A jig is a bait for fishing, which is used in recreational and sport fishing. The word comes from the name of a small crustacean mormysh.
Mormysh is a small gray amphipod, which is common in some water bodies of northern and central Russia. In the summer, he lives in thickets and reeds, leaving his shelter only at night. The crustacean moves in small jumps. In winter, due to the lack of oxygen, the mormysh gets out of their shelters and covers the lower part of the ice in colonies.
Why does the fish bite on the jig?
Despite the fact that mormysh is not found in all bodies of water, the fish, which have never seen it, gladly swallow the mormysh that imitates it. This is due to the fact that the bait is not an exact copy of the crustacean, but only imitates its movements.
The habitual diet of fish consists of swimming beetles, smooth bed bugs, dragonfly larvae, caddis flies, amphipods and other small insects. Often, fish find small animals on the surface of the water due to the fact that they are moving. When moving, insects create subtle vibrations, which the fish picks up with their receptors at great distances. Fish have extremely undeveloped vision, which allows them to see prey only in close proximity. Therefore, the main task of the jig is not to provide an external resemblance to small aquatic living organisms, but only to imitate the oscillatory movements that insects create when moving in the upper layers of water. However, external similarity also plays an important role. So, swimming up to the jig, a careful fish will first carefully examine the object and assess the environment. And only after making sure that the bait does not pose a danger to life, the fish will bite on the bait.
What does a jig look like?
The design of the jig is quite simple. It is a small metal weight of various shapes with one or more hooks, which is tied to the fishing line either through a hole or through a small eyelet in this very weight. The jig can be used with baits of various origins - both plant and animal. In some cases, it can be without attachments at all or with artificial attachments strung on a hook, for example, shiny beads or rings.
How to choose the right jig?
The choice of a jig is a purely individual process. It depends on the experience of the fisherman, his personal skills, the ability to manage fishing tackle and the type of fish inhabiting a particular body of water.
