Reds on Jigs: The Finer Points

Have you ever had one of those days where one guy on the boat seems to catch all the fish, while everyone else struggles to get a bite? Well, of course you have. And if you’re fishing for redfish with jigs, there’s a good chance that it’s just one subtle little detail that’s making all the difference in the world.

This angler managed to hook up over and over, while his buddies went bite-less. Eventually, someone realized his jig head was a quarter-ounce lighter.

• Jig head weight matters. A lot. Sometimes the reds like a jig that’s falling just so, and when you’re fishing in relatively deep water you may be tempted into using a head that falls too fast. In the picture above everyone aboard was casting with three-quarter-ounce heads, except one person who used a half-ounce head. Eventually someone else put two and two together, changed to half an ounce, and started catching.
• Tail size matters. A lot. Sometimes, even more than color. Tail type can matter too, and there will be days when paddles beat twisters or vise-versa.
• Scent matters. A lot. Sometimes the fish don’t really seem to care, but other times a scented bait (or one smeared with scent) out-fishes the plain ones hands-down. Note that it doesn’t always make a huge difference in whether you get a bite or not, but it almost always seems to make a difference in how long the fish holds the bait. When they’re short-striking or you miss a lot of very brief nips, scent can get them to hold on longer and attack with more aggression.
• Vibrations matter. A lot. There will be days when a thumping paddletail is the only thing that gets bites, and there will be days when under-spin heads are the only thing that gets bites. Especially in cloudy or discolored water, if you aren’t getting hit think about how much vibration your offering is putting out.
• Style of retrieve matters. A lot. Sometimes a slow, steady bounce does the trick, and others a fast and erratic cadence wins out. You never know from day to day, so alter your retrieves until you learn what the fish want.