Fishing Soft Swimbaits like Jigs?

[kscatman76]

I bought a mission fish a couple weeks ago but it got my gears turning a little.  So I acquired a do it mold (poision tail jig) and bought some 9/0 hooks for it which were the biggest I could find, they are wide gap but should work.  I wanted to make a swimbait head that I could fish it like a jig.  I plan to try and use 5 and 7 inch 3:16 rising son's and probably find a few others as well.  Do any of you guys ever fish your swimbait like jigs, just letting it go to the bottom and either dragging or hopping it?  You don't hear a ton about it but it should work?

[Ipleadthefish2]

I actually fish a lot of my weedless like jigs... I've had a LOT of success with the WCZ Battles Shad this way... letting it fall to the bottom and popping it like a jig. Seems like the big bass like that quick up and down of the bait. 

[Loganodum38]

ive learned that things you dont ever here about either really suck or really work. i jig soft baits occasionally, normally when the fish dont know if they want to hit it and need a little persuasion.  in my experience im trying to get a reaction out of them on the hop, open water i love doing it with hudds nail weighted to sink head down but also do it with beast hook baits.  i dont use the mission fish personally, im a huge fan of the jenko booty shaker but youll do just fine with the MF.

[kscatman76]

5 minutes ago, Loganodum38 said:

ive learned that things you dont ever here about either really suck or really work. i jig soft baits occasionally, normally when the fish dont know if they want to hit it and need a little persuasion.  in my experience im trying to get a reaction out of them on the hop, open water i love doing it with hudds nail weighted to sink head down but also do it with beast hook baits.  i dont use the mission fish personally, im a huge fan of the jenko booty shaker but youll do just fine with the MF.

been thinking of buying some booty shakers to try for this technique specifically

[Loganodum38]

1 minute ago, kscatman76 said:

been thinking of buying some booty shakers to try for this technique specifically

you wont be disapointed, the 6's are great, the 8s are aswell but i believe with the 12o beast its like 4 ounces or something, its a large hunk of plastic but getts hammered, has a nice spiraled free fall

[MaineBassin]

6 minutes ago, Loganodum38 said:

ive learned that things you dont ever here about either really suck or really work. i jig soft baits occasionally, normally when the fish dont know if they want to hit it and need a little persuasion.  in my experience im trying to get a reaction out of them on the hop, open water i love doing it with hudds nail weighted to sink head down but also do it with beast hook baits.  i dont use the mission fish personally, im a huge fan of the jenko booty shaker but youll do just fine with the MF.

What size booty shakers you using? I picked up some of the 8" cheap and was planning on dragging them on the bottom ( I bought 1.5 oz long shank heads). From my understanding it takes a bit of speed to get the tail moving with them. Popping in small bursts on bottom may work. Ice finally gave out up here, so hoping to try it soon. What has worked for you?

[Loganodum38]

3 minutes ago, MaineBassin said:

What size booty shakers you using? I picked up some of the 8" cheap and was planning on dragging them on the bottom ( I bought 1.5 oz long shank heads). From my understanding it takes a bit of speed to get the tail moving with them. Popping in small bursts on bottom may work. Ice finally gave out up here, so hoping to try it soon. What has worked for you?

i use the 6 on a 10o and the 8 on a 12o, i boiled them, kick at super slow speeds now, i had better luck with 2-3 pops but deadstick it longer than you would a worm or a jig. 

[MaineBassin]

I'll give that a try. I'll boil them too. Thanks

[ewillsd]

I've had my success come from kind of skipping it along the bottom but I have caught a couple hopping them over boulders and stuff so it should work. 

[Willluvstafish]

11 hours ago, Loganodum38 said:

i use the 6 on a 10o and the 8 on a 12o, i boiled them, kick at super slow speeds now, i had better luck with 2-3 pops but deadstick it longer than you would a worm or a jig. 

How long do you boil them?

[Loganodum38]

43 minutes ago, Willluvstafish said:

How long do you boil them?

I'm sure there are guys on here that can tell you a better way or easier way but I know that if you do it too long it'll eat the paint off, so I did short spurts of boiling, like 5 seconds pull it out let it cool repeat, repeat until you get the desired softness. Not saying that's the best way at all, because I kinda went in blind but it does work. Better yet there's probably a thread on it somewhere here.

[Peteisgood]

People fish jigs differently, so sweeping like a jig, prob not the best but if you bounce it, more like a T-rig, it will get bit for sure. Its all about getting the reaction, speed up, slow down, make it act like a baitfish that's scared. I've never had luck just dragging it on the bottom though.

[JohnMarino]

Be the BAIT

Cast, sink it to the bottom, slow roll/grind the bottom until you feel some structure (rocks, trees, grass etc) OR get it just off the bottom using a medium speed and then when you feel structure that’s when you have to make something happen, pop it up and let it fall down, burn it, twitch it, even just a few quick turns on the reel handle - just do something different. I always imagine there’s a bass there holding on that “structure snag” and what my bait looks like swimming underwater (In my mind LOL) 

Always just be the bait, your a scared baitfish that just went over a rockpile and seen a giant bass. you just got scared and try to save your life. How would they react?  That’s when you set the hook  

Edited April 27, 2018 by JohnMarino

[MaineBassin]

Is this a year round technique or more cold water (winter early spring)? 

[Loganodum38]

20 minutes ago, MaineBassin said:

Is this a year round technique or more cold water (winter early spring)? 

Year round