Spawn Swim Jig Patterns & Techniques

Offering a more subtle approach than a Spinnerbait or Bladed Jig, the Swim Jig is an extremely versatile tool that excels at imitating a variety of forage. Widely accepted as originating here in the States in the ’80s, the Swim Jig has since evolved and adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of anglers across the Country. During the Spawn, the Swim Jig is capable of pulling double duty by allowing you to quickly cover water to locate bass lurking in your lake’s submerged jungles, while also being a viable option to slow down and trigger a bedded fish into biting.

For a majority of Swim Jig presentations, a Medium Heavy or Heavy power rod from 7’ to 7’6” is going to provide enough casting distance and leverage to pull a big bass from cover. Rods on the shorter end of that range provide greater accuracy when pitching to tight targets and aid in skipping the jig, while the longer sticks will help you launch your Swim Jig a country mile and cover water more quickly. Most anglers prefer a Fast action to drive a solid hookset, though some will lean toward a Moderate taper’s ability to keep a fish pinned.

Most standard casting reels will be suitable for fishing Swim Jigs. Reach for your favorite 100- to 200-size reel that sports a 7:1 or even a 6:1 gear ratio. This will give you the ability to speed up or slow down your retrieve with ease and adjust to the mood of the fish. A reel in this gear ratio range will also give you the ability to cover water quickly and efficiently, while helping you pick up slack line in a hurry when you slow down to fish a bed.

Line selection should be dictated by the severity of the cover and the clarity of your water you are fishing. When your lake offers sparse cover and clear to semi-stained water, spool up your preferred fluoro from 12-20lb, trying to stay at or above the 16lb mark unless water clarity necessitates going lighter. If you find yourself working through dense flooded forests or murky conditions, you will want to switch to 40-50lb braid to capitalize on its ability to rip through grass, weeds, and other vegetation with minimal effort.

Most of the time you want a Swim Jig with a vertical line tie as it will give it the most natural action and appearance and help it more easily navigate through cover. The Swim Jig is famous for its ability to mimic a host of different forage from bluegill to shad to crawfish and more, so keep a range of trailers on hand to capitalize on this versatility. A Swim Jig with at least a 5/0 hook is preferred to increase your hook-up ratio, however, downsizing to a 4/0 may be necessary when using a more finesse trailer.

Just as important as your selected trailer, the skirt and weedguard can drastically alter your jig’s effectiveness. The weedguard needs to strike the perfect balance of hook protection and softness – strong enough to shed weeds effectively, yet light enough to easily collapse and not impede your hookset. A thinner skirt with 50 strands or less can often incite more bites, while also sliding through cover more easily. Try trimming your skirting into layers with the top layer being shorter as this aids in making the skirt puff or flair out on every pause in your retrieve.

While there are many successful patterns for Swim Jigs, such as crawfish, baby bass, and others, the two most predominantly utilized color schemes are shad and bluegill patterns. Shad are a staple in bass diets everywhere, and bluegill are one of the biggest nuisances for spawning bass.

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