If you’re like most bass anglers, you’ve cast jigs, flipped jigs,pitched jigs, hopped jigs, crawled jigs and even jigged jigs, but theonly time you ever swam a jig was when you sprinted it back to the boat to make another pitch, flip or cast.

Well, you’re missing out. There’s more to jig fishing than what you’ve been doing. It’s time you started swimming a jig. For that, you’ll want a good instructor. Luckily, we have one of the very best in the business.

Meet Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio. What’s that? You already know Lowen — two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, Elite Series pro and generally all-around good guy who just happens to be the High Priest of jig swimming.

But did you know that his nickname is “Turtle”? Well, it is. And you definitely need to know when and how he swims a jig because it’ll put more bass in your boat.

Lowen came by jig swimming honestly. He didn’t pick it up from abuddy or take it from a tournament partner. He discovered it the same way most great fishing techniques are discovered. He stumbled upon it by accident.

“I was fishing a jig out on the Ohio River one day years ago and not having much success. After a cast I was reeling my jig back in to make another cast when I saw a bass chasing it. A few casts later, after I was done hopping or crawling the jig along, I reeled it in and another bass took a swipe at it. I thought, ‘Hey man, maybe there’s something to this.’”

Something indeed. After that experience, “Turtle” started swimming a jig more often. And it worked… a lot! He found that he was catching more bass by swimming the baits than by hopping or crawling them; and some of the bass he was catching were big!

Why Swim a Jig?

So why would anyone want to swim a jig when you could just as easily use a spinnerbait or crankbait or even a swimbait? The short answer to that question is, “It works.” Bass will strike a swimming jig, and sometimes they prefer it to those other lures.

For example, the swim jig is more subtle than a spinnerbait or crankbait. It’s not whirring, spinning, rattling or shimmying as it goes through the water. This not only makes it different from a spinnerbait or crankbait, it also makes it a great choice on heavily pressured waters that see a lot of blades and cranks.

Remember a few years back when everyone decided to use square-billed crankbaits in the places they had traditionally fished spinnerbaits? Well, now a lot of bass have seen the crankbaits. It’s time for something different. Swim jigs are that something different.

But what about swimbaits? Why not throw them instead? Well, for oneyou can put a weedless jig in places that you just can’t work a big,hard swimbait with treble hooks. And soft plastic swimbaits have big tails that kick up lots of fuss. If the bass want something subtler, aswim jig might be the answer.

What’s a Swim Jig?

DIRTY JIGS REGULAR SWIM JIG PICTURED

According to Lowen, you can swim any jig on the market and get bit .But if you really want to succeed, you’ll do much better by using one that’s designed for the job.That is the DIRTY JIG SWIM JIG.

What are the right features? “You really need a bullet-shaped headso it will slip through grass and cover with a minimum of hang ups,”says Lowen. “And the underside of the head needs to have a flat,planning surface. That flat part will help the jig glide over brush andother cover, but, more importantly, it gives the jig a little lift so that it comes toward the surface on the retrieve.”

That lift is more subdued, but similar to the lift that blades giveto spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. It’s important to the way that Lowen likes to retrieve his swim jig, and it helps to keep his bait out of trouble.

The Right Stuff

For years, Lowen did all his jig swimming with a flipping rod, and at the end of the day he was exhausted. The rod just didn’t have enough tip action and he was fighting it all day to make accurate casts and pitches.

According to the Ohio pro, the perfect swim jig rod is between 7 feet, 3 inches and 7 feet, 6 inches long and has the butt and main section of a flipping rod, but the tip of a spinnerbait rod. The soft tip allows for more accurate casts and pitches and helps on hook-ups by giving the bass an extra moment or two to inhale the jig. The stout butt and shaft offer plenty of hook setting power with the heavy linesthat Lowen prefers.

Turtle likes the Abu Garcia Revo STX in 7:1 for his jig swimming.The fast retrieve gives him the speed he needs to keep the bait up and moving. And, as he puts it, “If the reel’s too fast, you can always slow down.”

(We Use Nothing But Shimano Reels Here at THE BASS COLLEGE)

For line, Lowen uses Stren Sonic Braid in 30- or 40-pound test forall of his jig swimming. “It acts like monofilament or fluorocarbon,”he says. “I always use braid, no matter the water color or the cover I’m fishing. I just don’t think the extra visibility of braid mattersif you’re swimming a jig.”

(We Use Seaguar Here At THE BASS COLLEGE)

The Jig Swim September 21, 2009

It won’t be long before fall fishing is here. The bass will really startto key in on the shad in the creeks and put on the feed bag. One of thehottest baits you can toss is a swim jig especially if your lake hasdocks or shallow grass. The swim jig is overlooked by most anglers who prefer to throw a spinnerbait or a crankbait. This is one of the reasons why the technique is so good.  You can give the bass a presentation that they don’t see as much and a white jig zipping by is such a good baitfish imitator.

I like to take my jig and cast it out there and try a quick retrieve where the bait is just under the surface. I’ll give the jig twitches asI am reeling it back because a lot of times the fish will run under thebait and as soon is it jumps when I twitch my rod  they will strike it.If you’ve got grass throw it in the open lanes and make it bulge the surface.  Another way to fish the jig is to take it and throw it outthere and let it sink to the bottom. Start to reel slow and have it constantly ticking the bottom on a steady retrieve.  I like to picture the jig as rooting the bottom like a crankbait. A lot of times when youhit a bigger piece of cover and your jig comes over it you’ll get abite. This can work wonders on bass relating to rip rap. If yourfishing jigs around the docks sometimes burning the jig and then killing it at the posts will get you some strikes. Typically when your swimming a jig the strikes are so visual and that can make for an exciting day of fishing.

If your going to swim a jig make sure you have a heavy rod with a soft tip. I like to use an AiRRUS Ultra XL rod in the 6′9” length inmedium heavy because I can make accurate casts and have the power to set the hook. For this technique you want a burner type reel with a 7.1gear ratio because the bass sometimes hit your bait and run straight to the boat. Spool your reels up with 20lb test GAMMA Edge Fluorocarbon line because the fish don’t have a chance to see your line anyways.

When it comes to jigs the DIRTY JIGS REGULAR SWIMJIG works great for fishing around grass and the docks. It comes through the grass really well because of its head design and the weed guard has just the right stiffness to keep it coming through the cover and easy to hook up with big bass.  If I’m hitting the bottom with my jig I’ll pick up an DIRTY JIG football Jig because nothing comes through the rocks better than a football jig. I like to throw the 1oz because it stays down around the bottom and I can reel it at a quick pace to get those reaction strikes.

For jig trailers I really like the Netbait Paca Chunks in white on my swim jigs. They give off a nice kick and make the bass go crazy.  A twin tail grub is another great trailer for your swim jig. Figuring out what the bass want just takes some experimentation. A lot of times I’llpick the trailer based on what profile I want to give the bait. If thebaitfish are smaller I’ll throw a twin tail. If they are bigger I’ll throw a paca chunk. I just try and match the hatch with my trailer colors and skirts.

WE HAVE VIDEOS ON SWIMMING JIGS AND TACKLE TIPS IN OUR VIDEO SECTION HERE

 courtesy Bassmaster.

What about fishing late fall/early winter? Is that a good time to swim jigs as well? I know about flipping and pitching, which you should use lighter jigs, but should you go lighter when swimming them as well?

All through the fall into winter. Use a different weight depending on the depth and current.

By Dan O'Sullivan

Bassmaster.com

Jigs and big bass go together. The combination of a rubber-skirted leadhead and a plastic or pork trailer has fooled countless numbers of giant bass. The crawfish-mimicking characteristics of a bottom-bouncing jig is a time-proven winner.

Matt Allen

Allen is a 26-year-old big bass aficionado from Vacaville, Calif. In the past few years, he's become one of the rising stars of the trophy-hunting community.

However effective the jig-and-pig on the bottom is, the combo is equally as effective when used in the middle of the water column. The swim jig is a darling on the pro tours. It's a deadly approach for better than average bass.

Leave it to a trophy hunter to take something to the extreme.

Matt Allen is a 26-year-old big bass aficionado from Vacaville, Calif. In the past six or seven years, Allen has become one of the rising stars of the trophy-hunting community. In that time, he's caught 46 largemouth bass weighing more than 10 pounds, many smallmouth more than 6 pounds and several spotted bass that eclipse the 5-pound mark — mostly on swimbaits.

However, over the past couple of years, swimming a jig has become not only a go-to tactic but Allen's new favorite.

"It started as my way of trying to improve upon the swimbait" said Allen. "Swimbaits are great, but they have action that is generally limited to tail action and a little body movement. From what I've seen on the water, baitfish have gills, fins and a tail that move. The jig better represents that to me."

Another benefit of the swim jig to the young Californian was that it gave him a more effective bluegill imitator. "Bluegill- or bream-shaped lures are notoriously inefficient in strike-to-land ratios," said Allen. "Bluegill colors on minnow- or trout-shaped baits work, but a jig gives me a bulky panfish profile, with the efficiency of a jig on the business end."

His swimbait history in mind, Allen shies away from traditional swim jigs and gear. Because he is targeting the kind of fish that bend hooks and break hearts, his gear is built for the approach. He uses a Dobyns 765 Flip paired with a 7.1:1 Shimano Curado 200DHSV and 65-pound-test braided line with a 20- to 25-pound-test mono leader bonded with a blood knot.

The leader is not for visibility concerns. It's to protect big bass from harming themselves with their brute force. "Early in my experimentations, I saw the potential for bass to injure themselves with so little give in the combo," he explained. "I add a 7-foot leader of mono in 20-pound test around grass and 25-pound test around rock or wood. It adds a little shock absorption."

With such stout tackle, he uses a jig that'll also maintain its integrity in battle. His choice is a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce Dirty Jigs Tour Level No Jack Flippin' Jig in either Alabama Bream or Crappie colors. Then he threads an entire 5-inch Roboworm EZ Shad swimbait on the hook.

He uses the Prizm Perch color for matching the bluegill jig and the Hologram Shad when fishing the Crappie color for largemouth, but chooses Stocker Trout when targeting smallmouth and spotted bass.

Matt Allen

Allen has caught 46 largemouth bass weighing more than 10 pounds, including this 12-pounder.

His lure choices are by preference and not obligation. He has no connection to Roboworm and purchases the baits he uses. In fact, only recently has the owner of Dirty Jigs begun working with him on the jigs.

"I fish what I need to succeed," said Allen. "This combo has just the right tail action, and the tail kick makes the jig wobble back and forth enough to create action in the jig."

He retrieves the jig fast enough to see the tail begin moving the jig back and forth. "The weight of the jig will basically dictate the speed of my retrieve," he said. "I only reel fast enough to keep up with the lure. I don't want to overdo it."

His favorite situation is to locate a patch of sparse grass clumps and use them to his advantage. "Anglers are trained to work the lanes between clumps with spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and Chatterbaits," he said. "Bass get used to things flying by and over them, and bury in the grass. I use the swim jig to plow through the clumps; the jig often doesn't make it to the other side."

That's his favorite situation, but he also uses the technique around wood, docks, rock and for suspended fish, and the depth makes no difference — nor does time of day. Allen reports incredible success after dark. The approach has accounted for "too many 7- to 9-pound fish to count" and two 10-pounders to date, along with several big smallmouth and spotted bass.

"It's a lot of fun, and while you might retrieve it like a swimbait, try to remember that it's a jig," he said. "When they bite it, jack 'em hard and grind them in like you would any other jig."

**Well, Now that the secret is out in Bassmaster, I guess there is no reason to keep this from anybody anymore. If you notice the jig it is almost identical to what you see me using in the videos at Red Mill, Silver lake and others. Many of the bass hit this in the docks but they have been hitting these as you swim them away from the docks in the open water near the grass ledges and pockets offshore. I have added similar trailers and some that are not mentioned here and I'll be doing a video on these soon and in the spring. You can click on any photo to view these baits and tackle or just click on the text. Tight lines, Steve**

Matt was on our Pro Staff when we had our old website many years ago.

I have fished with a well-respected guide on the river who insists that the swim jig is the best lure to throw on the Potomac River when fish are hitting moving baits.  I first fished with him in the early spring and we loaded the boat on spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and lipless cranks (this guys does not finesse fish, we covered water!), when I went with him again in the summer the swimming jig was the ticket.  In the early spring the bass are feeding like mad and have not seen many lures since October of the previous year, they let their guard down and slam spinnerbaits or rattle traps; but by the summer they have seen so many flashy noisy lures that a subtler swim jig is the best option to trigger strikes.

I throw a black/blue 3/8 ounce Dave's Tournament Tackle swim jig with a ragetail craw trailer with 20lb fluoro and I rip the jig out of grass and let the jig fall after the rip before reeling it in again.  You do not miss many bites with this technique as the fish will rip the rod out of your hands!  At low tide I like to cast into pockets on the outside grass edge and rip it out or cast parallel to the weed edge making sure to get the lure into any grass points that extend out.

After an entire season of throwing swimjigs in the lakes, ponds, and rivers, in recreational fishing, guiding, and in tournaments, we can say that the DIRTY JIGS are hands down, the best all aroud jigs on the market and the swimjig is the only one to use. We use the REGULAR swim jig here in the northeast.

Yes, someone agrees! For the past few years i've been swimming jigs more than pitching them to cover. And they catch big fish! I think its a great bluegill imitator and more natural than a spinnerbait, atleast thats my 2 cents

agreed also with swim jigs being one of  the best baits on the market.. although i have to agree with steve dirty jigs are the best and i would never use another jig as long as they are in buisness ...a very versital bait .. if ur not throwing one then your doing something wrong lol they catch big fish!!!

Agreed. Past couple trips have been good confidence boosters with the swim jig for both large and smallmouth.

I have been fishing it through grass and rocks. I've been using a St.Croix MH Flipin stick 7'6" with 40# braid spooled on a Curado 200E7 . 3/8 - 1/2 oz Dirty Swim Jig and Zoom Speed Craw / Keitec ssb as trailers.

Thanks for helping me add another bait to the bag. The tips and video's are really helpful .

ive started useing swimjigs alot lately and i love'em they are my go to bait they always produce fish for me no matter how i use them

this helped me out a lot!

Yup yup, white swimjigs are beast in the fall

One of the best things about a swim jig like a Dirty Jig is that you have more than one bait on when you are using it.

You can throw it real shallow and burn it like a chatterbait, Spinnerbait, or fast wake bait through grass and pads and shallow wood.

You can hold it on the edges of pads and shake it then let it fall, if they don't hit it on the fall, you can start swimming it.

You can go right up to a dock or other structure and flip or Pitch it in with success and then swim it right back using the same bait.

It is Versatile. It can be made to represent any type of baitfish you have with the colors that are offered and with the trailer combinations available.

It can be made to look like a crawfish if you want it to be. Try using this bait more with the different trailers we suggest, don't just get caught up fishing it with one trailer, one way, because it works a lot, experiment, thats how it came about in the first place!

Nice video u sure can still catch them on the swimjig i caught 1 yesterday around 7:30 p.m the dirtyjig saved me from getting SKUNKED 

Like Steve said, the Swim Jig can be fished many ways. Ive landed some healthy hawgs out here in KS lately using Dirty Jigs.

I'm with Steve. I've been testing out the Dirty Swim Jig for the last month and I'll tell you that they are by far the best Jigs on the Market today. I won't fish with any other jig now.