Bass Jigs work great for smallmouth bass, although, most bass anglers prefer to use these types of jigs for largemouth bass. Tubes tend to be preferred over the standard bass jigs when it comes to smallmouth bass, however, the smaller jigs work well for smallmouth bass.
Popular Techniques
Flipping & Pitching Around Cover
Fishing a bass jig around wood is a great technique for smallmouth bass, especially earlier in the year. When smallmouth bass move into the shallows to get ready to spawn, you can find a lot of these fish around wood. Flipping a bass jig around the wood is a great way to catch a lot of nice bass.
Hop Them Along the Bottom
Because bass jigs work well around snags and they imitate a crayfish, it is a great bait to just hop along the bottom.
Slowly Crawl Them Along the Bottom
Some anglers report good success just slowly crawling the bait along the bottom. Just slowly move this bait across the bottom and be ready for a bite.
Swim Them
With certain trailers, bass jigs look great with a swimming motion. If you choose to use more of a bait fish color and you pair it with a small swimbait or grub, you can imitate a variety of bait fish and draw many strikes with a swimming retrieve.
Skipping Bass Jigs
Bass jigs also skip really well around trees and docks. Find a jig with a flatter head and you’ll get even better skips in tight places. It’s an awesome way to fish a bass jig.
Best Trailers
Bass Jig & Crayfish
Crayfish Baits are also awesome on a bass jig. The smaller crayfish baits in the 3 to 4 inch range tend to work better than the big crayfish baits, but some of those bigger ones work ok for bigger smallmouths.
Bass Jig & Chunk Trailer
Chunk Trailers are one of the best trailers on a bass jig. They are the perfect size and for these smaller trailers, they are usually a little cheaper than the full size crayfish baits.
Bass Jig & Tube Trailer
Tubes are often overlooked as a trailer for a bass jig, but they shouldn’t be. They look great and smallmouth bass love eating a tube.
Bass Jig & Swimming Trailers
Curly tail grubs and mini swimbaits are awesome trailers for swimming a bass jig. Match the colors to baitfish that are currently in the body of water you are fishing and you’ll usually have better success when swimming these jigs.
Curly Tail Grubs
Curly Tail Grubs are very underfished when it comes to bass jig trailers. The curly tail action is just what you need sometimes to get a smallmouth bass interested in striking. Hope them along or swim them slowly for good results.
Ringworms
Ringworms look great on the back of a bass jig. Combine a baitfish colored jig with a baitfish colored ringworm and you’ll have more success by swimming these baits.
Small Swimbaits
Many smaller swimbaits will look great on a bass jig and work well for smallmouth bass. Use a baitfish colored jig and combine a swimbait to make it imitate a baitfish and you’ll have better success.
Twin Tail Grub
Twin Tail Grubs are also awesome trailers and very under fished when it comes to bass jig trailers for smallmouth bass. Hop these along and let that extra kick from the legs attract more smallmouth bass to your favorite bass jig.
How to Rig Trailers on a Bass Jig
Chunk Trailers
Crayfish Trailers
Curly Tail Grubs
Ringworms
Small Swimbaits
Tubes
