Swimming Jigs
Mumpys NEW Bluegill Swimming Jig
Over this past Memorial Day I had a chance to fish Lake Eufaula with a friend of mine. I am not sure how many people were visiting my site last year, but I had posted a blog about a lure that was blowing up on the Pro Circuit, called a “Swimming Jig”. These Jigs and this technique has been around for decades, but has been kept a secret from local fishermen. Don’t believe me? All it takes is a quick Google to see the multiple articles written on Swimming a Jig and just about 90% of them talk about how it has been a tactic that Pro Fishermen did not want to be publicized. It has become a hot tactic and swimming a Jig technique may have been the top technique for the 2009 Elite Series Tournament according to ESPN.
Eufaula Bass on Black and Blue Swimming Jig
Mumpys Swimming Jigs
A Swimming Jig is a sleekly designed Jig that is to be cast out and retrieved much like a Spinner Bait, without the flash. It is intended to move quietly, though not absolute silently, through the water. Cast these jigs in grass, trees, stumps, basically anywhere you would normally cast a Spinnerbait, Crankbait or Jig. You will quickly notice how the swimming jig doesn’t get hung up on weeds, limbs or rocks. There isn’t any excessive flash nor noise to attract or alarm bass and their silent movement through the water often provokes vicious reflex strikes.
Eufaula Bass caught on a White Swimming Jig
Buzzbaits, Crankbaits and even Spinnerbaits all have something in common. They all make noise and even though these baits may not spook or alarm a Bass, they can grow accustom to noisy lures and avoid them all together. Jigs, are known for catching big bass. The swimming jig may possibly be more effective at drawing bigger bass to strike.
Color variations are as infinite as any other lure color, though a lot of anglers prefer to use white. The anglers that stick to this color are missing out on fish. Sticking to one color will limit the amount of strikes you get. I have said for years, Water Clarity + Conditions equal Lure Color. Stick with that rule when choosing your Jig Color and I promise you more strikes. Try to emulate the forage the bass are feeding on. If it is Bluegill use a Pumpkin Seed with some Orange strands mixed in, Shad equals White with some blue and maybe a red strand and for Crawfish I throw the tried and true, Black and Blue. So, with a couple of days to prepare for the fishing trip to Lake Eufaula, I spent most of my Sunday pouring lead, painting heads and putting together different color schemes for my adventure to one of the most famous Lakes in the Southeast. We ended up catching a total of 13 Largemouth, 1 Crappie and a Grass Pike. Of those fish, 7 Largemouth, a Crappie and a Grass Pike were all caught on a swimming Jig. Many more could have made this blog had we caught them and not missed them.
I guess that’s why they call it fishing and not catching.
I will close with saying this.
The next time you are going out on the water and you come to a spot where you would normally fish a Spinnerbait or a Crankbait, pick up the Swimming Jig instead. I honestly believe if you do this, you will soon find yourself replacing what you normally grab for those occasions with a Swimming Jig. Who knows, you might not always catch a bass…
I have found an excellent video on Youtube that was made by Bass Pro Shops featuring Kevin VanDam on Swimming Jigs. This video is worth the watch, he shows you some techniques that goes beyond just the cast and retrieve that I can’t wait to try the next time I am out on the water. Enjoy
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