Shaky head jigs do a great job of keeping the bait up off the bottom. It’s definitely one of the best rigs to use for catching smallmouth bass.
Popular Techniques
Shaky Technique
With some finesse baits, you can twitch the bait very lightly and get the bait to move a little bit while keeping the bait in about the same spot. These subtle twitches followed with an occasional bigger twitch or two can lead to a lot of bites.
Hop it Along the Bottom
Hop your favorite soft plastic bait along the bottom with an occasional pause and you will catch plenty of smallmouth bass.
Best Baits on a Standup Jighead for Smallmouth Bass
Just about every soft plastic bait that you use for smallmouth bass can be paired with a shaky head jig, but some baits definitely stand out above the rest.
Crayfish Baits
Crayfish baits look awesome on a standup jighead. Mix in a lot of pauses because the bass have a hard time resisting a crayfish at rest with its claws up off the bottom.
Creature Baits
You have so many different creature baits to choose from. Whether you use a smaller, thinner bait with more of a shaky technique or a bigger creature bait that you just hop along the bottom, a standup jighead will help you catch a lot of bass.
Finesse Worms
These worms are great on a standup jighead whether you use a shaky technique or just hop it along the bottom.
Lizards
Lizards look good on just about every rig and it is no different with a standup jighead. With the tail facing up off the bottom, you get a lot more bites on the pause when fishing the lizards on these jigheads.
Paddle Tail Worms
Paddle tail worms look awesome when paused on a standup jighead. Jerk it, then pause, then repeat.
Soft Plastic Minnows
Soft plastic minnows look good when fished on a standup jighead. Mix in some light twitches or jerks followed by a pause. With the minnow sitting up off the bottom, you will get plenty of bites on the pause.
