Has anyone here had any experience in trolling jigs with either twister tails or swimbait bodies? Most of the trolling threads I've seen are either about bottom bouncer rigs with crawlers, crankbaits, or spoons.

I found myself wondering if something even simpler might not be productive, with depth regulated by the weight of the jig head.

Anyone try this, and even more important, have success doing it? How deep, what species, what weight jig heads, etc....this specific info would be especially of interest.

Or conversely, what would be the reasons that come to mind why this likely ISN'T a good strategy?

Thanks.

Depth control would be more difficult but don't see why you wouldn't catch some fish especially in Spring.

It works well, but the problem is jigging and paddling at the same time. We'll often have the bow person jig and plastic and the stern something that runs better hands-free.

I would give it a try. Sometimes thinking outside the box is what puts fish in the fry pan. Alter your tolling speed from time to time. As you slow and the jig falls it may trigger a bite.

lundojam: "It works well, but the problem is jigging and paddling at the same time. We'll often have the bow person jig and plastic and the stern something that runs better hands-free."

Still learning, so let me follow up. What did you mean that the problem is 'jigging and paddling at the same time'? I had in mind a straight retrieve, with the curly tail/paddle tail imparting the action. There would also be a little erraticness introduced if the water isn't smooth. Do you think I'd need "jigging action" in order to be effective?

barehook: "

lundojam: "It works well, but the problem is jigging and paddling at the same time. We'll often have the bow person jig and plastic and the stern something that runs better hands-free."

Still learning, so let me follow up. What did you mean that the problem is 'jigging and paddling at the same time'? I had in mind a straight retrieve, with the curly tail/paddle tail imparting the action. There would also be a little erraticness introduced if the water isn't smooth. Do you think I'd need "jigging action" in order to be effective?"

I thought you were trolling?

AmarilloJim: "

barehook: "

lundojam: "It works well, but the problem is jigging and paddling at the same time. We'll often have the bow person jig and plastic and the stern something that runs better hands-free."

Still learning, so let me follow up. What did you mean that the problem is 'jigging and paddling at the same time'? I had in mind a straight retrieve, with the curly tail/paddle tail imparting the action. There would also be a little erraticness introduced if the water isn't smooth. Do you think I'd need "jigging action" in order to be effective?"

I thought you were trolling?"

I am trolling. When Lundojam said 'the problem is jigging and paddling at the same time', I was uncertain what he meant by "jigging and paddling at the same time:".

All I had in mind in my original post was to troll (paddle) while letting out a length of line and pulling a jighead with plastic body. The weight of the jig head and speed of paddling would determine depth; the plastic body (curly tail or paddle tail) would give it the action. No manual 'jigging' would be necessary. Sorry for the confusion.

barehook: "... trolling jigs with either twister tails or swimbait bodies? Most of the trolling threads I've seen are either about bottom bouncer rigs with crawlers, crankbaits, or spoons. .... what would be the reasons that come to mind why this likely ISN'T a good strategy?

You'll probably find that you are limited in the depth you can reach while trolling with most jigs (BTW, twister tails and swimbaits are great choices for jig bodies). If you find or make really heavy jigs in an effort to simplify rigging, you're probably going to lose a lot of them due to bottom snags.

You can provide additional weight to a more normal sized jig using a 3-way rig (the bottom bouncer you mentioned is a variation of this, as is using snap weights). It is not necessarily the simple solution you are seeking, but it works, and has its own advantages (flexibility of depth by adding/removing weights, and hopefully losing only the weights during a snag).

If it is flat calm I don’t know how productive it would be. We troll jigs in Erie for smallies and walleye in spring but only when there is chop. Trolling motor on slower speed but I imagine a paddle would do the same. We use northland jigs which we have found give the bait a bit of a wobble also. Kalin’s soft plastics has been our best combo.

When trolling/paddling with jigs& rod holder, all you need to do is pause and lift your line with a finger , let it drop. braid is a must, IMO a double uni or blood knot to a #16-#20 XT triline leader, or a large swivel , add a piece of meat, is a trophy taker set up...screw that fluorocarbon,, IMO.. your pace and jig weight will tell you if your behind the canoe or more vertical. a 2oz-3oz jig maybe the ticket ? a minnow shaped jig , like a crippled herring really isn't that big and you'll be able to stay more vertical.
if your doing hard snap jigging just drift ;) and if your in some good waves , the canoe will do the jigging for you ;) :)

I spend 90% of my time slow trolling with a jig and twister tail when I’m in Quetico. I lay the rod across the gunnels, and slowly paddle along at my preferred depth. I don’t actually”jig” the rod at all. If there is even a small chop on the water, the jig gets enough movement up and down to be effective. Even in glass calm Water , moving right or left will give the jig some movement.