(Swim) Jig confusion

Jig it, spin it, buzz it, if it's got a wire or a lead head, it can and will be discussed in here.
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Dalleinf
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(Swim) Jig confusion

Post by Dalleinf » Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:00 am

I decided that 2020 will be the year that I chase Scandinavian perch and pike with swim jigs and chatterbaits - so I bought a ton of jigs and chatterbaits from Amazon.co.jp.
However, as I am not that used to fishing with skirted jigs, I have become a little confused with regard to swim jigs and jig styles. Google and Youtube have been a help and I get that the traditional Tom Monsoor Northern/Wisconsin style Swim Jig comes with a thinner hook, thinner skirt and weed guard, and a thin-ish pointed head with vertical line tie. Still, at least to me, there seems to be some grey areas with Southern/California style jigs being very close appearance-wise to casting/flipping/pitching jigs (not sure that I get the difference between these three styles), ie stout hook, thick skirt and weed guard...heck, even the head seems a bit similar at times.

Can anyone clarify further? Do you use some casting/flipping/pitching jigs for swimming?

Moreover, info on some top of the line swim jigs is appreciated... Among the jigs I recieved from Japan, the Jackson/Quon Verage Swimmer, Engine Loops Swimming Master, and ISM Carver all seem very nice and appropriate for swimming. Plus I like that the jig weight is stated on the lure. The Evergreen Grass Ripper, Gan Craft Core Head jig, Geecrack Rock Jig Sniper, and Pros Factory Equip Hybrid Great also seem nice, eg with Owner hooks on some, but may fit better in non-swim jig categories (allthough I believe at least the evergreen is titled swim jig by the manufacturer)...
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hoohoorjoo
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Re: (Swim) Jig confusion

Post by hoohoorjoo » Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:58 am

Swim jigs tend to have a thinner weed guard and lighter wire hook. The Strike King Heavy Cover swim jig is an exception, being designed for, you guessed it, heavy cover. A swim jig is a reaction bait, much the same as a crankbait or spinnerbait. The added versatility of dropping it to the bottom and hopping or pausing it makes it a very productive lure. Jigs have become specialized to the point of ridiculousness in my honest opinion. I fish Arkie-style jigs as swim jigs, I hop them on the bottom and I also flip in some pretty heavy cover such as logs and stumps. If you fish the bottom or heavy cover, be prepared to lose one every so often. My dad always told me if I'm not getting hung up and losing lures, I'm fishing dead water. A properly set drag for the intended application is important. In heavy cover, a stout braided line and locked-down drag are necessary, which is why flipping jigs have heavy gauge tempered hooks. Swim jigs can be fished on mono or flouro, depending on conditions and the cover you fish in. A looser drag setting is better in this scenario. When fishing for hard-mouthed fish like pike and musky, I think a sharp hook is one of the most important things that is often overlooked.
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Dalleinf
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Re: (Swim) Jig confusion

Post by Dalleinf » Tue Jan 07, 2020 6:19 am

Thank you very much. Very informative and nice to know that arkie style jigs can be used (I think I get what they are and will google :-)). Yes, a sharp hook is needed indeed and I like that I will be using just one single hook. At times, it can be a pain to remove a jerkbait with three trebles from an annoyed pike...

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Re: (Swim) Jig confusion

Post by smalljaw » Thu Jan 09, 2020 4:48 am

There are a few differences between a swim jig and a casting jig. You mentioned most of those with the Northern style jig fished by Tom Monsoor but there is an element that makes it swim. The 30 degree line tie, it keeps the jig tracking straight and helps coming through cover as your line comes off the nose of the bait and in a straight line. With a hook coming out a 90 degree angle or even a 60 degree angle the line is coming off the jig at an angle as the jig moves forward. It isn't much of an angle but it is enough to have the jig run straight, it is always being pulled up first rather than forward. That angle of being pulled up is what makes those jigs really good for bottom contact. The only style bullet head jigs for fishing grass use 30 degree hooks for that straight pull as well, not really good for dragging on the bottom as the knot is more easily damaged than a jig with the line tie on top of the head instead of out front. The heavier wire California Style swim jigs blur the lines a bit but most of those jigs are designed with the line tie out front even with 60 degree hooks.
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Re: (Swim) Jig confusion

Post by LgMouthGambler » Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:39 am

Im with Tim, they are getting just out of hand with the jigs. :lol:
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Dalleinf
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Re: (Swim) Jig confusion

Post by Dalleinf » Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:43 am

Thank you, smalljaw. I have been searching for and buying some more swim jigs with 30˚ line tie or thereabouts. Unfortunately, I had already spent some dollars on jigs less suited for swimming, which is the skirted jig fishing style I am most interested in at present. For some reason, skirted jigs are almost impossible to find in Scandinavian tackle shops. Almost all other (styles of) US-made lures can be found here and are frequently used here, but skirted jigs are not... I really look forward to better weather and hope that our perch and pike will like the swim jigs.

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Re: (Swim) Jig confusion

Post by Dalleinf » Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:52 am

The big perch appreciate large fish imitations, so a swim jig with paddle tail should perform well.

The fish in the picture was one of two perch caught that day swimming the 20cm 98gram (8” 3.5oz) Savage Gear line thru trout in moderate sink...
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