Contributed by Cameron Simot
Some guys love it, some guys hate it. The skirted bass jig. My love hate relationship with the jig began this spring, when I was urged by a fellow fisherman to “give it a chance”. So Here I am online, searching through tons of styles, colors, sizes, trailers, and brands. I ended up buying a few colors and sizes from a Michigan based company called Nemesis Baits .
The first time I tried the jig was in one of my best spring spots, usually packed with largemouths ranging from all sizes. It is the norm to catch 20-40 fish a trip in this spot. So, why wouldn’t they hit a jig, right? So I had a smaller (1/4oz) PB&J colored jig with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer. I have it tied on a spinning rod; my first mistake. Then leave it up to me to be hopping it through the weeds with 12lb fluorcarbon. Then I feel the infamous tap-tap. I set the hook, and all I can think is, “There’s no way I caught a fish in the first 5 minutes on this thing.” Get the fish in, a 10 inch largemouth. Fished the rest of the day switching between this and my other baits I have more confidence in. The jig held up to the regulars as far as bites, but was missing about 50% of the hits I had.
Next time out, I had the jig on a MH baitcasting setup with 15lb fluorcarbon, this is the rod I usually use for small cranks, and spinnerbaits. Not ideal, but better than the spinning rod. This improved my hook-up ratio to about a 60%. After a little research I decided the weed guard was stopping me from driving the hook where it needs to go.
Now I’m looking at a new rod for the jig. I want something long, over 7 feet. Something extra heavy, with a nice reel, and heavy braid. I end up with a Denali J2 7’6″ XH Flippin’ rod. Ever since I started fishing with this rod, my hookup ratio is probably close to 95%. The heavy rod really blasts past the weed guard, to drive the hook home.
I fished the jig as one of my confidence baits everywhere I went this season. This has really helped me refine how I rig it, how I fish it, and where I fish it. I have stuck with the same Nemesis Baits Upskirt Jig, but now use either 3/8oz or 1/2oz in the Sprayed Grass color, or Pig Destroyer. I pair it with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer in Green Pumpkin. I fish it with the same rod as listed above, with a Lew’s Speed Spool with a high 7.1:1 gear ratio. For line I have 40lb braid, but sometimes in clear water I add a 15lb fluorocarbon leader.
The jig is a great bait that can be fished ANYWHERE. I’ve caught fish in clear water, dark water, grass mats, rock piles, sand bottoms, docks, drop offs, deep water, shallow water, rivers, and lakes. For me, there is not one spot that excels more than another for the jig, and I wouldn’t hesitate to throw it in any conditions.
A big highlight for myself with the jig was fishing a tournament in Eastern Michigan, where I not only swept the tournament, but caught my personal best largemouth, as well as my personal best smallmouth, all in a days work.
If you’re not fishing a jig, you’re not fishing.