Largemouth Bass Fishing Lures : The Jig and Pig

The lead headed Bass fishing  jig is one of the most effective artificial baits used. It is productive when fished in a wide variety of conditions. It was developed fishing rocky banks but also does well when used in heavy cover and in or near vegetation.

This bait combination can be rigged in a variety of ways using skirted jigs with either round or football shaped heads and using varying weight jigs. The most common weights used are a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce jig. The variation in weight will change the rate at which the bait descends after hitting the water. Using a jig with a weed guard will also help to prevent snags and hang ups as the bait passes through cover.

The “pig” portion of the name comes from the attachment of either a trailer composed of a pork product such as Uncle Josh’s pork rind baits or an artificial product which has been imbedded with pork flavoring or scent such as NetBait  Paca Chunk Senior Softbaits
The presentation of the bait is an important part of its effectiveness. The bait should be either “flipped” or “pitched” so that it will drop straight down into the cover or along the side of a drop where the bass may be located. The majority of strikes will occur as the bait descends. As mentioned previously the rate of descent can be controlled by using various weight jigs. After the descent is complete the retrieval should be in short “hops” or spurts of movement separated by a few seconds of rest to mimic the movement of a fleeing crawfish.

Areas combining a rocky bottom with the presence of brush or downed trees are excellent sites to go bass  fishing with the jig and pig. The rocks provide a favored habitat for the crayfish and the brush can provide good cover favored by bass. While you will find bass in either of these environments, when they are found in combination you will have the best of both worlds.

Because a number of factors can influence the attraction of the bait to the bass you should vary your bait if you are at first unsuccessful with the jig and pig. By changing the weight of the bait as mentioned before the rate of decent can be changed. This can be especially important in colder temperatures when the bass is more lethargic and may respond better to a slower moving target. Changes in the color of the skirt on the jig can also make your bait more attractive to the lurking bass. By reviewing how bass view colors and the factors which can affect their color vision you can choose colors which will increase your catch.

A jig will often trigger a response when other bait or lures receive little attention from a bass. When combined with a pork trailer as described above this combination can turn what would have been a disappointing day into a day of bass fishing which will be long remembered.

The following are links to Items referenced in this post:


Bass Pro Shops XPS Professional Series Tungsten Jig

Uncle Josh Pork Baits - Craw Frog

NetBait Paca Chunk Senior Softbaits

This post has only touched the surface of the vast amount of information available to improve your bass fishing. The Complete Bass Fishing Course shares the bassfishing knowledge of the legendary Bill Dance on 12 DVDs along with 12 CDs. Click below to learn how to receive a free lesson DVD.