Jig, The Universal Bait

Jig, Everyone Has Used One

I feel like everyone’s first hook they used was the simple jig, well it was mine anyways. It comes in those pre-assembled lure kits you see in the bottom shelf, or attached to a beginner rod for children. It’s my go-to hook when fishing for walleye, and will grab the attention of most fish lurking underneath. It is incredible the versatility of a painted piece of lead with something hanging off the hook. I write this to honor this simple workhorse of recreational fishing.

jigs

Not Sure What’s Working?

Not to worry, jig has your back. One of the beautiful things about the jig is just how many colors, shapes and sizes you can use to find out what the fish are hungry for that day. The heads come in a variety of weights that allow one to fish in many water conditions and different sizes of fish. The amount of tails is rather impressive to. It offers the versatility to figure the motion that triggers that satisfying strike. They also allow for you to try different techniques. You can use it as intended and jig up and down, cast it under that dead fall, or troll around trying to find the fish on your adventure. They come as plain lead balls, or painted and skirted with plastic and feathers, and everything in between.

Packing Light, or on a Budget?

You guessed it, Jig is the hook for you. Bang for your buck, Jig is one of the the cheapest artificial lure money can buy (a plain hook and finding your own bait is the cheapest). The tails and heads do wear out quicker than a plastic lure such as a Rattlin’ Rapala, but un-salvageable snags feel much easier to bear with the cheaper jig. With the versatility of the hook and the different styles, it allows one to pack less tackle and have relative success on daunting portage adventures, or hiking when weight and space matters. 

K.I.S.S.

No it is not a typo, but a saying I say to myself. Keep it simple, stupid. When I am having trouble catching a fish with fancy lures, I will fall back to the simple but glorious jig. This hook has been a staple for years and I do not see any reason it will not be in the near future. Cheers to the jig!

by Colin Wiebe

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