A swim jig is one of the most versatile lures you can have in your arsenal. It can be used to catch bass throughout the year in a variety of different ways. You can swim it around grass, skip it under docks, fish it over laydowns or any other cover you prefer. What makes a swim jig so versatile is its ability to be fished around all types of cover. Its weedless profile allows you to throw it in all types of cover, and fish it as slow or as fast as you want.
While a swim jig is great for a wide range of scenarios, there are certain swim jigs that are better suited for certain situations. This review will cover four Dirty Jigs swim jigs that can handle all of the bass fishing scenarios you might encounter.
Original Dirty Jigs Swim Jig
The original Dirty Jigs Swim Jig is one of the most widely renowned swim jigs on the market. This lure is your all-around swim jig that can be effectively fished through any type of cover. This jig comes equip with a 5/0 VMC 30-degree hook. This hook is strong enough to winch fish out of heavy cover, while still being sharp enough to stick fish with a softer hookset. It also has a 50-strand full skirt which gives this jig a very bulky profile that represents large baitfish such as bluegill or gizzard shad.
This jig also has a bullet style head design along with a vertical line tie. This design allows the jig to come through cover and vegetation better without getting snagged.
I like to use this specific jig around vegetation such as willow or Coosa grass, as well as laydowns. This jig allows me to stick the fish even if I don’t have the best hookset, while still maintaining enough strength for me to winch them out of these types of cover. This is my go-to swim jig for the majority of hard cover and vegetation. If I had to chose one swim jig for any type of cover, this would be the one.
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Dirty Jigs No Jack Swim Jig
The Dirty Jigs No Jack Swim Jig has all of the same attributes as the original Dirty Jigs Swim Jig, however it has an upgraded No-Jack Gamakatsu Hook. This hook is made to be used in extremely thick cover and is great when your fishing for big bass in thick vegetation. This super strong hook allows you to fish this bait on 65-pound braided line, and muscle fish out of any type of cover without fear of the hook bending out.
I prefer to use this jig over the original when I’m fishing around thick lily pad fields or hyacinth mats. Oftentimes when your pulling big fish out of these types of vegetation, they will get stuck or wrapped around the pad stems. This is where I want the confidence of the No-Jack hook to winch them out without fear of my hook bending out.
The thicker hook does require you to set the hook harder for good penetration, however its a worth while tradeoff when you are fishing around these types of cover. This jig has been especially productive for me fishing in Florida where you are around numerous 6 plus pound fish and lots of vegetation. This is my go to jig when fishing for big bass in exceptionally heavy cover.
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Dirty Jigs Finesse Swim Jig
The Dirty Jigs Finesse Swim Jig is a smaller profile swim jig perfect for imitating tiny forage. It has a half cut 50 strand skirt which gives it a much smaller profile, which is great for fishing shad spawns or bodies of water with small baitfish. It has a bullet-style head and vertical line tie just like the other Dirty Jigs that allow it to come over cover easily. Instead of a beefy No-Jack Hook, however, it comes with a finesse style VMC hook. This hook is great for getting great penetration on lighter hooksets.
I love to fish this jig around docks, sea walls and open water where fish are chasing shad. I really like the thinner style hook for these scenarios because it gives you a much greater hookup ratio without having to absolutely jack them on the hookset. This is my go to jig for fishing shad spawns in lighter cover where the fish are really keying on smaller baitfish.
Dirty Jigs California Swim Jig
The Dirty Jigs California Swim Jig is a whole different type of swim jig compared to the previous lineups. While most swim jig sizes come anywhere from 1/4 – 1/2 ounce, The Dirty Jigs California Swim Jig comes in sizes up to 3/4 ounce. The purpose of this swim jig is to be used like a big swimbait. This jig comes equipped with a No-Jack hook to really handle the big fish your targeting with this style jig.
This jig is designed to support a big swimbait trailer and to be fished in situations where you would often throw a big swimbait on its own. What is unique about this, is it allows you to fish these big swimbaits through heavy cover without fear of getting snagged. Furthermore, the skirt on these jigs adds action to your swimbait that wasn’t possible before. This gives the swimbait a very lifelike and unique presentation the fish aren’t used to seeing.
I love to fish this jig in situations where I’m targeting bass that are feeding on large baitfish. This bait allows you to skip a swimbait up under overhangs and into laydowns without fear of getting snagged. I often substitute this jig paired with a big trailer for a harness style swimbait when I’m fishing around lots of vegetation or hard cover that a traditional swimbait couldn’t get through. I tend to put a big paddle-tail swimbait on the end of this jig and fish it as a slow and steady retrieve through cover, allowing the skirt and paddle tail to give the bait its action. This is my go to jig when throwing a big swimbait around cover.
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