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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | I know some of you guys do a lot of jigging in the spring but how 'bout in the fall season? I use them quite a bit here in W. PA in the rivers after the lakes freeze up (no closed season) but don't have much experience with them at any other time of the year.
It seems the fish around here want everything slowed down once the water temps get down below 60 or so, that's what got me thinking about jigging. Plus it's a fun way to catch them if you have the patience! |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Yes, I do. |
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Posts: 367
Location: Chicago | Yes |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | Any particular conditions during fall when you would choose a jig over another bait like structure, water temps, post frontal, etc.? Maybe just because they won't hit anything else, lol. |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I use Creatures under all and any conditions. Rocks, weeds, and sand. Really, a Creature isn't any different than most of the new soft plastics; the jig is just on the outside of the lure. |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | I bought a few really nice hand poured creatures from jdsplasher last year. I'll have to give 'em a try next week. What kind of heads do you prefer to use them with? |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I like the 1 ounce swimmer heads with that tail, myself. |
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Posts: 4266
| Fall is great jiggin'time. I like to really work over productive steep breaks with a 3 prong approach. Tossing big gliders from shallow out over the deep is my first choice. Then I'll toss and rip cranks along the break, moving in and out looking for baitfish concentrations. Then I love using Creatures, big Shad tails, Reapers or other big bulky plastics that you can find in saltwater catalogs and work them down the breaks just like fishing for walleyes. Sometimes it is walleyes that hit, but when you get that "thump" as the jig is fluttering to the bottom, that few seconds of anticipation before you set the hook is something that is indescribable. Those fish will move in and out and up and down those breaks waiting for fish to move up on to the bars or wander out over open water. Jigs are also a great throw-back lure after you get a "not real aggressive" follow from a nice fish that just sort of sinks out of sight like a submarine.
If the fish are hugging the shallow edge, the jig tossed and then ripped and dropped down the break can be a great approach. Any isolated clumps on the break or on the top can all hold fish, and targetting them with an 8" plastic with a big weedless fiber guard jig head is awesome. I found some 3/4 ounce flat bottom jigs with 8/0 wide gap hooks on e-bay that work good around clumps or I'll even rig them weedless if I'm fishing milfoil edges. If I see healthy cabbage near deep water, I'll jig it before moving on. Besides that, it's a nice change up from throwing heavy artillery. |
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Posts: 7113
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Steve's being shy, check out some of these past chats for more information on jigging, fall or otherwise.
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/articles/09.30.2007/1167/Musky.Talk...
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/articles/09.30.2007/999/Opening.200...
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/articles/09.30.2007/982/Of.Jigs.and... |
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| could you post a picture of some of your jigs steve? Just so we can better picture what a swimmer head is. Is it what george langley used on his creatures? |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | Lots of good reading here, thanks guys. |
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Posts: 238
| I love throwing jigs,i throw them year round from start to finish.Like a buck tail i always have one rigged at all times! |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | After reading the 2 chats and article from Steve that Slammer posted it got me to thinking more about jigs and muskies. When I used to fish bass a lot we rigged rubber worms and lizards a few ways, mostly texas and carolina style, which I've seen discussed. I started thinking, why not using a drop shot rig? Not really a jig but using a creature or reaper with a finesse presentation.
I've rigged them 2 ways for bass. The conventional way with a sinker at the end of the line with the bait tied on a foot or so above it and another way with a 3-way swivel. You can tie the weight on with a lighter line so if it gets snagged it will bust off without losing the bait. Have any of you guys ever tried something like this or have any thoughts on it?
A second question is does anyone have a line on good quality musky jigs, especially swimmer heads? I found a few on the web but man are they expensive! Some are $4-5 for just a jig head. Fishing the reservoirs and rivers here out East I'm good for losing a couple jigs a day, that could get expensive in a hurry.
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Posts: 132
| I'm so addicted to jigs that I think I use them too much. But they always come through so how can you stop!
Like any other lure, you vary the retreive to fit the season. In the summer, it's 4-5 quick turns of the reel and reel again as soon as it settles to the bottom. In fall its 3 cranks at an easy pace and a 2-3 second pause before you reel again.
I mostly use creatures, but an 8" silver or pearl Reaper around spawning cisco is deadly.
I don't know if you've considered pouring your own jigs, but there are a couple Do-It Molds that work well and pay for themselves very quick. PM me if you want more info.
Good post Beaver! |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | Good info Beav, once you feel the hit how long do you wait to set the hook? I set immediately, now I'm wondering if I'm missing fish because of that. I've had the pleasure of seeing 3 fish take the jig right in front of me. All 3 simply swam up behind it and just kinda sucked it in, never felt anything on 2 of them, the other one was just a light tick. All 3 however had the whole jig in their mouth immediately, that's what made me start setting as soon as I feel something. |
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Posts: 4266
| I set it as soon as I feel the "tap" and reel up some slack while I'm dropping the rod tip.
Once they thump it, that was just the sensation of them snapping their jaws shut being transmitted through the line.
Hit 'em right away. |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | Yeah, that's what I do. When I was bass fishing we'd give em a couple seconds before setting the hook and that's how I started out jigging for muskies but then I had a couple drop it so I started setting right away and did a little better.
Bhill, look on the bst board. I brought up an old post from jdsplasher and it has some pics of some of his jigs on there. He emailed me this evening and has some 3/4oz. swimmers left. The other jigs and tails I've purchased from him were really nice so I bet the swimmers are too. His prices are more than reasonable also. |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'll post some pictures when I get a chance, I've been in Cleveland covering the FLW Championship.
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Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin | What is a Jig? I have never heard of such a thing myself. |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | muskyone is a jig-master, and that's a fact. |
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