Identification

• Saltwater fishing is usually done at greater depths than freshwater fishing. Deeper, murkier water requires brighter-colored jigs in fluorescent or neon colors that fish can spot easily as well as heavier jigs. You need an 8-oz. jig to get to the bottom of water 200 feet deep. Saltwater jigs can be made with metal, plastic, feathers, hair, nylon, Mylar or bucktail and are weighted with lead or tungsten metal. You'll want to choose jigs that resist corrosion from the saltwater. You will also want harder and stronger jigs that will hold up to the attacks of larger fish that you'll find in saltwater.
  
  

Shape

• The most popular jig head shape is round, since it sinks fast and moves quickly through the water. Other types of jigs include tube heads that are cylindrical, football-shaped heads, cone- or bullet-shaped heads for stronger currents, triangular shad heads to hold shad bodies, stand-up heads that slow the bait's fall, and worm nose heads that have a flat back to hold plastic worms against the jig head so it looks more realistic.
  
  

Size

• All jigs except floating jigs are weighted. in saltwater, jigs from 1/4 oz. to 1/2 oz. can be used to catch mackerel, sheepshead, bluefish, pompano, tripletail and blue runner. Two-oz. jigs are good for 12- to 15-lb. red snappers. One- to 3-oz. arrowhead or spearhead jigs attract grouper, redfish, amberjack and kingfish. You'll want to keep a few 6- to 8-oz. jigs available in deep water where the current is very heavy.
  
  

Types

• Live bait is often added to the jig's hook. Night crawlers, shrimp, thin-cut mullet filets, leeches, minnows, crayfish, eels, frogs and maggots work well. Soft plastic jigs designed to resemble worms, grubs, lizards, shad and tubes also work well when used with jigs, and many are scented for additional attraction.
  
  

Significance

• Jigging isn't difficult to learn. Virtually all people who fish use jigs at one time or another and will be happy to show you how to do it. Since saltwater jigs are used in deeper water with stronger currents, they require you to be active and use a lot more strength when jerking the tip of your rod. You also have to reel quickly so your jig sinks fast and imitates the injured bait fish your targeted saltwater fish will want to hit.