Jig weight...to go heavy or not?

[Tom (N.W.Ont)]

Every article I read says the same thing...go with the lightest jig you can get away with blah, blah, blah...do all these authors just copy each other or can't they think for themselves?

I prefer a heavier weight...I like to thump the bottom...to hop and drop...to skip and scrape...everything that requires a heavier jig, and I used a 3/8oz. jig almost exclusively. I even catch some smaller fish that aren't supposed to be able to suck the heavier jig in...so what's up with that?

Go with a heavier jig head and outfish your friends...my $.02.

let the debate begin!

see ya

tom

[Cangl]

Darn maybe I should snap jig with less then a pound and half tommorrow, to many floaters popping up downstream!
In somebody elses net :O

[Jim Ordway]

Yep, its seems that that is the mantra. BUT success is the telling tale. What do you feel most comfortable with? If you cannot feel the bottom and are not comfortable that your bait is in the zone you desire, then you have to use enough weight to get there. I would rather error (in most conditions) at being a little heavy and in the zone, than having my bait out of zone most of the time.
My thoughts,

[DaveB]

It depends on how you fish. I vertical fish in rivers mostly, and rarely go under 3/8 and ofter move up to 5/8. I still maintain that it is more important to stay 100% vertical than it is to use a lighter jig. But for casting in current, you want a lighter jig and thicker line so that you get a natural, slow sweeping drop.

Lakes-thats another story, still stay vertical, but this can often be done with a smaller weight.

[Doc_wi]

On certain days that is. I'll stay out of the blah's and tell you that most good jig fishermen will START with the lightest jig that they can feel touch the bottom and outfish their friends by letting the fish tell them if they want a "thump", "tumble" or "hop" presentation. I'd say in the river that I know best there is about 1/4 oz difference between those presentations. One is 1/8th oz heavier then the jig I started with and the other is 1/8th oz lighter. Meaning, I'm usually starting with a 1/4 oz jig and have no problem feeling the bottom and working the series of touches and hops that usually produces fish for me, but sometimes the bite is better when I work an eighth oz jig barely sensing the bottom. Again sometimes it's better to thump the bottom going the other way to 3/8th oz or even 1/2 oz. In other rivers of greater depth and current the same pattern exists but some have higher starting points and variations in weight. Point being that I believe what most of the writers such as myself are saying is that the "rule of thumb" or starting point is to go with the lightest jig that YOU PERSONALLY can get down and feel the most comfortable and confident with. If that for you is one weight and for me another, that is what each of our starting points should be. Then as good fishermen who like the feeling of being the hot stick in the boat, it's up to technique, feel and letting the fish tell you what they want on certain days.

In fact I'd bet that if you and I were fishing in the same boat, you were thumping and I was not and we found that the 3rd wheel in the boat was doing best by far on a jig weight halfway between yours and mine, we'd both switch. Friend of mine from Winneconne always says (he really does) " Ya don't have to hit ME in the face with a brick to tell me what's good for me", and I guess that sums it all up.

It takes a bit of guts to put your name on a published piece of work and little to deface those who are fortunate enough to have the editors of the world choose their work for publication. I hope your tone was misinterpreted by this writer who stands as charged by you as one who cannot think for myself.........or not.

Joel "Doc" Kunz

[River_eye]

Tom, the fisherman who is comfortable with a few presentations is always going to do better than the one that is comfortable with only one presentation. The fact that you are more cofortable with 3/8th oz jigs helps you catch more fish on them, but if you make it your mission to get comfortable with lighter jigs, then you will win in every jigging situation.

You don't usually get to go to lighter jig heads until you have had many many many hours practice.

It also depends on what the fish want that day. If they want what you got, you're laughing. If they want what you don't got, then you're eating peanutbutter and jam for lunch.

[TK_551]

I have always been told, when in doubt go heavier. I always vary until I find what they want. As long as bottom contact is maintained.

Tom
#551

[stewart]

Sometimes you just plain cover more ground with something heavier.

[WAeyes]

My opinion on this is the lighter the jig, the slower the fall. It is my experience that this is more appealing to a bigger, wiser fish, especially in clear water.

[reddog]

Tom NW Ont, I think your name answers most of the question. When fishing Lac Seul or most of the other NW Ontario lakes, It is normal procedure to fish with 3/8, 1/2, or heavier. Amything less is looked upon as only being done for elitist purposes. It just doesnt matter up there for the most part. Straight up and down, in as shallow as 4 feet, and the fish dont care if you have 1/2 oz on. I remember a fly in to East Jubilee a few years back. 4 ft of water, and straight down. I think you couldve just dipped em out with the net if you took enough tries. Certainly not rocket science. I can handle about 1/4 oz, and that is the extent of what I want to fish with , partially because of the weight of my setups, and personal preference mainly. I am for the most part a shallow water fisherman, and usually dont need to go any heavier than 1/4 in 16 ft or less, and wind. I prefer 1/8 but some times conditions just dont work out. If the fish dont mind, fish heavier till they care. then back off, the faster you can get to the bottom, the faster you can catch the next fish. A walleye is a walleye, no matter where it born, but I can tell you one thing, they dont like 3/8 jigs or heavier in my waters.

[Tom (N.W.Ont)]

I live in Thunder Bay...the surrounding lakes do not have voracious populations of fish whereby you drop the jig in the water and hookup. It is a myth I tells ya!

Tom

[Tom (N.W.Ont)]

"You don't usually get to go to lighter jig heads until you have had many many many hours practice."

Oh my! Ouch! Yeesh!

what a shot!

[Tom (N.W.Ont)]

Joel...

Sometimes a person has to exaggerate to get a point across....get it?

Tom

[eyedoktr]

Tom, if I'm fishing in still water less than 35' I always start with a 1/8th oz. If I'm in moving water, I let the current speed dictate what weight to use. I have jigs up to 1.5 oz and have used them in the St. Lawrence River. While ice fishing, I have gone as low as 1/128th oz. With practice, alot of practice, you will actually be able to feel jigs that light at the end of the line in water up to 25'-30', maybe more. Don't forget, it helps to use light line. I generally don't go higher than 6# unless I know that I may be into 'eyes heavier than 10# then I go to 8#. For the 3-5 pounders (or less), I like to use 4# test.

[River_eye]

Not meant to be a shot, I meant that it's easier to get comfortable with a heavy jig than it is to get comfortable with say, an 1/8th oz jig.

Nowadays I use 1/8th oz jigs in heavy current even up to 25 ft. I am able to snag fewer times with a lighter jig.

[Cangl]

Tom my original post was not a shot a you or heavy jigging, after having posted up on "best produce" my goofyness was on a roll and I commend you for your understanding. Anglers of little imagination or pleasure in the sport can drag jigs but not me. I fish deep jigging a little bit myself, and usaully never go to much below a shaved 3/8. Simulatle a light biting to pushing walleye bite by pinching your first finger and thumb together and pushing the a bucket (1/2 full bucket hanging on a ropes) the less weight in the bucket the less resistance to your "finger thumb fish" and when dealing with deep walleye that are not really grabbing the rig. A jig they can move with makes all the difference in the world especially the smaller fish with smaller mouths and larger fish that just pinched it because of it's buddy right behind it.

Signed nobody but registered. C above.

[Northern Manitoban]

1/4 ounce is pretty well all i'll use for walleye fishing,i have no problem feeling bottom,slower fall i think most times will catch you more fish but when they are very aggresive weight won't matter,i rip jigs alot and 1/4 ounce is awesome for this you can skip it along bottom slowly with very few snags,come fall time fishing the river i'll use 3/8 for jigging and casting i found they liked the bigger baits then.I usually outfished the guy useing the 3/8 jigs and 1/2 ounce when i'm using 1/4 ounce.funny how some people get stuck using one thing,it is funny how fish will bite one weight hook over another and i have fished enough and seen this happen alot.FISH ON.

[reddog]

Tom-Nw ONt, "I live in Thunder Bay...the surrounding lakes do not have voracious populations of fish whereby you drop the jig in the water and hookup. It is a myth I tells ya! "


Im not buying the myth version of your story. A couple trips to Lac De Mille Lac which appears to be 70-80 km from Thunder Bay could put you on a walleye bite that wouldnt matter what you tied on. Caught a walleye there once that had a 3/8 oz yellow leadhead in its gullet that was still in the plastic wrapper when it fell off the edge of the boat. True story, but Im just kidding with you on the NW Ont part. You have alot of fish up there that never see a jig. in a season. Great post !