Everything You Need to Know About Fishing a Swim Jig by Jacob Wheeler

Arguably the best bass fisherman on Earth today, Jacob Wheeler, breaks down everything you need to know about fishing swim jigs.

• Stick to these simple colors for swim jigs (black/blue, green pumpkin, white)
• Recommended 3 types of swim jig trailers
  • flapping type craws (most lift)
  • chunk craws
  • minnow boottails (least lift)
• Use braid & heavy gauge wire hooks in shallow heavy weedy cover
• Use fluorocarbon light gauge wire swim jigs in sparse grass, rocks, wood
• How to fish a swim jig when the bass are keying on craws/crayfish
  • Light gauge swim jig hook
  • Fluorocarbon line
  • sparse cover
  • 3/8 or 1/4 oz (if shallow)
  • craw type trailer
  • Slow retrieve with light shaking 
  • Swim and pump, then kill… pause, then repeat
  • MH Rod
  • 7:3:1 or 8:3:1 gear ratio
• Fishing a swim jig when the bass are keying on minnows/gills
  • Light gauge swim jig hook
  • Fluorocarbon line
  • sparse cover
  • minnow boottail trailer (3″ or 4″) which gives the bait a rolling action
    • 3″ trailer when bass are targeting shad, smaller minnows, small bluegill or perch
    • 4″ trailer when the bass are targeting bigger minnows, bluegill, or perch
  • wind it slow, pause occasionally (cast & wind, cast and wind)
• Fishing a swim jig in heavy shallow cover
  • Heavy gauge swim jig hook
  • Use braided line
  • Heavy shallow cover
  • Steady retrieve with the “Alabama shake”
    • hold rod tip higher
    • shake to throw slack in the line during retrieve (med. action rod helps here)
    • retrieving higher in water column
  • Medium action Rod (because using braid… more forgiving)
  • 7:3:1 or 8:3:1 gear ratio