Flipping Jigs VS. Soft Plastics- Blauket Blog

Back in the early 1980’s, I had a chance to go out with one of the best flippers of all time…a Ozarks-area angler named Terry Thomas.

Terry was/is a Ozarks legend when it comes to flipping and has won countless tournaments in the area over the past 40 years.

At the time, I had never flipped, and Terry took me out on Grand lake flipping willow trees.

 At the end of the day, and nearly 30 pounds of bass later, I was made a lifelong convert of the technique.

One of the biggest questions I get on flipping, is when to use a jig over a soft plastic bait.

From my experience over the years, there is one basic reality to this question, and tons of variables.

The reality is, a jig will get you a larger size average, but not as many bites. The variables are the color, size and profile of both the jigs and the soft plastics.

For many anglers, the rise of high-tech, soft plastic technology has replaced jig fishing. Creature baits/tubes and various worm designs outpaced the simple jig.

But make no mistake about it…jigs still play a huge role in flipping. You just must know when to choose a jig over soft plastics.

Here are some basic guidelines to remember on jigs…

1.     Jigs shine during situations where the bass a bit more aggressive.

2.     Jigs will produce all year long.

3.     Darker jigs work better in water visibilities of 18 inches or less, especially around thicker cover.

4.     Natural colored jigs produce better in clearer water and sparser cover.

5.     Heavier jigs produce better in warmer or clearer water.

6.     Lighter jigs will catch more fish in dirtier water, regardless of water temperature.

7.     Jig/trailer are greatly responsible for how successful your jig fishing will be on any day.

Here are some soft plastic guidelines…

1.     Creature baits will outproduce other profiles in and around heavy cover.

2.     Soft plastics will generate more strikes than jigs, depending on profiles.

3.     Jigs and soft plastic colors have the same rule. Dark colors in dirty water/natural colors in clearer water.

4.     Jigs and soft plastics weights have the same rule…Heavier weights in deeper/clear/thick cover, lighter weights in shallower/stained water/sparse cover.

5.     Soft plastics will produce in more situations because the profile variable allow the angler to match the personality/mood and aggression level of the bass more than jigs.

In this discussion, we are talking strictly flipping and pitching. These rules are a bit different than casting jigs and soft plastics.

Pitching and flipping is a philosophy to a large degree.

 Understanding the fish positioning in shallow cover and determining whether a jig or a soft plastic will generate a strike is almost like a science due to the countless number of variables around both lure categories.

Although this topic could be discussed in much more detail, for this blog sake here are a couple key points to remember that will help your success…

1.     Start with a jig and follow up with a soft plastic. Many times, you can get a few bites on a jig, then it will die off, and you can come back through the same area with a soft plastic and get more bites.

2.     Experiment with jig profiles/trailer and colors. Hitting on this right combination is mostly done through experimentation.

3.     Line size will affect the fall rate and angle of both lure categories.

4.     “Rough up” your soft plastics before using. This will break the salt up and give the bait better action and a more natural look.

5.     Think in terms of actions when choosing soft plastics. Flappers/curly tails and legs vs. straight profiles. Only the bass’ personality will tell you which is correct

Give these simple tips a try the next time you are out, and please feel free to leave some comments if you would like us to expand in more detail on this topic.

Thanks for reading and best of luck out there!