What rod/reel/line setups do you use to throw swim jigs? I’ve been coping with the long winter by fine-tuning my rods. I’m sure there are many approaches to throwing swim jigs based on the cover. I’ll be interested to hear about what works for you. Thanks!! 
I just started throwing swim jigs last year and used a St. Croix AC66M rod. Seemed to work pretty well I thought. Like most M SC’s, it’s in between a M and MH action.
I use a 6’10” 2iG UltraStrike rod from BassMedics that is designed for swimming a jig. Although, I love it for normal jig fishing too. I use a Strictly Bass Invader Jig in Green Pumpkin Candy or the more flashy Water Mutt in Cole Slaw color. For line I like 14lb Fireline.
BTW so you know what I mean by flashy Water Mutt here is a pic.
You do not need an extra heavy rod like the type you would use for flipping and pitching to throw a swim jig. A 7’-0” medium heavy graphite casting rod with a quick tip is ideal. You want to be able to load up the rod for casting distance when you need to” reach out and touch someone” when the bass start busting shad back in a pocket. The stiffer back bone will allow you to get them out after you hook them.
My reel of choice is the (now out of production) Curado 200 series. I don’t know what I’m going to replace it with when the stockpile of them in my basement is gone. You want a fast reel, 6.2:1 or similar which will allow you to really get it going. You can always slow you hand down if you need to go slow.
Braid is the line of choice for tossing swim jigs. With this rod and reel combination you can cast a country mile using 30lb or 50lb Power Pro braid. Power Pro is round and limper than most of the other braids. There are a couple of things that will make using it easier and more productive. Put some backing on the reel before you tie on the braid. Braid is slick and will spin on the spool if there is no backing. Remember that it is fishing line and you are using it around nasty stuff. If you don’t retie with regularity you will loose fish. You need sharp scissors to cut it – Don’t even think about using your teeth. The most important thing to know is how to prevent backlashes. When the line starts to feel soft and mushy under your thumb, a backlash will happen. When the line feels like that, make a long cast, strip off a little line and squeeze the line between your thumb and finger to create tension while you reel it in. This will tighten the line up on the spool. Repeat as necessary.
Combining all of these key elements will provide you with a quick responding, straight running bait that will start to work as soon as it hits the water. Now that you know how to rig a swim jigs, here are a few guidelines on how to fish it. A rule of thumb is to try and use it anywhere you would think about using a spinner bait, weedless frog or shallow running crank bait. You will be surprised at the junk this bait will come through or across with a nice constant retrieve. Throw it out, start it coming back at a constant speed as soon as it hits the water. Use the rod tip to guide it by as many ambush points as possible on the way back. Coming over cover is easier if you speed up rather than slow down. Speeding up makes the bait hop over the cover and bottom first. Slowing down or stopping allows the bait to roll on it’s side and that’s when bad things happen.
Thanks for the replies!
I’m aleady a big PowerPro fan! Love that stuff! I also use some mono and am going to try some fluro this year for a couple things.
Anyway, back to the swim jig rods.
I’ve been looking at those St. Croix Triumph rods. They have a 7 foot medium and a 7 foot medium-heavy. In my mind I see myself using 1/4 oz jigs the most, maybe even 1/8 oz. Will a 7 foot medium be enough rod? I don’t want to find out too late that a medium heavy rod can’t cast the light jigs well. I’m more of a “main channel” guy, who is going to work the edges for some green bass from time to time. 
On that note, Brovarney, if you can recommend some swim jigs that work well on the smallies, I’ll order them! 
Booyah 1/2 oz Swim Jig or Brovarney swim jigs on either a SC 6’6″/Pflueger prez 6.3(12 or 14 lb XT) or SC 7’/Quantum energy pt burner 
on 50 lb power pro green. the 7:1 ratio just zips that thing back to the boat
I checked out a few of those Triumph rods and I am not impressed. There are other rods on the market that are much better in that same price class. Check out some of Fenwicks, Falcon or Rapala if you are looking to spend about $60.00 on a rod. As far as my rod choice goes for swimmin jigs. I’ve tried everything from a soft crankbait rod to a flippin stick out of desperation because I kept losing fish on em. If they’re whackin the crap out of the jig it doen’t matter so much about what your using for a rod, but I’ve had a lot of days when it seems like they’re really tuned in on it (getting a lot of bites) but when they do bite they aren’t hitting it very good. For this I have found that a slower action rod used with braid allows the fish a little extra time before I hit em with a hook set. the braid still allows for a good hookset because of the no stretch properties and the softer rod plays the fish a little more conservatively which is great for those days when they’re just kinda nippin at the jig and you might not get a good hook in em
I have experimented quite a bit last year between rods/reels/line/swim jigs and have come up with a set-up(s) that works best for me.
Rods:
7′ Kistler Helium Medium (He70MC) Rip-Rap and Open Water
7′ Kistler Helium Medium Heavy (He70MHC) Grass and Slop
I tried to use one swim jig rod for fishing everything from rip-rap to grass and couldn’t do it. If you can spare two rods for a swim jig, I suggest doing so.
Reels:
Last year I threw Quantum Acurist PT’s in the 6.2:1 Gear Ratio but have plans for new reels this year
Quantum Tour Edition PT BURNER 7.1:1 Gear Ratio.
I use Swim Jigs a lot to cover water, this is why I choose a fast ((fastest)) Gear Ratio.
Line:
50 lb Power-Pro (for the He70MHC)
17 lb XPS Flourocarbon (For the He70MC)
As far as I am concerned, braid with any bait in or near slop/grass is a MUST. I prefer the flourocarbon in open water for two reasons.
1) Invisible to fish…although this may not be critical on the Mississippi where the water is dirty. In southeastern Wisconsin (where I live), many of the lakes have clearer water and the visibility of line is something you have to consider.
2) The stretch in flourocarbon is also very appealing to me, as there is very little. When making long casts, stretch in mono can absolutely kill your hook set.
Swim Jigs:
I prefer to use the Outkast Swim Jig…similar to AlvinMack but I like the White Rainbow color the best.
This is just my opinion…last spring was the first time I ever used a swim jig. 
Quote:
I checked out a few of those Triumph rods and I am not impressed. There are other rods on the market that are much better in that same price class. Check out some of Fenwicks, Falcon or Rapala if you are looking to spend about $60.00 on a rod.
phishirman, what specifically did you see on the Triumphs that you didn’t like? I haven’t looked at them very much, just a quick look-see at Gander Mtn. I do have other nice rods, (got a couple Avids, a Leg Tourn, a Cara, couple Lowriders etc) so I do believe in quality. I didn’t think they looked to bad for the $, but I must have missed something.
The best rod I have found for swimming a jig is a St. Croix Avid 7′ MH power with an Extra Fast action. The light tip allows you to cast a 1/4 ounce jig a long, long way and the MH power gives you the power to get the fish out of the grass and headed in your direction. I feel the reel is probably the least critical component in the set up, as long as it is 6.2 or 6.3 to 1. I use a Shimano Chonarch 100B with a 6.2 to 1 ratio. As for line I use 50lb. braid 90% of the time.
Grady, that 7″ MH XF Avid sounds ideal. Hmmm, now what can I dig up and put on ebay?
Thanks for all of your replies! 
Dan Brovarney, thanks for the pm!
Quote:
7″ MH XF Avid
SEVEN INCH ROD!!! 
I was going to say something about, “now there’s a technique I have yet to try out”. But then I thought better knowing you jokesters would probably turn it into the gutter in a hurry!!! 
Quote:
Quote:
7″ MH XF Avid
SEVEN INCH ROD!!!
Oops! That should have been 7′.
Speaking of the gutter. When I mentioned to my wife that my user name on IDA was “KwikStik,” she just about died laughing. 
I told her it was a spinoff of “KwikTrip,” but she clearly thought it related to something else. 
She’s as bad as you guys! 
I’m a little surprised at all the people that use braid for this application. Being as it is mostly a sight application, I would have thought Flouro would have been more popular.
I’m looking for active fish and think that for the most part they don’t care about the line. It’s hear it see it kill it. And that is a beautiful thing.
I use a 7 foot medium action i fell that it has enough give to play the fish out but still strong enough to get a good hook set the 7 foot rod won’t over work the bait as much as heavier action rod can do. I always use 20lb triple fish braid it helps cut through the lilly pads and the grass better then mono or floro-
I’m leaning toward a St Croix 7′ Medium in either a Premier or Triumph. Another Avid would be nice. We’ll see. Medium would be more a little more versatile for other techniques.
I’ve got an Abu 4600C4 loaded with 50# PowerPro waiting to get clamped on something. I’ve had a number of Abu’s in the past, but this particular one casts as smooth as silk.
Dan B, I ordered some jigs from your web site tonight. I’ll be stopping at that fishing show at the Onalaska Omni Center this weekend. I hope you guys have a booth so I can get some more pointers. 
I ended up getting a St Croix Triumph in a 7′ medium. An Avid would have been nice, but I’ve been a bad boy on the tackle buying this spring, so I had to toe the line a bit. All I can say is that this really seems like a good rod for the money. I’ve got some real high end spinning rods (Avids, LT) and a Falcon Cara baitcaster, so I think I can fairly say that this Triumph is pretty impressive for the money. I looked at all of the other 60-70 dollar rods in the store and I thought the Triumph was the clear choice in that group.
5 year warranty ain’t bad either!
Thanks for all of the replies! Bring on spring!!
the reason they they are cheeper and as good a quality is that st croix started importing rods. i believe they are made in china but im pretty sure they are made with the same blanks as the premiers and use most of the same componants
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