A mini jig is a useful and versatile artificial lure that many anglers use to target trout. A number of trout species will take mini jigs, including brook, lake, rainbow and steelhead trout. The head of a mini jig consists of a small lead weight attached to a hook below the eyelet. The head is usually painted and often bears markings that resemble eyes. Mini jigs usually have a skirt just behind the head made of feathers or other flowing material that conceals the point of the hook. The skirt provides visual action to the lure, enticing trout to strike.
Step 1
Choose jig colors that suit the environmental conditions you will fish and keep a good selection of jig colors on hand. According to Bass Pro Shops, use bright colors such as fluorescents to attract attention from trout in murky waters. During trout and salmon spawning, select jigs with colors such as orange, pink or red, which emulate fish eggs that trout eat. Where bait fish are prolific, try white, gray or tan.
Step 2
Select a size for the jig you will use. Choose larger mini jigs that are more noticeable in low visibility situations. For clear water, smaller jigs will help to prevent spooking trout.
Step 3
Use the proper gear for mini jig fishing. Select a light 7-foot graphite spinning rod with a relatively fast action for wider streams, rivers and lakes and a shorter 5-foot spinning rod for smaller streams and creeks. Add a light spinning reel loaded with around 100 to 150 yards of 4 to 6 lb. test line. Tie on your mini jig of choice and start fishing.
Step 4
Fish moving water by casting the mini jig out and upstream into the flow, then allow it to drop to the bottom and drift down stream. When the jig reaches an area you suspect holds fish, stop the jig and twitch your rod to make the jig move erratically. Retrieve a bit and repeat the twitching motion until you get a strike. Alternately, cast out into the water downstream and allow the current to arc your mini jig into an area where fish are holding.
Step 5
Fish lakes by locating deep pools where trout dwell that border more shallow areas where they feed. Cast a heavier 1/32 oz. jig and allow it to hit the bottom, then bounce it along the lake bed. If trout are feeding on bugs at the surface, use a lighter jig and begin retrieving as soon as it lands on the surface of the water. Pause occasionally to let the jig sink a bit to entice a strike.
Step 6
Use a bobber and float fish a mini jig when fish are striking lightly in a lake. Suspend the jig at the proper depth and cast out. Twitch the line occasionally and keep an eye on the bobber for any telltale indications of a light strike.
Step 7
Set the hook firmly, but not too hard, when your line stops or twitches. Trout have relatively soft mouths and the hook should penetrate well with moderate tension on the line.
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