A jig or other presentation?

[mws]

What factors determine whether you use a jig tipped with a live bait or a plastic grub? What factors help in making the choice to use a jig over other presentations.

[Doc_wi]

I add plastic to the jig in a couple of situations. I'll add a twister tail if I want a little more action and when I'm using a more aggressive jigging method. I will also add a plastic body (or usually just switch to a Fuzz E Grub) if I'm in a situation where I have to let the Walleye have the bait for a bit before I set the hook. The soft body seems to allow the fish to stay with it a bit longer. I still tip each presentation with some sort of bait in most situations.
Doc

[curt quesnell]

i use a jig in cold water...spring, fall and winter. always
with live bait, sometime with a plastic body or power bait added.

live bait rigs in warmer water from memorial day to labor day...lindy rigs or spinners, depending on how fast the boat is moving.

this is entirely based on what i am comfortable with. i know
people who only use jigs year round and they do well.

whatever you are confident with....i have used power crawlers
on a spinner rig and caught fish, power bait on a jig and
caught fish....but if i have live bait i will use it first.

as far as when to add a live bait or plastic tipper to a jig
..i'd say when ever you feel it might help. someone else
may post something better...lets wait and see..


curt quesnell

[Minnesota]

Here are a couple of factors to consider-

1. In stained or dirty water a plastic body helps make the jig easier for the fish to find. You might try rattles or light sticks as well for dirty water.

2. There are certian times during the year when you want your bait to have a much larger profile. After a minnow hatch the fish may be used to smaller prey so you might just use a plain jig. Perhaps, during a different time of the year, the natural forage is larger. During this time it may be necessary to bulk your jig up a bit.

3. A plastic body will give you additional resistance to the water. For example, if you are long lining it may help to keep your jig up off the bottom enough to allow you to get it out further from the boat without pounding bottom.

Just a few things that came to mind. Hope this helps.

Minnesota

"As fellow fisherman, we are all members of a brotherhood."

[Lund_Dude]

Doc:

Have you experimented with the Berkely Power Jig worm? I played with them in finicky bite situtations in your neck of the woods last year. They really seemed to hold on a bit compared to a fuzzy grub. Experience?

[Doc_wi]

I use Power Bait in some situations. I havn't put a stop watch to it so I don't know if the fish hold on any longer. I use just the body from a twister tail sometimes too (break off the tail) when I don't want to add any action, just a soft body. Kind of depends on where the majority of the fish are being hooked as to what I use.

Doc

[GORD]

There are many guys that will dazzle you with brilliace and/or baffle you with B/S . Perhaps that's why you are asking this question (over informed by conflicting theories and are thoroughly confused). Seperating the wheat from the chaff can be pretty tricky when it comes to walleye fishing. My advice would be.... Try to remember everything you hear and put it all to use whenever possable. Try to think from a fishes perspective. Keep your eyes and ears open. What are they saying at the bait shop? What are those guys in that old row boat over there doing to catch all those fish? "USE WHATEVER IS WORKING AT THE TIME" and later, after the smoke clears, you can figure out the theory behind your success. "BECAUSE IT WORKS" has always been an acceptable explanation in my book.