Bass Jiggin' 101: You Must Experiment

(Blake Russell photo)

Bass jigs happen to be one of the most versatile lures around, in my opinion. As a general rule, one of the most important things to remember is the prey that you're imitating; this is what makes jigs so versatile. Swimming, crawling, hopping and shaking them along the bottom and through the water column is a great way to immitate crawfish and baitfish.

I think one of the most important overall tips I can give to fishing a jig is to experiment with the retrieve. Sometimes fish will want the jig to just soak on the bottom. Other times, they'll bite it when it's shaken in place. There are times when an aggressive retrieve is required by bouncing a heavy jig erratically off the bottom. And, there are times where the fish simply want the jig pulled accross the bottom at a slow pace.

The only way you can fish a jig incorrectly is to not be willing to experiment with one. Just because fish aren't willing to bite on the first kind of retrieve you try, doesn't mean a jig bite isn't there for the day.