Is there any rhyme or reason of when to switch to a smaller sized jig? Is it true that in the colder months smaller jigs hit better?
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Is there any rhyme or reason of when to switch to a smaller sized jig? Is it true that in the colder months smaller jigs hit better?
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I use trout magnets a lot and other small jigs. Usually with a 1/32 or 1/16 #4 sickle jig. And tipped with a chartreuse nibble or a small worm chunk works for me any time of the year.Attachment 387057Attachment 387058
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I think it's more important in summer, have you ever noticed that after spawn they seem to disappear? Well they didn't disappear, they became inactive a small light jig sinks slower and moves more naturally.
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I fish 1/64 and 1/32 oz year round. Very rarely go bigger than that.
Darn those are some nice fish. Thank youQuote:
Originally Posted by DRFISHDUCK
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I have lots of 1/64 - 1/16. More and more I like smaller jigsQuote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
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Make sense though because they are wary of bigger minnow, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by Noodle rod
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I think they still eat bigger real baitfish, but the amount of time they aggressively feed is small.Quote:
Originally Posted by castingcole
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I never change but many guys swear after Shad spawn they are looking for smaller baits !
We use 1/80 1/32 1/16 Most of these are marabou and either a black or a purple also we use a lot of 1/2” to 2 inch plastics that’s the range that we use all summer if they get finicky we go to the small Jigs.
All I use is micro jigs. No need to down size.....I’m already downsized.
Regards
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In the last few days, lighter jigs seemed to have done better along with the more streamlined lure profiles. Usually 1/16 oz does well but not so much recently.
By lighter I mean 1/24 oz. with 1/32 oz rarely needed.
https://i.imgur.com/YnibxEH.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/HtNnn3b.jpg
i typically use slightly bigger jigs in the winter and spawn times in some spots .
and smaller jigs in the late spring and summer months .
match the hatch they say
i never use more jig weight than is needed to get my jig to perform well .
performance is the key word my friend .
As the water cools down and during the hard water season I use smaller jigs.
I use a KISS Bug size 1/45 to 1/16 once or a drop shot fly #10 or 12.
On occasion I use a # 8 fly depending what I am fishing for.
If I am getting a lot of short strikes I will sometimes switch to a smaller jig, a 1/64 oz Bobby Garland itty bitty jig with a matching soft plastic.
Usually I will just pick up some short fish, but occasionally it will coax out bigger fish.
I use 1/8oz jigs 95% of the time I fish whether it is in 8" to 8' of water. I am far from a pro, but I have gotten used to being in contact with the jig. I'll catch fish of all sizes through out the year.
The fish metabolism slows down as the water gets colder.Quote:
Originally Posted by RLS40
The fish eat less and not as often.
It seems that they will reject a large offering in favor of a smaller offering.
Small and slow works well during the hard water season.
made a few jigs for just a few guys and my opinion, fishing smaller vertical jigs are in the strike zone longer... fishing horizontal is speed based, but do what your comfortable with
Size has to do with what is available, to forage on. Minnows in winter thru spring are larger, so medium minnows will get more hits than small ones. The reason is that in lakes or streams, they haven't spawned yet. Once you see tiny minnows by the shore, going smaller, will get more bites, because they are more abundant. Also once other things hatch, different larvae, smaller is better. So using plastics or flies, you want to follow, what is happening on the water.
That makes a lot of sense. When I caught the other day on TM there were tiny minnows on the shore, then when I caught on a 2 inch frog jig there were tiny frogs and insects aroundQuote:
Originally Posted by S10CHEVY
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Lately though tail design seems to have made the difference when the bite was slow yesterday.
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Thin flat tail and thin prong tail grubs when fished very slow at different depths caught these and 15 others yesterday. Curl tail grubs - no strikes because they have to be worked at a certain speed vs the other types that can be paused & twitched at the slowest speed. It's almost like I had to tease fish into striking a lure that was in the strike zone longer. Should have tried those with a float for maximum time in place.
The bite was much more active two days before and more quality fish were caught (13" crappie/ 10" on average). Of course 1/24 oz did better than 1/16 oz. which might have to do with the overall finesse profile and action.