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.

• 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.