Weedlines are classic locations to jig for muskies, especially where the weeds end abruptly. The outer edge of a weedbed is a choice lie and is often occupied by muskies, as many bass anglers have discovered. During midday, look for them in the weeds, close to the bottom. If you can see the edge of the weeds at the surface, it is relatively simple to retrieve a jig very close to the edge.

Perhaps the most difficult situation to jig for muskies is right in weedbeds. Weedbeds provide ideal midday shelter. Although the weeds may be matted at the surface, close to the bottom there is usually plenty of room for muskies to maneuver. Aquatic vegetation, like other plants, concentrate their leaves where there is the most sunlight, invariably close to the surface. Typically, leaves become increasingly sparse toward the bottom until all that remains are the stalks.

Jigging in weedbeds presents two problems. The first is getting jigs down, and then back up, through the weeds.

Here we can take a lesson from bass fishing by using the flipping method. This involves dropping weedless jigs straight down, then lifting them straight back up, minimizing contact with the weeds. A long, stiff rod is required for this kind of fishing. The same flipping rods used by bass anglers are fine.

Arkansas-style jigs, the same type used for bass flipping, are effective for muskies if the weeds are not too thick. Instead of tipping jigs with pork frogs, use longer pieces of pork or plastic. These are generally flipped into small openings in the surface mat.

In thicker weeds, even more weed-resistant jigs and heavier weights are required. Texas-rig a large plastic body, but rather than using a bullet weight, use a 1-ounce egg sinker pegged to the line with a toothpick. Remember that muskies are better suited to looking upward, so rather than letting the rig lie on the bottom as you might do for bass, lift it a couple feet off bottom and wiggle it.

Muskies on the move over reefs or points often slide into the deeper adjacent water to ambush their prey, or they will suspend near shallow-water structure. Jigging for these fish can be difficult because it is tough to pinpoint their location without spooking them. Vertical banks are easier to fish if they do not drop too deep. The bottoms of cliffs are very good places to jig because muskies tend to suspend close to the vertical walls.

Jigs can also be fished like jerkbaits. The major difference between jigs and jerkbaits, besides depth, is that the only action a jig has, other than a wiggling tail, is what you give it. It will not dart from side to side unless you create the action by jerking your rod from side to side.