Fall 2025
®
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Everyone fishes a jig in a certain way, and this will vary from fisherman to fisherman. I start fishing a hair jig just like I do any jig or worm. I make the cast and let it settle to the bottom, reel up the slack, give the rod tip a gentle lift, lower it again, and then reel up the slack.
TIP: When fishing a hair jig, try to put in a few different variations into your retrieves to draw attention and strikes to your jig.
I rely on a few different retrieves.
FAST REEL: When fishing a hair jig on the edge of the weeds, once I get my jig past the outside weed edge and it jig has settled to the bottom, I give the reel a few fast turns (three or four). This will get the jig to swim parallel to the bottom in a quick bust, then settle back to the bottom when the retrieve stops.
For a bass, this can look like a crawfish or baitfish trying to escape being eaten. This alone is a trigger for the bass to bite before it is too late. This move has often been the best way to trigger strikes from bass when nothing else will get their attention.
SNAP JIG: I make this cast and let the jig settle on the bottom. I reel in the slack, give the jig an up-snap motion with the rod and keep a taught line on the jigs as it makes its way back down. If I feel the line go slack before the jig makes it back to the bottom, I reel down and set the hook.
TIP: Another sign you have a bite is that your line may start to move off to the side, reel down, and set the hook.
SWIM RETRIEVE – I make the cast and monitor the bait as it falls to the bottom. I reel up the slack, give the jig a snap, and start reeling. I adjust the speed to keep the jig close to the bottom.
TIP: You can keep a steady retrieve or use a stop-and- go retrieve; let the bass be the judge and go with what they tell you.
The last thing I want to touch on are fishing setups. For the smaller hair jigs (1/8- to 3/16-oz), I fish a spinning setup – a 7-foot, medium-action rod, teamed with a size 200 to 300 spinning reel that is spooled with 16-pound Sunline Asegai braided line, paired with a 10- to 12-pound fluorocarbon leader.
For 1/4- to 1/2-oz jigs, I use a bait caster setup, I like a 7-foot, medium-action bait caster reel, spooled with 20-pound Sunline Asegai braid, and a 10- to 12-pound fluorocarbon leader.
I hope this gives you a few ideas on how to take advantage of what a hair jig has to offer you to add another finesse bait options to your bass arsenal. This is an under- utilized finesse tactic that many other bass fishermen are not taking advantage of. Use this for your benefit and offer the bass something they don’t see on a regular basis. Don’t forget – hair jigs can be as good or can be even better than a Ned rig. •
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