Plastic jigs for gills

[Nick Holt]

Hi Folks, I was wondering how many members use plastic jigs for gills. I do mostly because in the 2 main lakes that I fish, there is a pretty good turtle population. I like to use 1 inch tubes, curtails, and the Keystone minnow. I'm hoping by the end of the summer, I'll have a small bass boat or jon boat so I can get into some of the bigger bodies of water and not have to depend on my friends when the spirit moves me and not them. I was interested in the posts about using the Berkley Gulp red worms and will pick up a jar. Maybe the turtles won't seem as interested in them. Thanks, Nick

[brant smith]

Hello Nick, I don't use jigs for gills to much. The only ones ive used that worked are what we call squid
jigs. They are little tube jigs with tenticals on the back. The color i used that was taken most readily
is red head with a chartreuse body. About 1/32 - 1/16 oz. By the way I finally got to use my gulp
earthworms and caught some decent fish on them. They may help as a tipping bait for your jigs.
good fishing and tight lines

[Patrick "Bullworm" Olson]

Nick I use plastics all the time. I like to use Berkley Gulp 2.5 inch minnows on a chartruese 1/16 oz round jig head. It sounds like a big rig for gills, but it does keep the smaller fish away!

[Steve Fleckenstein]

I use plastics quite often,usually tipped with a maggot.

[Jim Gronaw]

Over the years I have had good success with small 1 to 2 in plastics on mostly 1/32 oz jigheads. Sometimes, I'll pinch off the 'curly' portion of a small curlytail and simply thread the remainining 'grub' portion on a 1/64 oz jighead and slowly fish it through vegrtation or brush. You would be surprised as to how effective this simple option can be, especially on nuetral or less active fish.

[Ryan H.]

I have caught a few gills and pumpkinseeds on a 1/32 (I think? maybe 1/64 dont remember) Jighead and a 1" Charlie Brewer's Slider grub, chartreuse color, on the jighead. Jig them slow or just reel in very slow taking pauses, they seem to hit them, not as often as a simple worm but sometimes I get bored fishing worms (or GULP! Nightcrawlers). I sometimes will put a GULP maggot on the hook if im not getting many fish.

This same jig set up has also caught perch, rockbass, and a 7" smallmouth...which is why I will sometimes switch to it. I love catching 'gills as much as the rest of ya, but I like catching other fish, as well.

Try the Slider grubs. They have a very slow falling action when paired with an ultralight jighead. I actually watched two fish fight for it from my kayak, one ended up getting reeled into the boat with me, but was release (tiny perch) They were attacking it on the fall...

[Steve Fleckenstein]

Another option for soft plastics that I sometimes use.Take a twister tail and remove the curly part,use a small needle and thread a small piece of rubber leg material in one side and out the other,do this two or three times depending on the size of the body.Tread these on a jighead and tip with a maggot.Fish these under a bobber.

[Nick Holt]

Hey Steve, Thanks for the tip. Sounds like a sinking plastic spider. Nick.