Seaguar Hookpoints – Heavy Cover Swim Jig

A swim jig can be an incredibly effective tool in many shallow water conditions, especially around vegetation. A large benefit of a swim jig is that it gives the angler the ability to use a moving bait to cover water in calmer conditions where a spinnerbait or bladed jig would be obtrusive. While there are many different versions of swim jigs, Strike King makes the Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig which features an extremely heavy gauge hook that is built to withstand the pressures of fighting big fish. In order to take advantage of this capability, an angler must use stout equipment and heavy braided line, such as the two shown here. A minimum of 50-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown Braid is perfect for fishing around sparse cover, and for truly heavy cover, we prefer Seaguar’s Flippin’ Braid by Denny Brauer (shown in the package) because it has a slightly more coarse weave, which enables it to shred the vegetation on the hookset and the resultant battle. There are also different trailer types you can use to suit the situation. Shown here are the Rage Tail Space Monkey, Rage Craw and the Rage Swimmer

Having shad and bluegill mimicking colors on hand gives the angler the ability to capitalize on every situation.

As with any jig, the long weedguard will need to be trimmed

Use a pair of scissors, or cutters like these by Pitbull Tackle to gut the weedguard at an angle the leaves it just above the hook point, as pictured here.

When you are finished, the weedguard strands should be shorter in the front, and longer in the back – like shown in the image

Once you have trimmed the weedguard, affix the lure to the line by tying to the line. Here, the angler is putting the finishing touches on his Palomar Knot. In this case, the angler is readying for fishing an area that has sparse vegetation clumps, so he has chosen to use 65-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown Braid because it is smoother and aids in a little more casting distance.

Trim the tag end close to the eye of the jig.

Next, select the trailer you wish to use, and begin threading it onto the jig by inserting the hook into the center of the head of the bait. In this case the angler selected the Rage Tail Space Monkey, because it has the flapping appendages, but also has a flat body which helps keep the lure up higher in the water column; perfect for shallow water.

Thread the trailer onto the hook, bringing the point out in the middle of the body at a point that allows the trailer to be straight on the hook.

Push the angled wire keeper into the bottom of the soft trailer to help keep the trailer up on the hook.

Here is the finished jig.

For the Rage Craw, follow the same procedures. Here, the angler has selected a green pumpkin colored lure to more closely mimic the shades of bluegill or sunfish in the shallows in the postspawn or summer.

Bring the hook point out of the trailer at the beginning of the fourth body segment, where the body meets the shell of the craw.

Remember to keep it in the middle of the lure so that it swims straight.

The Rage Craw gives a wider, more aggressive action than other soft plastic trailers, this makes it a great trailer for around bluegill beds or for attracting the attention of bass in cover.

Another option an angler has is to switch the trailer out to a swimbait styled trailer, like this Rage Swimmer. This gives the appearance of it being an actual baitfish profile, and gives the angler the ability to make a lure change without retying. One thing to remember is that on a boot tailed swimbait, always make sure the tail points down when the lure is rigged to achieve correct swimming action. Notice that this lure is already tied to the Seaguar Smackdown Braid; a simple trailer change can trigger bite.

The heavy 50 to 65-pound-test Seaguar Braided line requires the right equipment to handle the strength of the line, but still have a soft tip for casting. This 7’3″ medium-heavy Duckett Fishing Micro Magic Pro is a great choice. Any medium heavy rod from 7′ to 7’6″ can be an excellent choice.

A 7.1:1 retrieve speed reel is an excellent choice, and this Lew’s BB1 Pro has a larger spool to hold the heavier Seaguar Smackdown or Flippin’ Braid lines, and the strength necessary to handle jarring hooksets and fierce battles.

A swim jig is an incredibly versatile lure, and all of these products give the angler the ability to handle big fish in heavy cover with the versatility to match the conditions. Many of these products from Strike King , Lew’s, Pitbull Tackle and Seaguar are available at Monster Fishing Tackle