Bass jig confusion help

There are 2 kinds the football style generally used for dragging on the bottom. I believe I understand how these work. Now for the swim jig I’m talking the actual bass jig not a ballhead with grub etc. Is it best to use a craw or paddle tail plastic do you cast these out and retrieve just like a ball head jig? Not sure if it’s a good fall tactic used it this weekend just got a couple bass what I liked was I could get deeper than with a spinnerbait in the real weedy gunk just trying to understand better. Looked at some videos but most wanted to sell their products.

I’m not sure of the specific issue you are trying to get at here but I can gather that you want your lure to run deeper, correct? A heavier jig head would likely be the solution. I use a craw-type trailer if I’m doing it on rocks in smallmouth country and I use a paddle-type trailer if I’m in more weedy country for largies.

Swim jigs are for paddletails and similar other “swim” style baits. Never considered a craw a swimmer, more a darter. Streamline of the swim jig allows to get larger plastics deeper into the fish zone bc of less drag compared to ballhead or football style jigs.

There is of course exceptions to everything but generally that is the concept of them.

I find them to be more snag proof myself on the river over your ballhead type jig. The elongated bottom head and position of eyelet help with that.

About any trailer, craw or paddle tail will work on a swim jig. Match the hatch. Are they feeding up on baitfish, blue gills, or crayfish?
Think of a swim jig as a spinner bait without the spinner. Use it in the same areas and at the same times you’d throw a spinner bait. If you want to get deeper with either a swim jig or spinner bait you have two options, slow your retrieve or go with a heavier jig head.
They’re many types of skirted bass jigs. Football, flipping, swim, etc. They all have a time and a place where they excel but many can be used universally in many situations also.

You absolutely can use craw style trailers on swim jigs. I’d be willing to bet that a rage craw and a zoom speed craw are two of the most used trailers for swim jigs. One thing about a craw trailer is they seem to give the bait more lift. They also give off more vibration. Where a curly tail grub has probably the least amount of lift and vibration. I’d say a paddle tail is somewhere in between. You can also use a traditional craw trailer like a Zoom chunk or paca chunk. These are good imo around bluegill because of the bulk it adds to the bait. Like any technique I don’t think there’s a one size fits all. Play around with different trailers and see how each one effects your jig. I pretty much only throw bluegill type or Shad colors.

I tend to use paddle tails most of the year. Part of the reason is the thumping tail, also a larger profile.

However as it gets into Fall and water temps down into the 50’s, I go more compact and subtle movement because baitfish slow down their motion too. I then switch to a Maxscent Creature Hawg trailer, and will sometimes stick with the swim jig or switch to an A.T. Grassmaster. The key is to find the remaining greenest weeds. Baitfish and their predators stay there as long as they can before ice up.

I was just starting to get into swim jigs this year. They are effective for sure. Like frydog I use paddletails 90% of the time. However found that the Yamamoto double tail grub is $$ as well.

Usually use a swim bait for a trailer and reel like a spinner bait. Very effective when ripped through grass