Jig and soft plastic for rainbow trout

The jig is the rescue when the usual searching lures have gone quiet and the fish refuse to hunt. A small soft plastic on a jig head sinks slowly and pendulum-swings seductively, and just that calm, sinking movement tempts sluggish rainbow trout that refuse everything fast. Where a spinner provokes hunting fish, the jig picks up the passive ones.

When the jig comes into its own

Bring out the jig when it is dead even though you know there is fish. Passive fish in the middle of the day, hard-fished waters and cold water late in the season are typical situations. The jig is fished slowly and near the bottom, where sluggish fish often stand, and it asks more patience than a spoon but rewards you when nothing else works.

Size and jig head

Stick to small soft plastics for stocked rainbow trout. The weight of the jig head decides how fast the jig sinks: a light head gives a slow, hovering fall that suits shallow water and passive fish, while a heavier head takes you down faster in deeper water. Bring a couple of weights so you can adapt to depth and the fish’s mood.

How you jig

The basic technique is simple. Let the jig sink to the bottom after the cast, then lift it calmly a bit with the rod tip and let it sink back on a tight line. Repeat. The take almost always comes during the fall, when the jig sinks, so keep contact with the line the whole time and be ready. Often the take only feels as if the jig suddenly became heavier or the line stops.

Colour and variation

Natural colours work in clear water, while coloured water and freshly stocked fish like something that shows more. Also try varying the lifts: sometimes the fish want short, soft hops, sometimes longer lifts. More bait choices sit in the lure overview, and a collected selection in best lures for rainbow trout.