Jig Question

I looked thru the archives but couldn't find an answer to this question (I
didn't search really hard). I am just starting to try jigging and it seems
like most of the fish I have caught are on the initial cast. Do you guys
bounce/drag the jig back to the boat or do you swim it back after the inital
cast? What I have been doing is casting the jig letting it drop to the
bottom and then jig it a few times then slowly swim it back to the boat. Am
I missing a lot of fish by doing this or what? Should I be jigging it all
the way back to the boat?

Jigs are a mixed bag. There are times when jigging it or slowly dragging it
back to the boat will pick up fish. Other times you are bouncing the jig
directly off the nose of a bass so unless they grab it on the drop forget
it.

This last Friday I caught one and had two swipe at it swimming it out of
brush piles.

There is no hard and fast rule. When you get bit doing something see if you
can repeat it. If you aren't getting bit try something else.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

"Pat_RI" wrote in message
news:VzU8e.10340$Z73.4569@lakeread04...
I looked thru the archives but couldn't find an answer to this question (I
didn't search really hard). I am just starting to try jigging and it
seems
like most of the fish I have caught are on the initial cast. Do you guys
bounce/drag the jig back to the boat or do you swim it back after the
inital
cast? What I have been doing is casting the jig letting it drop to the
bottom and then jig it a few times then slowly swim it back to the boat.
Am
I missing a lot of fish by doing this or what? Should I be jigging it all
the way back to the boat?

Pat_RI wrote:
I looked thru the archives but couldn't find an answer to this question (I
didn't search really hard). I am just starting to try jigging and it seems
like most of the fish I have caught are on the initial cast. Do you guys
bounce/drag the jig back to the boat or do you swim it back after the inital
cast? What I have been doing is casting the jig letting it drop to the
bottom and then jig it a few times then slowly swim it back to the boat. Am
I missing a lot of fish by doing this or what? Should I be jigging it all
the way back to the boat?


I couldn't answer the question any better than Bob. You pretty much let
the fish tell you what they want. Sometimes they want a 1/4 ounce with
a huge chunk on it so that it drops slowly, sometimes they want a 1/2
ounce that sinks very quickly and gets a reaction strike. Then once the
initial pitch / flip / cast has been done, there are many options as Bob
told you. You can sit there and shake it (rattle is a must), slowly hop
it back, drag it back, or even swim it back. Even swim speeds can vary
,or the frequency of hops, or the speed of the drag. It is definitely a
lure that takes a lot of trial and error, and a lot of experience to
master. I have read both of Denny Brauers books, and it is a lot to fit
into a couple hundred pages, but it definitely gives you a good base to
start from.

Chris