Tacticalbassin became a reality because of this one simple topic. The swim jig is one of my favorite techniques for putting big bass in the boat. Over the last few years I have been reading about how, when, and where to swim a jig. The final conclusion was that if anyone knew how to do it right they sure weren’t talking about it online! Kirk and I began discussing the idea of creating a website where TRUTH could be presented and you, the fisherman, could decide what to do with it. To that end, I present 8 minutes on how I believe a swim jig should be fished.
I know I am inviting criticism by taking such a bold stand about this topic but the fact is, I think I have a better way of swimming a jig than the majority of the bass fishing population. Its worked for me and those I fish with and has produced bags of fish that others only dream about. Do you have an opinion on this topic? I’d love to hear it!
25. April 2012 at 6:17 PM
Hey Guys, sorry for the slow reply but thanks for taking the time to comment.
The swimjig is a very universal bait. My favorite color for the smallies is the “Tactical Trout”.
Jake, I probably am a little crazy but it sure works. I’m glad you gave it a try.
Adam, this late in the prespawn I’m fishing it pretty quickly but during the cold water months you can creep bottom very effectively.
Chris, absolutely. Its a little faster taper so not quite as much rod load but if you’re tangling with the big ones its definitely a solid choice.
25. April 2012 at 10:45 AM
Will the 795DX be a good swim jig rod?
10. April 2012 at 8:58 AM
Hey Matt, what kind of setup (sizes, colors, trailers) would you use for Smallmouth Bass? Don’t come across many Largemouth up here in Northern Michigan
8. April 2012 at 3:54 PM
I have to admit when you first showed that ez shad on the jig i thought you were out of your mind but you concinced me to give it a try and im about to order that exact combination right now. Awesome video.
11. March 2012 at 5:01 PM
Matt,are you swimming a jig during the pre spawn? If so, same fast retrieve or do you slow it down?
4. February 2012 at 9:14 AM
Caught Phoenix’s question about wacky rigging a minnow as a swim jig trailer. Never tried it, but a friend of mind used a 6 or 7 inch wacky rigged senko as a swim jig trainer and it worked well, so I guess the only limit is our creativity (or curiosity).
4. February 2012 at 4:45 AM
Matt, I can’t agree with you more about big baits attracting big fish, but I was told about wacky rigging a minnow to give it a wounded action. are to give an opinion on that? Im thinking 3-4″ with a boot tail?
Phoenix
22. May 2011 at 8:15 AM
Mike,
That one was news to me. That is a similar concept but I really don’t feel that it will have a similar action. That said, the Hula Swimmer on the back of a chatterbait looks like it would be DEADLY. Just my 2 cents.
First off congrats on applying the technique to your local waters. That’s great! Regarding the other baits mentioned, I don’t feel like the scrounger (at least to me) is in the same category. Scroungers are a finesse technique, quite different from the California Swim Jig. While the scrounger does create a similar motion as it passes through the water, I don’t believe they are designed to handle large fish. As for the Yamamoto Hula Swimmer, I had to go look it up.
21. May 2011 at 9:50 PM
Hello Matt – I ran across your youtube videos on SwimJig fishing a couple days ago…I put a Berkely Hollow Belly on a 3/8 swim jig (that’s as close as I could get to your California Swim Jig set-up out here in MN)…it worked wonderfully! I caught 2 nice (by MN standards) largemouth in my first 6 casts (and missed a third)! and this was at night! Anyway – I’ve ordered a bunch of the “real thing” now from tackle warehouse…can’t wait to get them in.
Anyway – my question is: have you ever tried the Luck E Strike Scrounger Jig? It seems similar to the California swim jig, but maybe a little less subtle…maybe a little less weedless as well. I’m also curious about the Yamamoto Hula Swimmer…seems similar to the California swim jig, but maybe a little more subtle
Anyway – I’m just curious if you have any thoughts on them…
Thanks so much for this site – it has re-ignited my interest in fishing! I really appreciate your honesty, too…it’s obvious you’re not trying to “sell” something…but it’s also nice that you tell us exactly what you are using so we can at least start off with something that is known to work. Thanks!
17. May 2011 at 12:10 AM
Steve,
Definitely more like a spinnerbait. I want that tail thumping and the skirt pulsating.
16. May 2011 at 8:07 AM
Matt,
do you retreive the swim jig with that slow swimbait retreive or more like a spinnerbait type of retreive?
2. May 2011 at 12:26 AM
Mike, I throw it on 65 lb braided line with a 20-25 lb leader in most situations.
1. April 2011 at 4:01 PM
Matt,
You may have answered this but if so I missed it in the postings. What type line do you throw the swim jig on?
13. January 2011 at 11:30 PM
Mifon,
They are very interchangeable. But some simple guidelines could be that the swim jig better imitates small baitfish and panfish whereas the swimbait better imitates big baitfish and salmonids.
13. January 2011 at 3:34 PM
Matt,
How and when do you choose to fish the swimjig vs the swimbait? Is there a time of year more conducive to the swimjig? Since most of the water here locally doesn’t have a weedline, would you choose the swimjig or the swimbait? I guess it’s fairly obvious that I’m confused with these two techniques. Are their uses interchangeable?
Thanks,
Mike (in TN)
13. January 2011 at 1:51 PM
Lance, as soon as I have the finished product in hand I will put something together. I don’t want it to come off like a commercial but I do want to tell people what I’ll be using this season. Thank you for asking.
As for the Tilapia, we had one designed. I think it just fell through the cracks during upload. Thank you for bring it to my attention, I’ve already got a call in to Curt and I’ll see what we can do.
Nick, I do swim the jig for smallies as well. There will be more to come on this subject in the future. I am currently experimenting heavily trying to downsize the whole arsenal while still maintaing the fish-catching ability for smallmouth and spots. Keep and eye out for more on this in the coming months.
12. January 2011 at 8:40 PM
Matt
Do you ever swim jig for smallies? If so, what kind of set up do you use? Jig colors and trailers suggestions?
Lots of great smallmouth lakes where I live and I am curious how you apply your methods to the smallies…
Thanks!
12. January 2011 at 2:14 PM
Hey Matt, and by the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope you had a good one and I pray that your year is filled with lots of double digits, plus a few teeners, and at least one over 15 pounds!!! God bless,
Lance
12. January 2011 at 1:53 PM
Alright Matt, I just saw the California Swim Jigs on the Dirty Jigs Tackle Website today, though they weren’t for sale yet, but it was good to see the different colors. First question is, when will they be up for sale on the site? Second multi-segment question is, since you’re the guy behind them, what colors do you recommend? What are your favorite colors? What are your favorite color EZ Shad trailers to go with each color jig? And what baitfish do you suggest each of those color combinations are supposed to mimic? Maybe a whole video on this would be appropriate, but until then, spell it out for me and the others that can’t wait to dream up some big California Swim Jig/EZ Shad combos! I’m a little disappointed they didn’t have a tilapia color for us Texas boys.
Thanks,
Lance
11. January 2011 at 10:35 PM
Thanks for the response Matt. I just made a nice order from Curt and can’t wait to get my next batch of dirty jigs.
I was thinking of two smaller swimbait trailer options. Have you tried the Lake Fork Tackle Live Magic Shad as a trailer option? Might not be able to produce the big wobble you like, but a lot of people rave about it as a chatterbait trailer.
Second one is a little different. I was thinking of the Mattlures Minnow Series. I love his swimbaits and haven’t tried the minnow series at all. I wondered if the belly slit would exclude it automatically or if it might work. Any experience with this bait? Would it work?
Thanks again for the insight.
8. January 2011 at 12:03 AM
Nick, thank you so much for taking the time to write! I’m really happy to hear the swim jig information has had that impact on your fishing. Your comment could not be more perfectly timed. Keep an eye on dirtyjigstackle.com as your golden shiner options will be available in just a couple of week. *HINT* Take a look at “Ayu” and possibly “light hitch”.
As for smaller swim jig options, again, your timing is spot on. Curt has been asking me to explore the industry options and find a downsized trailer that still has the same fish-attracting and bite-inducing appeal as the big swim jig.
The hunt is underway and I will keep you abreast of what I discover along the way.
-Matt
4. January 2011 at 10:18 PM
Matt
Thanks for all the great information on the website. Really enjoy all the videos and posts. Just like someone else, I read about your swimjig technique on Texas Fishing Forum. It was exactly the kind of information I needed, so much so that the post is copied into a word doc on my computer and I still occasionally look at it for reminders. This past season, I had great success applying your ideas and concepts. In addition, you were the first person to turn me on to Dirty Jigs and now I am in love with Curt’s jigs! So thanks for that too.
My question is about the EZ Shad and putting together a good bluegill/sunfish imitation. I know what color jigs to get, but what colors do you use in the EZ Shad? I was also curious if you have a slightly smaller (3.5″ to 4″) trailer option that you like? I know it is a big bass, heavy tackly presentation for you, but I was curious if you have any swimbaits you like for a smaller profile. Living in Michigan, I would like a smaller option in a swimbait the quality of the Roboworm, which I think is great.
Any ideas on a goby imitation swimjig for the smallmouth lakes around here?
And lastly, how about colors and combos for a golden shiner swimjig set-up?
Thanks again for all the great info!
Nick
1. December 2010 at 11:30 PM
Eric,
To the everyday angler I could hand them both jigs and they wouldn’t be able to tell me the difference. Its slightly narrower and I mean SLIGHTLY, but it makes a difference when coming through vegetation. It will still have the same hook but will come in a larger variety of baitfish colors. If you are in need of swim jigs don’t wait. The current No-Jack is still tied on the end of my rod and will keep catching fish like it always has!
1. December 2010 at 6:01 PM
Matt, what is different about the California Swim Jig’s slightly modified head compared to the No-Jack and why the changes? Will it be essentially replacing the No-Jack jig for you? I was planning on picking up some No-Jacks soon, but I’ll wait. Keep up the good work!
27. November 2010 at 9:33 AM
Dan,
I swim the baits with a 7:1 Curado. The swim jig doesn’t have much resistance so its easy to swim all day on that reel. As for colors, I typically swim “crappie” as a general baitfish imitator. That said, you need to start watching the website very closely for my new swim jigs to show up. The “California Swim Jig” has the same hook, slightly modified head, and comes in all kinds of amazing baitfish patterns. Get ready… this coming season is going to get fun!
26. November 2010 at 2:59 PM
Hey Matt what gear ratio do you use for swimming the jigs, like 6.4:1 or 7.0:1? And I can’t seem to find any baitfish type colors you were talking about for the No Jack grass jig, any idea where I might be able to find some? Thanks and very informative info btw
24. November 2010 at 8:19 PM
Blues Basser,
I typically fish them stock. However, there are some quick modifications, very similar to the ones you’ve seen that will help the skirt move and at times, completely change the action. I’ll be doing a video about it soon.
Mike,
I often mention them together simply because a lot of my lakes have grass. I’ve had great success fishing them in open water for suspended fish, deep over points, as well as around docks. I have a video in the archives on the site where we catch them in open water including one off a floating dock. It will work very well in all the areas you discussed. As the water cools it will keep working but I slow my presentation and swim the jig closer to the bottom in most circumstances.
24. November 2010 at 2:51 PM
Matt,
Most of the lakes I fish do not have grass. I notice that you are quick to mention “swimjig” and “grass” together often. The cover in our lakes consists mostly of wood and rock with some boat docks thrown in. Just exactly where do you throw the swimjigs and is it possible to be successful with them around wood, rock, and docks? Also, in my part of the country we are in the fall to winter transition. Can you still be successful with swimjigs now and as the water gets cooler? Do you fish the swimjigs just in shallow water or have you been successful also in deeper water (especially in cooler water)?
I’m so glad I found your website. I have been working with swimjigs for about a year. I am convinced that they are a great bait. But, I just haven’t figured out all the secrets to it. Thanks for all the info and videos. Please keep them coming.
Mike
23. November 2010 at 8:05 PM
Matt, do you modify the skirt on the swimming jig or fish it stock? It seems that the hybrid thinned/finesse skirt would really amplify the secondary action. Great site BTW!!!
15. November 2010 at 11:35 PM
Greg,
I’ve seen the slayers in the water and they seemed okay. I’ll be the first to admit I’m biased on the matter but for this technique, I feel I’ve perfectly fine-tuned my equipment for the task. I’m not a fan of the big hammer on the back of the jig. It doesn’t have the same fluid action that the EZ shad provides. That said, experiment with it and get back to me. I’d love to hear your experiences.
15. November 2010 at 7:18 PM
Also how would swimjigs work in lakes where crawfish are the main food source? In last question I ment how does the Big Hammer work behind swimjigs.Also would go as big with craw. as main food soruce?
15. November 2010 at 5:55 PM
What about the Slayer Swim Jigs an also how do the Big Hammer work behind swimbaits compared to other trailers?
15. November 2010 at 3:06 PM
Hi Matt,
I don´t speak english very well but I think that I understand your text and video. I really like this article about swimming jigs for big bass fishing, so thanks for show it.
I hope to use this combo “jig + swimbait” beacuse like you’ve told before, It has more natural look.
24. August 2010 at 3:42 PM
Lance,
I would agree with that statement. If for some reason I will be slowing it down (such as at night) the minnow is a better bet.
As far as when/why I throw the swim jig my reasoning is quite simple. I want to look different than everyone else. However, it is more than that. As you suggested, I also want to appear as natural as possible.
I firmly believe that the more hardwear you add to a bait the smaller (on average) fish you will catch. The swim jig has the same drawing power as a spinnerbait or chatterbait (in all but the muddiest conditions) but when the fish get close you are presenting a much more natural-appearing bait.
24. August 2010 at 1:50 PM
Good job on the videos!
24. August 2010 at 11:58 AM
Aha, well that answers that question. You had always pounded it into my head in the past that when fishing soft swimbaits (like the Mission Fish and Osprey Talon), to fish them slower than slow. Basically “slow rolling”. So I assumed that the swim jig would be the same, since you essentially have a soft swimbait on the back of it. So, I guess if the bass are wanting it slow in cooler water conditions, then the Mighty Minnow would be the way to go, but if you’re wanting to fish it faster to cover water like during the summer, then the EZShad and Money Minnow would be best. That makes sense, or would you disagree with that? The pieces of the puzzle of swim jigs are starting to come together Matt, thanks to you and what you’re doing with Tactical Bassin!
You say that the swim jig has basically replaced the spinnerbait and chatterbait for you. So my question is, when do you want to fish the swim jig? In the same situations as you would a spinnerbait and chatterbait, like when you’re trying to locate fish and have the trolling motor on high and are covering water? Or when? Why would you want to put the 5 inch EZShad on a swim jig, but you wouldn’t fish it on a spinnerbait or chatterbait? Wouldn’t these be variations on the swim jig, since you basically have the same skirted jig head on all three, you just have the blades on the other two giving you more flash and vibration? Why would you pick the swim jig over the other two? Is it that you’re looking for something that’s more natural without all the hardware of the arm and blades of the spinnerbait and chatterbait? Just trying to get inside your head a bit here to figure out why you are doing what you are doing with the swim jig.
24. August 2010 at 11:13 AM
Lance,
You’ve posed some excellent questions. First off, I’m really glad to hear that you’ve taken the initiative to try all the options. That’s awesome!
Like anyone else, my fishing style is always adapting. Typically I fish very quickly and lately have been fishing even faster than normal. Once I started speeding up the retrieve the Mighty Minnow stopped working. As you have noticed the trailer begins to get overpowered and the bait stops having the “magic”.
Occasionally I’ll still fish the minnow but its extremely rare. I’ve found the technique works best when fished quickly and for that the EZ shad is best. However, I’ll give the Money Minnow a try next time I’m out.
-Matt
24. August 2010 at 9:18 AM
Alright, Matt, I just spent a couple hours the last two mornings trying different swim jig trailers out in my pool, and I’ve got some thoughts and questions. I tried out the 5 inch RoboWorm EZ Shad, 3:16 Mighty Minnow, 5 inch Yum Money Minnow, and the 6 inch Yum Money Minnow. I had pretty similar results with the 5 inch Roboworm and Yum swimbaits, with good vibration and tail kick with the jig being really overpowered by these swimbaits and really giving that “rock and roll” action to the jig. Even more of this with the 6 inch Money Minnow. All this happened with a medium speed to slightly faster retrieve on a 6.3 to 1 ratio reel. But the problem I had with all three of these was that at a slow speed, the tail wouldn’t kick (it was just dead and stiff, unmoving behind the jig) and the jig would have no action (i.e. no rock and roll, only elevator music!). And when I let the jig fall, it was just a slow spiral down with no tail kick.
Then I put on the 3:16 Mighty Minnow, and it didn’t seem to overpower the jig quite as much, though it did have a bit tighter rock and roll action to the jig on a medium retrieve. Also, it didn’t seem to like a fast retrieve nearly as much as the Money Minnow and EZ Shad swimbaits. But where it really excelled was the slow retrieve and the drop. It had great tail kick at really slow speeds no matter how slow you went, and throbbed all the way to the bottom on the fall.
You were actually the one that originally turned me onto the Mighty Minnow as a swim jig trailer probably a year ago in your writings on the Texas Fishing Forum. Why do you not mention it here, or do you use it any more?
You didn’t talk too much about retrieve speeds, so do you usually use a medium to fast retrieve with a swimjig, or do you like to slow it down? If slow, I don’t see the EZShad overpowering your jig. Do you make any modifications to the EZShad to make it kick at a slower speed, like boiling it and stretching the tail? Any additional info is appreciated!!
17. August 2010 at 5:29 PM
Thank you, and will do. I am very anxious to get out and use this technique. A lot of trees on my home lake and there are areas that a regular swimbait just wont reach.
15. August 2010 at 6:41 PM
Welcome to the site Oregon Bass, thanks for posting! It is the No-Jack flipping jig we use for swimming. You’ll have to give us a report after you try it, sounds like a great application for this.
Kirk
15. August 2010 at 3:23 PM
I was looking for the jig you use but can only find the No-Jack in a flipping form is this what you are referring or is there a special grass jig? I love the crappie colors cause here the crappie suspend with the largemouth a lot of the time and this setup will get bit. Great Vids Love the Site
15. August 2010 at 6:14 AM
Blu Ranger,
Also, I spoke with Curt from Dirty Jigs today and asked him to hop on here. He’s the man that first put a swim jig in my hand so hopefully he can add his insights as well.
All I can say is give it a try.
Lance,
Thanks for all the positive feedback! As far as jig colors go my go-to for bluegill is Alabama Bream, if you want a little more color in the mix you should go with Pumpkinseed Bream. Both are awesome, natural colors.
Rich,
Good luck down there! THey’ll eat if for sure!
-Matt
15. August 2010 at 2:16 AM
Matt,
Will give it a good shot down south tomorrow (Aug 14th) let you know “SIR”. Sent your web-site to my CUZ in Indiana. She fishes every Night and made BassFury last month, Front pg. “Sandy Noe”.
14. August 2010 at 5:53 PM
Matt,
Also, what colors do Dirty Jigs have that are good bluegill imitations, and maybe even tilapia imitations? It’s hard to tell from their names what’s what, so please advise.
14. August 2010 at 2:51 AM
Wow! Now that was eight minutes of very solid information about swim jigs, Matt! I can’t begin to tell you how helpful these videos are. A few things I wish you’d go into more on this is when do you want to throw a swim jig over lets say a spinnerbait, or chatterbait, or do you fish the swim jig in unique situations? If so, when are those times? It would be so neat if you could have shown us some comparison videos above or below water of the different types of swim jigs showing the lack of secondary action with the first small swim jig you showed, and how the bigger swim jig setup with the swimbait introduces that secondary action. Tell us and show us. Don’t just tell us. Then, you showing us you whacking some big bass on it would be an even bigger confidence builder as well. You always tell me “Time on the water” so put some time in on the water with your video camera, and that would make these videos over the top better! Other than those minor recommendations, I am getting SO MUCH out of these! Thanks so much for all you’ve taught me here, and I so look forward to what I’m going to learn from you and Kirk in the near future!!!
14. August 2010 at 1:42 AM
You know Matt, some things are better left undisclosed!
I’ve been using a similar setup (with some really nice results) for the past couple of years after first starting out with the “traditional” swimming jig technique a few years back. When I first started with swimmers I was just using my std flipping jigs (ProLine at the time) adding a curly tail trailer and swimming them. I got a lot of bites but had trouble getting good hookups even when throwing the bait on a stout rod and heavy braid. When I switched to a “swimming” jig style bait, my hookup ratio went way up.
So I’m curious about the “No Jack” jig and it’s monster hook. My past experience with using a flipping jig leads me to expect lots of bites but have some trouble getting the hookset, especially at long range / heavy cover. Is there something about the design of the No Jack that assists long line hooksets?
Secondly, as the Coosa River style of swimming jig has proven itself to be effective, would it not lend itself better to this technique IF it were available in heavier weights?
Just for grins, I’m going to order some No Jack’s and give them a try – you just might be on to something that I overlooked