A swim jig is designed to cut through grass and wood. Instead of dragging it along the bottom of the water, it should stay moving in open water. A football jig is great for offshore fishing and works best when it’s dragged along the bottom of the lake, pond, or river. Flipping jigs are good for precise aiming in shallow wood, shoreline grass, and docks. Punch jigs are designed to punch through matted grass. It’s a good option when you want a really bulky, fast-sinking presentation. A finesse jig is used for precise targeting and are fished slowly with soft tugs and short lifts of the rod tip. A casting jig is an all-purpose jig that can be used in a variety of environments and with many different fishing techniques.
Press the release button on your spool with one hand and grab the bait (or the line just above the bait) with your opposite hand. Pull the bait back and aim at your target with the tip of the rod. Toss the bait and release the spool at the same time. Let the line flow freely. Use the rod tip to slow down the bait so it hits the water gently.
Release the line by pulling out between the reel and the first rod guide (pull out enough line to reach your target). Set this extra line down on the ground (not the water). Press your thumb down on the spool and release button like a normal cast. With your other hand, pinch the line between the reel and first guide. Lift your rod to the 12 o’clock position and let the bait dangle. Slowly swing the bait back and forth like a pendulum in the direction of your target. Release the line at the top of the swing.
Pause a few seconds between punches to let your jig settle. Punching gets the bass’s attention, but pausing gives them a chance to strike. Punching can be done in any direction—up and down, side to side, or diagonally.
The deeper the water or stronger the currents are, the heavier of a jig you should use. Maintain a very steady, slow speed.
Swimming can be done at any depth. It’s helpful to swim in between depths, usually going from deep toward the surface. Swim your jig along weed beds or transitions between deep water and shallow areas.
Remember, lighter jigs fall slower. They’re more likely to get bitten mid-descent than heavier ones. If your line goes even more slack than before, it means a fish has the bait and is swimming towards you. If visibility is bad, try a yellow or red line to help you watch its movement.
Craw trailers look like a crawfish and have pincers on them. They make a loud and flappy presentation and work best in more open and clear water. A high-action craw works best in summer and fall when bass are moving more, and a low-action craw is better for winter and spring when they’ve slowed down. Minnow and paddle tail trailers (also called swimmers) are smaller than craws and mimic a small fish. They have similar action to a live bluegill or other bait fish. These are suited to finesse casting (aiming your jig with high precision). Grubs (also called worms or lizards) look like worms with a tail on them and cover the vertical section of the jig hook. They make an attractive disturbance in the water—more tails on the grub equals more action. The color of the trailer doesn’t necessarily have to match the color of the jig. Generally, warm days in summer call for bright-colored trailers (yellow, orange, pink), while cold, cloudy, or wintery days call for natural or matte colors like brown, navy, or black. [10] X Research source
Opt for a graphite rod for bass. It’s a strong material that can reel in heavy bass, but it’s lightweight enough that you won’t tire your arms out. A light or medium weight rod works for smaller bass. If you’re fishing in an area with large bass, consider a heavier rod.
A fast reel helps prevent losing hooked fish while you pull them through thick cover like underwater weeds, logs, and muck.
