The most important factor in the effectiveness of a jig is its drop rate. Master that, and you'll out-fish everyone in the boat.
What Is Drop Rate and Why Does It Matter?
"Whatchya catch 'em on?" A jig? Good chance. The jig is perhaps the most versatile method of presenting either live or artificial bait to help catch just about anything that swims. The funny thing is, most anglers just do not understand the basics of jigging. Perhaps the most important factor in the effectiveness of a jig is its drop rate. And if you want to bag a bunch of May walleyes then pay attention!
The drop rate of a jig is the speed at which it falls to the bottom. Fast rates can trigger negative fish, while slow rates can trigger neutral fish. The drop speed and its effectiveness is directly related to the activity levels of the fish.
What Affects Drop Rate
- Jig weight (obviously)
- Physical size and head shape of the jig
- Live or artificial bait attached to it
- Diameter of the fishing line
- Hair jigs add even more variables
The Basic Rule of Thumb
Use the lightest jig possible to maintain bottom contact given the depth and speed of the bait. Boat control is key — the boat presents the jig, not the fishing rod.
Quick Jig Weight Guide
- 1/32 oz. jig → 1–5 ft. deep
- 1/16 oz. jig → 5–10 ft. deep
- 1/8 oz. jig → 10–20 ft. deep (moving slow)
These basic jig weights are for a "naked" jig (no plastics, but maybe a medium sized minnow). I like to aim for a jig/line combo where the jig sinks at around 1 ft. per second. This makes for a great "base line" and also makes it easier to use the countdown method when fishing suspended fish.
How Line Size Changes Everything
I know a 1/8 oz. jig on 6lb. test monofilament line will sink at 1 ft. per second. So I mark fish suspended 10 ft below the surface which means I have to count to "10" as the jig sinks to hit the "zone." The minute I start to alter my "base line" the drop rate will change.
Switch from 6 lb. line to 17 lb. line on the same jig? The jig is going to fall at half the speed because of the resistance (like a parachute) the thick line has on the water or current. The opposite is true if I switch to 2 or 3 lb. test line — the drop rate will increase dramatically faster.
Combining Variables
Now throw in some more resistance like a plastic grub body or a minnow — it's going to slow the drop rate even more. There is a fine line between heavy and fast, small and fast, small and slow or big and slow. There are thousands of combinations that will alter the jig's action or drop rate. Let observation and experience be your teacher.
Big minnow equals slower drop rate, small minnow equals fast drop rate. Throw a plastic body on the jig with the small minnow and now the drop rate of that combination is the same as the heavier jig tipped with a larger minnow with no plastics.
The Details That Matter
Even if everyone in the group has the same size and color jig on the line — that's not good enough — everything has to be EXACT to create equal success for all:
- Line size
- Minnow/bait size
- Jig weight
- Jig head shape (round vs. flat)
Don't get discouraged, I am simply trying to open your eyes and thoughts on the very basics of jig fishing. It's fair to say that the little colored ball of lead on the end of your line isn't as simple as it looks. P.S. — notice I said nothing about color? Lotsa Fish! Lotsa Fun!
