A World of Jigs for Panfish? By Matt Straw "Until about a decade ago, a 1/16-ounce jig--usually one of those options with a chenille body and a marabou tail--was the thing for panfish," recalls Doug Stange, editor in chief of In-Fisherman magazine. "It worked fine--still does--for aggressive crappies and perch. Sometimes works for bluegills, too. Livebait was the thing for panfish years ago because jig sizes and designs didn't measure up. That's changed. "But in early spring, that jig style in that size is just too big and gaudy, even for crappies and perch. And later in the season, when fish are more likely pressured by anglers, well, the fish become discriminating. Fishermen forget that panfish, particularly bluegills, are by nature nearsighted. If a panfish is aggressive enough to chase, an angler has only to approximate size, color, and design to get a positive response. But when it's necessary to slow down to trigger a response, size counts. Color and design also count, more than for larger predators like bass and walleyes." Only in recent times have anglers had the jig options necessary to trigger panfish during all kinds of conditions. "Livebait was the thing for panfish years ago because jig sizes and designs just didn't measure up," Stange offers. "That's changed. With the options available today, an angler can almost always catch more fish with a jig than with livebait. Even when it's necessary to slow down, jigging's more efficient. Admittedly, though, tipping a jig with a tiny portion of livebait often continues to be necessary to trigger reluctant fish." Size Comparison The problem today has become one of managing the number of available options. We can "match the hatch" with jigs as small 1/500 ounce. Indeed, some fine jig designs look more like livebait than livebait looks like livebait. So, which style of jig, when? What size, in which situation? Plastic or hair? Tube or curly tail? Thus the need to categorize, to organize. While we can't always pinpoint when or why a tiny hair jig might outproduce a plastic tube jig, we can provide rationale for owning some of each. Sometimes it's obvious what the choice should be. Other times the initial choices can be narrowed to a few, which must then be tried in sequence in order to allow the fish to decide. The first step remains becoming familiar with categorical options. In that regard, we find that most panfish anglers don't understand the two most basic jig categories.   Aggressiveness Chart As a rule, inactive fish require lighter baits in subtle colors on slow-dropping heads jigged vertically, or suspended under a float, or slowly dragged on or near bottom. The more active fish become, the more they respond to progressively larger jigs (up to a point) fished progressively faster in progressively brighter colors. At the far end of the spectrum in that direction, heads designed for active swimming or darting retrieves tend to trigger the most active, competitive fish. THE JIGHEAD AS A WEIGHT-- THE JIGHEAD WITH DRESSING AS A THING According to Stange, anglers move more quickly toward becoming great panfish anglers when they master a simple concept about how weight applies to presenting baits. We use weight to get a bait into the zone where panfish hold, then to hold it there so panfish can eat it. Most anglers immediately think of rigging such as a lead shot placed on the line above a hook that holds the bait. Common rigging would be a couple BB shot 12 inches above a #6 Aberdeen hook. What To Do With A Naked Jig A bare jighead is a weight allowing you to present the livebait precisely, nothing more. By comparison, a dressed jig is representative of something that must be presented with skill enough to fool panfish. Bare jigheads come in many shapes. Choose a shape to match conditions, and tip it according to the attitude of the fish. Amazing how many faces this basic tool can wear.   "Movement of the weight toward or away from the hook allows the bait more or less freedom and offers the angler more or less precision in delivering the bait," he explains. "That is, the closer the lead is to the hook, the more precise your offering becomes. Truth be known, it's seldom advantageous to move the weight away from the bait to allow it more freedom. Most of the time, precision counts. Move the lead right down next to the hook--or go another step and place the lead right on the hook shank. What do you have? A jighead, of course. "The first purpose of a jighead is to help present livebait with precision. It's a weight on a hook, nothing more," Stange continues. "Hook a minnow through the lips and cast and retrieve it, or hook a minnow through the back and fish it vertically. The lead weight doesn't register as anything to panfish, particularly when it's not painted. Paint the head and the color becomes only an attractor. And so on, with all the various livebait options. This option is a weight, not a lure. It's the first category into which jigs fall. "By comparison, dressed jigheads are lures--something you're trying to get panfish to eat, as opposed to getting the panfish to eat a bait, which just happens to be held in place by a weight. A jighead dressed with white and silver fox hair becomes a minnow. Success with the lure rests with your ability to present it as a minnow. A head dressed with a tiny black plastic curly tail becomes a leech. And so on." To read more about panfish jig types please refer to the February 1997 issue of In-Fisherman. COMPANY CONTACTS Andy's Custom Bass Lures, 81 Sherland Ave., North Haven, CT 06513, 203/469-5837; Bad Dog Lures, Snyder Companies, PO Box 636, Dodge Center, MN 55927, 507/374-2955; Bait Rigs Tackle, PO Box 44153, Madison, WI 53744, 608/277-5555; Bass Pro Shops, 1935 S. Campbell, Springfield, MO 65898-0123, 800/BASSPRO; Berkley, 1900 18th Street, Spirit Lake, IA 51360-1099, 800/BERKLEY; Blakemore Lure Co., PO Box 1149, Branson, MO 65615, 417/334-5340, 800/447-8309; Blue Fox Tackle, 645 N Emerson, Cambridge, MN 55008, 612/689-3402; Cabela's, 812-13th Ave., Sidney, NE 69160, 800/237-4444; Canyon Plastics (Mini Jig), 602 Andy Devine, Kingman, AZ 86401, 520/757-4824; Comet Tackle, 72098 Old 21 Rd., Kimbolton, OH 43749, 614/432-5550; Creme Lure Co. / Burke Fishing Lures, PO Box 6162, Tyler, TX 75711, 903/561-0522; Custom Jigs & Spins, PO Box 27, Glenview, IL 60025, 708/729-9050; Fish Hawk Tackle, 8206 Thomas Ave., Bloomington, MN 55431, 612/888-6554; Fle Fly Manufacturing, PO Box 759, Fritch, TX 79036, 806/857-9330; Gapen Co., 17910-87th St., Becker, MN 55308, 612/263-3558; Bobby Garland's Better Fishing Ways, Rt. 1, Box 170, Midway, AR 72651, 501/481-5363; Hal Fly, 93 Frances St., Warner Robins, GA 31093, 912/922-5451; Incredible Bait, Rt. 3, 1308 S. Townhall Rd., Janesville, W 53546, 608/754-5802; Jack's Jigs, 2545 S. Delaware Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207, 414/482-2336, 800/858-5225; Jiggs World of Jigs, 120 Broadway, Prairie Du Sac, WI 53578, 608/643-3047; JWA, 222 Main St., Racine, WI 53403, 414/884-1500, 800/227-6433; Kalin Company, PO Box 1234, Brawley, CA 92227, 619/344-2550, 800/344-7654??; Lindy-Little Joe / Thill Fishing Tackle, PO Box C, Brainerd, MN 56401, 218/829-1714; McKala "Match The Hatch" Jigs, 4 Daniels Farm Road #347, Trumbull, CT 06611, 800/307-7064; Mister Twister, PO Drawer 996, Minden, LA 71058-0996, 318/377-8818; Northland Fishing Tackle, 3209 Mill St. NE, Bemidji, MN 56601, 218/751-6723; Owner American Corp., 17165 Von Karmen, Ste. 111, Irvine, CA 92714, 714/261-7922; PRADCO (Rebel, Cotton Cordell, Bomber, Smithwick, Heddon, Riverside, Silver Thread, Riverside Lures), PO Box 1587, Fort Smith, AR 72902, 800/422-FISH; R.J. Tackle (Wazp Brand Products / Class Tackle), 5719 Corporation Circle, Unit 1, Fort Meyers, FL 33905, 813/693-7070; Shadow Products, PO Box 484, Crete, IL 60417; Shearwater Tackle, PO Box 32103, Fridley, MN 55432, 612/754-2139; Stumpy Bayou Jigs, 105 Sharon Street, Lafayette, LA 70506, 318/234-9878; Thunderhawk Tackle, PO Box 10234, Green Bay, WI 54307-0234, 414/499-6804; Turner Jones' Micro Jigs, 3514 Carriage Dr., Springfield, MO 65809, 417/883-6723. Copyright 1997 In-Fisherman, Inc.