Greg Hackney discusses how he selects bass jig weights and trailers when fishing around any type of cover. The first thing he considers is water temperature — Greg trends toward lighter weights, say 1/2-ounce and lighter when water temps are below 65-degrees. Warm water fish species like bass and particularly Florida strain bass, are more lethargic the cooler the water temp.
Bass mood is the second consideration. If they’re not eating a faster-moving jig, then you need to saturate the cover more and a lighter jig a better tool. Greg emphasizes that bass will bite a heavy jig just as well as a light jig when it’s on the bottom, but you as an angler will tend to fish a heavy jig faster based on bottom contact. If you’re fishing too fast for the situation and feel you need to saturate the cover more, lighten up your jig and/or select a trailer that slows the rate of fall.
As closing guidance, Greg emphasizes the importance of fishing the heaviest jig you can get away with. Sometimes this means a 3/8-ounce, other times it’s a 1-ounce jig, but if bass are cooperative, a heavier jig allows you to fish faster, make more casts and cover water quicker.
