Blade bait and jig technique Q's

[coontailkev]

Hello Everyone, Just found this site! Love it!

Quick Question, it seems that jigs and blade baits are the go to baits early in the year......??

Have a few questions concerning this:

What is the proper technique or cadance for jigging blade baits? Is it a sharp upward sweep 12 inches then drop and snap or is it a slower lift 12 inches then pause drop.....? I guess it depends on what the fish want or react to...?
When using traditional jigs is the cadance different than a blade bait?
How are whistler jigs different? candance wise....

Lots of Q's.... any response is appreciated!

Thanks,
Kev

[medic1]

I am no expert on the subject of blade baits, but here is what I have learned so far.

1. Do NOT tie them directly to your line, or use swivels. Use just a snap because a swivel will reduce the action of the bait, and tying straight on will eventually cut your line.

2. When working the bait you can feel it vibrate. General speaking you need to work it fast enough to feel that. Jig it vertically in an up and down fashion with a quick upward rip and a controlled slow fall in the summer. In the winter I have been told to move the rod tip about 1-2' and no faster than 1 second per movement. The strikes can come at any time with this technique. Most of the time the strike will come on the fall. This is why the slow controlled fall is important.

3. Size matters ;). I use 1/4oz in lakes and 1/2oz in rivers. You want to use the smallest size that you can still keep vertical.

Check out these links

http://www.idofishing.com/forum/showfla ... lade-baits

[Anglinarcher]

[quote="medic1"]I am no expert on the subject of blade baits, but here is what I have learned so far.

1. Do NOT tie them directly to your line, or use swivels. Use just a snap because a swivel will reduce the action of the bait, and tying straight on will eventually cut your line.

2. When working the bait you can feel it vibrate. General speaking you need to work it fast enough to feel that. Jig it vertically in an up and down fashion with a quick upward rip and a controlled slow fall in the summer. In the winter I have been told to move the rod tip about 1-2' and no faster than 1 second per movement. The strikes can come at any time with this technique. Most of the time the strike will come on the fall. This is why the slow controlled fall is important.

3. Size matters ]

Good advice, and to add to this, jigs are more versatile than blade baits. You can swim a jig through weeds, over rocks, etc., etc., or fish it vertically. Blade Baits are more of a vertical to almost vertical bait (with some exceptions for advanced fishermen).

Jigs can be fished fast, or slow, deep, or shallow. Blade Baits need to be fished fast enough to feel the vibration; too slow and you might as well be fishing a jig, too fast, well you almost can't fish it to fast. You can slow a blade down by longer controlled pauses or drops after the vibration felt lift.

You might get the impression I don't like Blades, and that is not true. Blades provide a lot of noise and vibration, and often that is the biggest advantage over the normal jig.

[coontailkev]

Thanks for the info. I still have yet to catch a eye on a jig or blade....?? Starting to doubt how i fish them. Jigs more of a lift and drop reel in slack and do it again maybe 6-10 inches at a time. Still no bites, tried Porcepine Bay, Moses and the Pot holes.....nada!! Worm harnesses seem to be the only thing i can catch a walleye on.
This will be the year!! im only fishing jigs.............until i give up on it after 30 minutes.... then probabbly back to spinner rigs! :(

Wish me luck....and if you are fishing jigs and old beat up 68 hewscraft floats up alittle close with some big ugly dude staring at you dont get to freaked.... he's just trying to figure out if those jigs you are catching fish on are real or just a myth!!!

Thanks again!!
Kev

[Anglinarcher]

Thanks for the info. I still have yet to catch a eye on a jig or blade....?? Starting to doubt how i fish them. Jigs more of a lift and drop reel in slack and do it again maybe 6-10 inches at a time. Still no bites, tried Porcepine Bay, Moses and the Pot holes.....nada!! Worm harnesses seem to be the only thing i can catch a walleye on.
This will be the year!! im only fishing jigs.............until i give up on it after 30 minutes.... then probabbly back to spinner rigs! :(

Wish me luck....and if you are fishing jigs and old beat up 68 hewscraft floats up alittle close with some big ugly dude staring at you dont get to freaked.... he's just trying to figure out if those jigs you are catching fish on are real or just a myth!!!

Thanks again!!
Kev

Keep in mind that spinner rigs, trolling in general, and crank baits cover a lot of water in a short amount of time. The method us normally used to catch scattered fish, or to locate schools.

Jigs and Blades work best once the schools have been located, or when you have specific structure you need to fish that the other methods cannot properly cover.

If you have not caught an Eye on a blade of jig, then you are not targeting the right places, or schools. Once you learn to find the spot on the spot, you will never go fishing again without jigs and or blades in your box.