate shad and target very aggressive fish like muskie.
Jigs also come with many different jig heads which can vary in their sizes and shape to give each angler an awesome variety of ways to fish one. These include the roundhead, bullethead, stand-up head, tube head, shaky head, mushrooms and wobblehead, and many more. As much as any consideration, the fishermen must also look at hook size, body weight, collars, material, and of course the color.
Z-Man Chatterbait
When you want a little noise to your bait's offering, the Z-Man is the right choice. This one has great potential to catch the attention of fish, especially largemouth bass, and entice terrific strikes. It comes in atone of different color patterns to give each angler the right choice.
BOOYAH Boo Jig
This is a great choice year after year since it comes in so many great patterns, but mostly because bass anglers swear by its versatility. This jig is designed specifically to plow through thick weed mats, bounce through the rocks, and work its way around sunken branches like no other.
Hack Attack Jig
The hack Attack is specifically designed to penetrate the thickest cover and come out clean. It is a flipping jig that eases through the cover to shallow wood, shoreline grass, deeper grass beds with an ease that the others can't offer. It is one of the best at quiet entry into the water making it a great stealth bait.
Strike King Tour Grade Swim Jig
At some point we all want a solid swim jig to cover a lot of water in a hurry. This version does that by using a streamlined balanced head for enhanced swimming action and it really shows. This jig comes with a weed guard and a medium-heavy wire with an ultra sharp hook for great hook setting ability.
Other Considerations
When we consider fishing with jigs, many of us think largemouth bass, and to be fair, that is certainly the most popular version. However, don't let this thinking make you forget that pro walleye anglers count on jigs to do a lot of their live-well filling for them. Saltwater anglers also need a good variety of jigging options whether casting from the beach or from the bow of a skiff on a tidal marsh. Picking out the right material for the jigs that you use can be just as important as the color as some materials like tungsten reform better than others and last longer.
Also, don't be afraid to modify your jigs for the situation. It's something the pros do all the time. That might mean trimming the skirt, adding a touch of color to the head with some paint, or even trimming the weedguard if it feels you are missing too many fish. Unlike hard baits, jigs are often cheap enough that you can usually feel comfortable beating them up and experimenting with them. If you ruin one, a replacement is usually inexpensive.
As much as anything, choosing the right trailer for your jig can make the difference between a full stringer and disappointment. You may be fishing for crappie or in the boat trying to pick out the best bass jig for your day one the water, but when it comes to fishing lures, even for panfish, you are going to want one that imitates a wounded minnow like the others cannot do.
One of the best ways to tip a jig is with a soft plastic for more of a soft bait feel Jigs can be tipped with live bait, craw, or even a leach or worm to garner great strikes.
The bottom line is that there are many jigs made for many fishing situations so you have some homework to do.
Products featured on Wide Open Spaces are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Looking for a little more or even hot lunch for your hunting blind? Follow my webpage, or on Facebook and YouTube.
NEXT: WATER SNAKE ATTEMPTS TO STEAL A TROUT FROM PAIR OF ANGLERS
WATCH
