Fishing jigs are likely the most versatile bits of tackle in your box, chiefly because there are both hard and soft jig presentations, and because fish respond so favorably to the various techniques that will be covered here.
With that said, there are two broad classes of fishing jig techniques that we will cover here: those executed with metals and those executed with soft baits rigged on a jig head. Here are some of the most popular among them.
Metal Jigging Techniques
Metal fishing jigs take the shape of an elongated blade of brass or lead, often plated with a reflective metal or treated with a holographic finish. Spoons, which are cupped or curved, can also be treated as jigs when fished vertically. Here are some of the most effective techniques to use with metal fishing jigs.
Casting
Casting a jig to structure, such as jetties or pilings, or natural structure such as troughs, dropoffs, or rips, can be highly productive. Simply cast the jig to such structure, then retrieve it at a steady pace. Alternatively you can impart pauses and twitches to the action of the casting jig which may often prove more effective on predatory gamefish.
Speed Jigging
Speed jigging, typically done with a dense jigging spoon or a diamond jig, is another simple technique that is executed vertically. You must position your boat over the structure where fish are holding, or where they are suspended in the water. Drop your jig to the bottom (or to the strike zone) then retrieve it vertically. As with casting, you can impart an inconsistent action to the jig. Often fish will strike on the drop.
Slow Pitch Jigging
Slow pitch jigging is another vertically jig fishing technique, though it is much more subtle and nuanced than speed jigging. With a slow pitch jig, you drop the jig to the bottom, then work it back up slowly through the water column, allowing it to drop back into the strike zone rhythmically.
Doing so will cause it to flutter, tumble, roll, dart, and zig zag through the water. This is reflective of the fluttering action of a dying baitfish and is irresistible to a wide variety of predatory gamefish and wreck-dwelling fish.
Soft Bait Jigging Techniques
Some fishing jigs are based around the versatility of softbaits, such as NLBN lures or Gulp soft plastics, rigged on a bucktail or jig head. While these are also predominantly fished vertically, there are other techniques that can be used with them, including the following.
Jigging or Hopping
Hopping a jig across the bottom is a highly effective jig fishing technique, also known simply as jigging, since the softbait is rigged on a jighead. This technique is arguably the most simplistic, as the basic cadence is to cast the lure, then hop it back to you. The cadence can be either fast or slow, as dictated by whatever the fish respond best to.
Also, while jigging or hopping a jig is primarily effective against bottom dwellers like flatfish, it can also be effective against other predatory fish who will pick the jig up off the bottom.
Yo-Yo
A fishing jig can also be “yo-yo’d,” which refers to the process of casting, letting the jig drop, then aggressively raising the rod tip to bring the jig back up through the water column by several feet or more. When using this technique, you can crank the reel handle a few times in concert with the raising of the rod tip, which will rip the jig up through the water.
After ripping the jig vertically, let it fall before repeating the basic cadence; most of your strikes will come on the drop.
Dragging
Dragging a fishing jig is just like what it sounds like: you cast, let it sink till it hits the bottom, then work the rod horizontally to pull or “drag” the jig across the bottom. This works best with a soft bottom, especially over mud or sand, as dragging will cause the jig to throw up a plume, the action and motion of which will attract fish. It is generally not effective over a rocky bottom or in situations in which there are a lot of snags, however, and inadvisable in this situations.
Swimming a Jig
Lastly, you can “swim” a jig, which refers to working it suspended through the water column, off the bottom, so that it swims. Both straight retrieves and stop-and-go techniques can be used here, and it is highly effective with flukes, curly tail grub patterns, and shad and paddletail soft plastics that produce a lot of vibration.
Shop Fishing Jigs and Tackle Here
Whether you’re here for casting jigs, slow pitch jigs or soft baits like NLBN lures, take a look through our collection. Then, restock your tackle bag and get ready to put some of these techniques into action, whether you’re jigging over a wreck for grouper or jigging the surf for fluke.