Swim Jig Fishing: Essential Tips to Catch More Bass in 2025

Note: This is a guest post by Matt from Barb Catch Fishing. I learned a lot from the article, and I hope you will too!

Swim jig fishing is one of the most consistent ways to catch bass. They are one of the most versatile lures in all of bass fishing. They allow you to put a moving bait in places that you can’t normally put one. And the jig profile is one of the most proven fish catchers out there.

Knowing how to properly fish a swim jig adds a swiss army knife to your arsenal and will certainly put more bass in the boat.

Swim Jig Design

At first glance, a swim jig looks a lot like all the other styles of bass jigs. But there are a couple of characteristics that make it unique and specialized.

• First is the jig head design. The jig head is a thinner, pointed jig head with a vertical line tie at the nose of the jig head. This pointed, almost wedge shaped head helps the swim jig to split through grass and vegetation without getting caught up.
• It also helps present a more natural baitfish style head, which is the forage that you are imitating when using a swim jig.
• The other unique design element of a swim jig is a softer weed guard. Because you aren’t flipping this bait into super heavy cover, it has a softer weed guard that prioritizes better hook ups. This will help a lot with hooking bass that swipe at the bait or try to spit it out quickly.

Where to Fish a Swim Jig

Shallow cover is the name of the game for swim jig fishing. The protection of the weed guard and design of the jig head allow swim jigs to glide in and out of brush and vegetation without getting snagged. And because you are swimming the bait instead of flipping or pitching, you can cover tons of water in a very short period of time.

Shallow water grass, lily pads, brush, laydowns, and overhanging trees are the primary places where you are going to fish a swim jig. It is a very efficient technique to find the aggressive bass that are in much thicker cover than other moving baits can get to. 

When to Fish a Swim Jig

Because you are targeting shallow cover with this bait, it isn’t really a cold water technique. I usually start throwing a swim jig during the later stages of the pre-spawn (or spring), once the vegetation has started to grow in the shallow water. And from that point until the late fall, when vegetation starts to die off again, bass will be shallow. And if they are shallow, you can catch them on a swim jig.

If your pond or lake doesn’t have much shallow cover, then a swim jig might not be the best option. In a case like that, it might be a better idea to pick each piece of cover apart thoroughly with a slower moving presentation. But if you have lots of wood, grass, and other structure that bass will hold, a swim jig is a phenomenal option. From the time bass move shallow in the spring time to the time the move back out deep in the fall, you should be fishing a swim jig.

How to Retrieve a Swim Jig

There are really two retrieval techniques that are utilized when swim jig fishing. The first one is simply a straight reel, just like you would retrieve a spinnerbait or chatterbait. I have found this retrieve works best when you are fishing long grass lines or if you are fishing very clear water and need a more natural presentation.

The second retrieve is called the Alabama shake. All you do is hold your rod tip at about 45 degrees and pop it up and down as you reel in the swim jig. This will cause the bait to bounce and pulse in the water. This retrieve seems to work better if you’re fishing more isolated pieces of cover or if you’re fishing muddier water and need to cause a bit more commotion to get the bass’s attention.

I suggest testing out both of these in a variety of situations and get a feel of which over you prefer when. Either way, you can’t really go wrong.

Choosing Trailers

As with any type of jig, the trailer is just as important as the jig itself. And again, there are two styles of trailer that you can pair with your swim jig. These are a paddle tail swimbait and a flappin craw style bait. And in my view, they actually go hand and hand with the two retrieve styles.

If you are just doing a steady reel, for the reasons we discussed, I would suggest using a paddle tail swimbait trailer. This will give the swim jig a more natural baitfish profile, making it look better in clear, more open water situations.

On the other hand, if you are using the Alabama shake technique, I would use a craw-style trailer that has more bulk and action. This will help keep the swim jig balanced as you shake it around and also give it more vibration which helps the bass in muddy water locate the bait.

Again, testing out each trailer if a variety of situations will help you gain a better feel and understanding of exactly how to utilize each one.

Swim Jig Sizes

There are only three sizes of swim jigs that matter. These are 1/2 oz, a 3/8 oz, and a 1/4 oz. The half ounce size is a bit more niche in my opinion, and is used when fishing a bit deeper water or if you are trying to fish the swim jig fast. To be honest, I rarely fish a half ounce.

On the other hand, the quarter ounce size is great for swim jig fishing in very shallow water when you need to fish the jig very slowly while still keeping it up in the water column. And then the three eights ounce size is the do everything size. It is by far the size that I fish the most because it works very well in pretty much all depth zones (from about 1-5 ft.) and water conditions that you come across. So if you could only choose one, the three eights ounce is the size to go with.

Braid vs Fluorocarbon

Contrary to most techniques, both braid and fluorocarbon have a place when swim jig fishing. For the most part, I feel like it really just comes down to personal preference. If you ask a bunch of different guys, some will say they prefer braided line and others will say they prefer fluoro.

But in my opinion, I really like to use braided line when I am swim jig fishing in really heavy cover or really muddy water when the bass can’t really see the line anyway. And then I like to use fluorocarbon line when fishing sparse cover or clear water when I don’t want bass seeing the line easily. Most of the time, you will be fishing swim jigs in pretty heavy cover, so braid is usually the better option, but if the bass get really line shy, consider switching to fluoro. 

Picking the Right Color

Lure colors are something that you should keep as simple as possible. There are plenty of ways to complicate bass fishing, so don’t add colors to that list. There are only three swim jig colors that you need.

• White: If you are imitating shad, a white swim jig is the perfect option. Especially because the swim jig is normally above the bass, the white color looks just like a flashy shad swimming by.
• Black/Blue: Use a black and blue (or just straight black) if you are trying to imitate bluegill in muddy water. In the muddier water, the dark silhouette of a black and blue swim jig is much easier for the bass to see and looks close enough to a bluegill. 
• Bluegill: Use an actual bluegill or green pumpkin colored swim jig when trying to imitate bluegill in clear water. In the clearer water, a more natural and realistic color option becomes more important because bass can very easily see the bait.

Tying this Off

In essence, the swim jig fishing is a dynamic and effective lure that deserves a place in every bass angler’s tackle box. Its unique design, versatility in cover, and adaptability to various conditions make it a fantastic fish catcher. By understanding its key components, appropriate applications, and optimal retrieval techniques, you can confidently employ this bait to unlock success in a wide range of fishing scenarios. 

A Note From Aaron: I hope you enjoyed this guest post. Swim Jig FIshing is another technique which I haven’t used – but I’ll be putting these tips to use this spring!