Jigs - from one-eighth of an ounce to as heavy as eight or ten ounces, they span almost every hook size. Literally every angler on the water uses them at some time or another, and for very good reason – they catch fish!
Bucktail Jigs
Named for the hair that comes from the tail of a deer, these jigs are a mainstay in any saltwater angler’s tackle box. The hair moves, expands and contracts in the water in such a way that it imitates a live fish swimming. White hair with a white head and red wrapping is the most popular color scheme, but they come in almost any color combination. Variations of the bucktail include artificial hair, nylon, Mylar, and marabou hair.
Many, many years ago, anglers could order real polar bear hair from the old Herter’s catalog. It really worked well on a jig. I still have several I tied myself put away as collector’s items.
Bucktails are worked like any other underwater lure. Cast to likely spots and normally retrieved with a jerking motion that gives the bait a darting appearance. Some of the bigger bucktails, those in the 3-ounce and larger range, are used exclusively for deep jigging. Tipped with a strip of bait or plastic worm, the jig is dropped to the bottom in water as deep as 180 to 200 feet and then worked along the bottom in an up and down motion – appropriately called “jigging.”
Nylon jigs are used to troll for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, or king mackerel. The nylon “hair” stands up very well to the razor sharp teeth.
Plastics
Many jig anglers use a plain jig head and some type of plastic grub or swim tail (Georgia anglers call them screw tails). Grub fishing is a particular kind of fishing where the jig is usually worked along or close to the bottom in relatively shallow water. The grub tail imitates baitfish or shrimp, and the color variation is once again almost unlimited.
One popular method of grub fishing is to slow troll the grub in tidal creeks and rivers. Seatrout in particular are sought with this trolling scheme. Some grub tails or swim tails come in larger sizes, and are often trolled offshore.
Once again the method for fishing these grub jigs is very similar to that of the bucktail. Put your bait where you think the fish should be and give it some action on the retrieve.
Jig Heads
By far the most popular jig in my collection, the plain jig head provides versatility to the live bait angler. Live shrimp, mud minnows, menhaden, and mullet – the list goes on, and all of them can be fished with a jig head.
I keep four different sizes in my tackle box, including ¼ ounce, 3/8 ounce, ½ ounce, and ¾ ounce – all with a 2/0 or 3/0 hook. I fish all sizes depending on water depth and current conditions. The rule I follow is to use the smallest weight that will get the bait down. Deeper water and heavy current demands the largest jig. Conversely, shallow water allows me to pitch a very light jig head.
The jig head allows me to fish live bait on the bottom or to work it up into the water column. Because the lead head is right there with the bait, I get an instant feel when a fish touches the bait. If I do hang up and break a line, I only need to retie one item, instead of rerigging a hook, swivel and sinker. It’s quick, easy, and most importantly, it catches fish.
Going back to the question at the beginning of this article, I can answer it for myself in only one way. If I had only one lure to choose from, it would be a jig head. Day in and day out, I consider them to be the most important part of my tackle box.
