Rubber Jigs

Jigs can be productive in a wide range of conditions, but they're most effective for working breaklines and isolated structures. Because you can feel the jig as it connects with the bottom and bumps into structure, you're in constant touch with both the lure's position and the terrain you're fishing.

Rubber-skirted jigs are used most often in bass fishing. They provide a bulky profile, and the skirt creates lots of tantalizing movement, making the lure an excellent choice for all periods. Hair jigs are slimmer, and used more in finesse settings.

In the summer, work a jig a couple of feet above the bottom for suspended fish. In the winter, fish a lighter jig right on the bottom. Drag it, rest it, and use smaller, slower hops. A light jig and light line are also the best choice in clear water when fish are more wary. Use a heavier version in strong winds, and choose a jig with a weed-guard for fishing heavy cover.

Rubber jigs are nearly always fished with some type of trailer. The jig-n-pig, a jig with a pork rind trailer, is a favorite of many pros. It's a top producer in patterns ranging from deep, cold water to springtime grass beds and thick cover. You can bump it along the lake bottom to imitate a crawfish, or swim it across flats or near structure to suggest a wounded baitfish. It creates enough noise and action to draw reflex strikes from holding and wary bass. Fish it weedless with 25-pound line and flip it into thick weedbeds. Go with a smaller jig and lighter line in clear, open water. A slow, bumpy retrieve is best in most conditions. Use your rod tip to lift, then rest, the jig.

A floating plastic worm makes an excellent trailer for jig fishing because it provides a lot of added action. Bump this rig off the bottom and against various structures like a regular jig, and take advantage of the worm's fluttering tail in your retrieve. Lift the lure with your rod tip and let it free-fall a few feet at a time, keeping your eye on your line for strikes while the rig is dropping.

Another favorite trailer is the twin-tail grub, the first choice of many pros when working lakes with a big population of crawfish. For this imitation, work the rig slowly across the bottom of the lake with a jerk-rest-jerk retrieve. Bump it off the lake bottom and against any available structure to make it look like a stunned baitfish. This will help you earn more "instinct strikes" from otherwise finicky bass.