So, I know that fishing jigs with a small piece of shrimp/prawn meat is a common method, and that most people recommend against using scent with jigs because it messes up the action of the jig material.

I'm wondering if you guys have any preferences regarding what types of jigs you do/don't use any bait with (e.g., marabou, rabbit fur, bucktail, etc.) because it does or doesn't mess up the jig action.

I know I've got a couple jigs that I like using with a bit of prawn meat, but I also notice that if I let them dry after using them without a bit of a rinse, the material gets a bit brittle/sticky. That makes me wonder if the underwater action isn't as good when I'm fishing them with bait.

On the extreme rare occassion I'm forced to fish a jig, I do fish it with shrimp or prawn meat... The only time's I'm forced to fish jigs is when I'm in the DB with my buddies and they're low holing the hell out of me by floating their bobber to the end of the hole as we pull into the top of it....

Dang long liners....

Any jig you want to fish works, just the cheap maribou's with a good hook seem to work in pink/white...

Keith

For us lazy fishermen or those of us who like to fish in no bait water (soft plastics aka worms, not allowed) you can go with Good Day Fishing wipes. They're basically anis flavored baby wipes and not only to they add scent without messing up the action of the feathers, but they will also allow you to clean up the feathers reviving an other wise goopy jig in a few seconds on the river.
As far as jig choice is concerned, there is one that I absolutely refuse to walk away from. First Bite Jigs in North Plains, Oregon is head and shoulders the best jigs I've ever fished with. Mark does a great job and I hooks are as solid as they come. Look for the beaded pink or orange shrimp tail series. Sometimes no beads in super clear water.....

JD

+1

i have never had to tip a jig with anything. bead/yarn jigs are the only jigs i'd any scent to.

tipping a jig with prawn meat is like putting bait meat on a fly. no need. but it happens on jigs alot!

Most of the time you don't need to add anything to a jig but at times in heavily pressured water it does not hurt to tip them. For the most part I use small micro jigs even in winter flows so they do the trick on their own!

Do you use splitshot to get the micro jigs down in higher flows?

I am a firm believer in sand shrimp tails a red first bite jig !! I have seen it way to many times where a plain jig goes through and never gets touched only to toss out a jig and shrimp and get bit on the first pass. That beeing said I have never had it the other way around ...

I have never tipped any of my jigs or scented them and have caught plenty. Even in dirtier water.

next were gonna hear the topic on "scent on pink worm".

not trying to derail this topic. since brewer can recall back when the popularity on jigs was small... even laughed and scoffed at. we and everybody else busting winter steelhead never tipped a jig with any bait. trust me it was back in the dark ages of jig fishing. we caught many steelhead on large black crappy jigs. landing big winters on a crappy jig was a test in patience. again never scented or tipped them.

so scent and tip... or not. it all works...

I definitely believe that jigs can work with and without bait or scent, and I don't have enough experience to really judge which is better. My gut would say bait enhances effectiveness unless it interferes with the look/action of the jig.

So I'm wondering if anyone that does use bait with jigs (or at least has done it before) has an opinion on whether putting a bit of prawn meat on it negatively affects the look/action of the jig underwater.

Well I definitely "don't use bait", and I catch as many summer run as many of the group I choose to fish around. Just easier for me to not have to play around and go thur the expense of having sand shimp or prawns.

One of the main reasons, I started using jigs, in the late 80's, was to get away from the "bait stealers", squaw fish, suckers, and smolt.

Take a look at the fish pictures on the followingweb site, I'd say 98% were baitless.......


http://www.bradsjigs.com/ ]

this is where steelheading has it's very grey areas. it's like putting a pink worm on a jig hook. ??? why? are you bobber fishing or what? if you want to run bait, run bait don't slam bait on a jig. good gawd!! pick your practice and learn it correctly. next thing bozos will be back bouncing a BW-2112 with 48" leader to #5 rvrfshr diver slammer! then asking wether the slammer needs to be tipped with prawn tail?

well of course!!!!!


PISS!

Marabou feathers tend to get matted up rather quickly if scent is applied. Palmered schlappen and hackle feathers will hold there shape longer then marabou but still succumb to the oils in scent. Best bet is too just use scent sparingly if you do use any at all.

I don't think bait affects the underwater action of the feathers. When I use a sand shrimp tail on my jig I put the jig hook thru the shrimp tail three times to secure the tail onto the jig. This doesn't affect the action of the feathers.

When I use micro jigs I'll add several split shot (3-5) starting about 18" above the jig. I usually use a Drennan Piker and add enough split shot so the top 1/2" of the float is barely sticking out of the water.

Mark

No negative affect if you don't "overload" the jig. Fish have an amazing sense of smell. A small piece of prawn the size of a dime on the hook and you'll out fish a plain jig day in and day out in water that allows bait. But I don't fish a plain white prawn, I cure them up with UEC and some scents. Or, the standard sand shrimp tail on the hook works very good too.

For those that don't beleive bait is better with a jig, you're leaving fish behind....

Keith

I think that with very few exceptions, if you're looking to put bait on your jig...skip the jig and just put the bait on a hook. You'll do just as well, and you don't have to worry about ruining the action of the jig, since it will still be in your jig box.

Fish on...

Todd

Never hurts to have a little something extra in the arsenal. have to go with Keith on this one. I fish them both ways and catch more than my share

Very true Todd. If I had to rank effectiveness of methods to catch steelhead from the shore they would go:

1. Drift fishing bait / shore doggin bait
2. Bobber fishing bait/jig or bait alone
3. Drift fishing yarnies - (no bait areas)
4-5. Jig fishing or worm drift fishing - (no bait areas)
5-6. Spinners and spoons - after you've bait fished the hole (only because it makes or breaks the hole)

Keith

some exeeelent point being made. here is another aspect on things, jig size. years back i bought book by a guy named Bradbury who made marabou in orygun somewheres. his jigs were friggen huge!! by jig standards. like 3/0 jig hook. so i bought about 20. the year was 89 or 90. i was the only guy using them brabury jigs. they stood out like a sore thumb. i was busting winter steelhead from the get go. the entire weekend i was on FAHR! those huge @ss J.lo jigs out fished the nightmares and other jigs at the time.

oh and not tipped or scented.

I love ultimate and use it all the time. Today opening day. 3 steelhead hooked and one coho! Two steelhead came on micro jigs and the coho. The other steelhead came on a pink worm. Ultimate was fished first and often in this pressured hole. Micro jigs accounted for three of the four fish! Keep in mind I love my ultimate and it gets a lot of steelhead for me but I would not say bait is always better. A lot of the time but not always.

I like to run two or three small split shot when fishing micro jigs and prefer the drennan zeppler float in the 11g size. From today it looks like it should be a good winter for steelhead. Lets hope it keeps up.

After reading your post again I agree that bait on a jig can be very good in the right conditions.