Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2014 - 25

Accidental discovery appears to be normal
among jig swimming pioneers. An angler
completes a pitch or cast to shallow cover and is
quickly reeling in the jig for another pitch when a
Largemouth Bass slams the jig hard. The first time,
no one thinks much about it. By the third or fourth
time, the astute bass angler begins to wonder if
there is another way to fish a jig. Thus, swimming
a jig was born at various lakes and rivers around
the United States.
In the South, swim jigs were intended to be
fished on braided line in the nastiest mix of
shallow vegetation and wood-places spinnerbaits
could not go. My friend Mitch Looper, Arkansas,
marketed one of the earliest heavy cover swimming
jigs; it is shaped like an arrowhead with an extra
heavy-duty hook.
In the upper mid-West, a cone-shaped head was the
standard for swimming, incorporating a lighter wire hook
and a more flexible weedguard. The target area for the
northern jig was shallow-water vegetation intermixed
with open-water pockets found on river flowages and
natural lakes.
The third style of swimming is down deep, which I
learned from professional angler Dave Lefebre, Erie. Using a
modified football head jig for stability in the open water, he
swims the jig above offshore structure on reservoirs instead
of a deep crankbait or Carolina rig, offering bass a different
looking lure.
Why are three different jigs relevant? Simple, all
situations mentioned above exist somewhere on waterways
in Pennsylvania. Therefore, each style of swim jig can play
a role for anglers.
Experienced anglers often prefer to swim a jig under
certain situations for several reasons: 1) bass are less likely
to miss a jig compared to a spinnerbait or crankbait; 2) bass
stay buttoned to a jig better than other lures; and 3) a swim
jig is a go anywhere lure.
Swim jigs intended for shallow water presentations are
designed to slide over and around vegetation and stick-ups.
The line tie on these swim jigs is in the very tip of the nose,
thereby shedding weed strands that normally wrap a regular
bottom-bouncing jig. Swim jigs pass through soft cover
easier than a spinnerbait.
Many jig swimming anglers insist a high retrieve speed
is the key to drawing strikes in shallow water. While the
importance of speed cannot be downplayed, the ability
to kill forward movement of the jig at key points in the
retrieve should not be overlooked. In addition, I've caught
a mess of bass swimming a jig at a moderate retrieve a
couple feet under water.
Shedding weeds is not a concern for a deep water swim
jig. In this instance, the jig must have sufficient weight and
a broader head design to lessen the chance of rolling over at
moderate retrieve speeds. Specially selected trailers help to
maintain the jig upright.
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

Marilyn Black with a 21-inch Smallmouth Bass taken on a swim
jig fished around shore cover during high water on Woodcock
Creek Lake, Crawford County.

The add-on trailer is a necessary part of any swim jig,
providing buoyancy, more action and a better profile.
Different styles of trailers can play a critical role in the
presentation. Initially, trailers were limited to 4- or 5-inch
twister-style grubs-either single tail or double tail. Many
anglers prefer a double tail, believing it helps the lure
maintain an upright posture.
In recent years, trailer options have expanded to include
flapping craw baits and boot tail swimbaits. Swimbaits are
particularly popular for deep water swim jigs, which are
meant to represent baitfish.
The seasonal application of swim jigs is wide open.
As early as an April warming trend, I'll consider a swim
jig when focusing on remnants of last season's shallow
vegetation in protected bays. Swim jigs have application
around docks as well as over newly emerging weeds in late
spring and early summer.
Mid to late summer sees the
maximum growth of shallow vegetation,
which is the perfect situation for shallow
swim jigs. High water pushing into
shoreline cover cries out for a swim jig.
River Smallmouth Bass relish swim
jigs that are banged off hard cover and
retrieved rapidly through current.
Use of a deep water swimming jig
peaks twice-first in the heat of summer
on reservoirs with offshore bait and bass
and again in the late fall as bass move
into deep winter patterns. Assess the
situation, and go swim a jig.
Southern anglers developed swim jigs
with a planing head, extra heavy-duty
hook and stiff weedguard. Double tail
soft plastics are commonly used.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * March/April 2014

25
http://www.fishandboat.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2014
