Marabou Jig – Backcountry Cariboo

I've just started getting more and more into fishing for crappie and bass, so I've been doing a lot of research to see what they like to bite. I had heard that the Marabou Jig worked really well so I went out and bought a bunch of different colors to see what color jig would work the best. In this post, I'll be talking about what color works the best and how to actually fish the Marabou Jig for crappie, bass, and trout. I've mainly fished for salmon and trout and I was pretty excited to see how it'd perform for that. Long story short, this jig worked really well for all three species and I did notice that a few colors outperformed everything else. I'll be talking about what color to use, how to fish the jig, and what gear you'll want to use. Best Marabou Jig For Crappie The best Marabou Jig for crappie is a 1/16 oz jig in brown or chartreuse. Going with something brown is going to give you the best results in clear water because it's natural-looking (white and black could also work). Going with something brighter (like chartreuse) is going to perform much better in dirty water. Everywhere and every day are going to be different but these are the colors that have worked the best for me. Best Marabou Jig For Bass The best Marabou Jig for bass is a 1/8 oz jig in black or white. Going with something white or black is going to perform way better than something bright in clear water because it's more natural-looking. I've caught bass on other colors but black and white seem to be the most consistent. If there are a lot of crawfish where you're at, you might want to try red. Best Marabou Jig For Trout The best Marabou Jig for trout is a 1/16 oz jig in black or white. I've been trout fishing for a long time and the colors that have always worked the best were the more natural ones. Black, white, brown, and gold have all worked really well and the same was the case for the Marabou Jig. One that had black or white as the main color and then something else as the secondary seemed to do the trick. The Gear When it comes to the gear you'll use to fish the Marabou Jig, there are really a bunch of different combinations to pick from. I've tried out a lot of things and this is the gear I've had the best results with and the least problems. For your rod, you'll need a lighter weight spinning rod. These jigs aren't very heavy so you'll need something that can cast them a decent distance. I wouldn't suggest a baitcaster but I'm sure you could make it work if you've fished with one a lot. If I'm fishing for crappie or trout then I'll use a light action spinning rod. If I'm fishing for bass, I'd use a light or medium rod (depending on the size of bass). For fishing line, I almost always use braid as my main fishing line and then I'll put a fluorocarbon leader at the end (see what I use here). I like braid because it casts a lot better than mono/fluoro, it's a lot stronger, and it's more sensitive (see what I use here). If I'm going after trout or crappie then I'll probably use 10 lb braid. If I'm going after bass then I'll probably use 20 lb braid. A 4-foot leader using 10-15 lb line should be fine. I connect the two lines with the Surgeon's Knot (see how to tie here). The final thing you might want to get is some sort of float. I don't always use floats but it can help if you're fishing an area that has a lot of weeds or places to get snagged. If I'm fishing an area that just has rocks or a pretty clean bottom then I won't use one but it'll prevent a lot of headaches if you have a float just in case. How To Fish A Marabou Jig There are a number of different ways you can fish a Marabou Jig and they all work. It'll all depend on how much work you want to do and what the water conditions are like. Check out the video below or read the summary for all of the methods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYvh3ZGklA Method 1: Cast and retrieve. This is one of the more basic techniques for fishing the Marabou Jig but it is still effective. All you have to do is cast it out as far as you can, let it sink down to the bottom, and slowly start retrieving. You want to reel in at a pace that has the jig just above the ground. Method 2: Cast and retrieve with twitch. This is a little bit more advanced but it should catch you a few more fish. All you have to do is cast it out as far as you can, let the jig sink to the bottom, slowly start reeling in, and give your rod a little twitch every few seconds. That'll give your lure a bit more action as it moves through the water, which should intrigue the fish. Method 3: Cast and sit. This is the most basic method of fishing a jig and will be perfect if you just want to enjoy a nice day out on the water. The first thing you'll want to do is attach a bobber/float so that your jig is sitting just above the ground. All you have to do is cast it out as far as you can and wait. If you're fishing still water then you'll need to twitch your rod or reel in a bit but if there's waves or wind, you should be fine leaving it. Method 4: Jig. This is probably my favorite technique but it'll only work in an area that has nothing to get snagged on. If there's logs, grass, weeds, or whatever else sitting on the bottom then you'll have to use one of the first three methods. If the bottom is rock or sand, you should be fine. All you have to do is cast it out as far as you can, let the jig sink to the bottom, lift your rod tip up, let the jig sink back down, and repeat. Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share! Want to enter into our fishing gear giveaway? 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