Anybody here have any luck swimming jigs? I've always fished them the traditional ways, and with good luck, but I want to expand my jig fishing. I've read several articles about swimming jigs but they never seem to cover the retrieve. How do you guys work them? Do you use a straight retrieve or is it a crank and pause type of thing? Also what time of year and around what kind of structure has this worked best for you? Lastly, are spider jigs better suited for this than conventional ones?

Thanks,

Just like slow rolling a spinnerbait, but add in a little slow 9-10 rod movement.

There are times of the year when swimming, and I use that word loosely, works for me. In fact when they are on that bite I can catch a grip of fish that way. When the fish are active on prey I usually discover it because I'll get bit on the fall after I have cast out. I use Yami Super Grub trailers so the bait has a swimming effect. It particularly works good for me around rocks. I like to pop it up and let it fall then pop it again and so on, keeping the jig moving and lightly tapping the rocks. There have been days when I got bit on nearly every cast working it that way. I think a lot of it has to do with the trailer giving off so much action.

This has been a technique that I learned from the Cachuma king Howdy Bernth about 30 yrs go. His clients were not always the best fisherman and needed a easy technique to catch fish. His go to lure was the 5" double tail grub & skirt in smoke sparkle color and 3/8oz head. Simply throw it out and begin a very slow retrieve just over the bottom and wait for it to get the spongy rubber band feeling before setting the hook. It can be a very productive bait when the grass is up and rocky banks where wind is blowing bait up.