There are so many different kinds of jigs that, when the store clerk begins rattling on about the use of bucktail jigs for weakfish, diamond jigs for whiting, and so on and so forth, your head will probably start to spin. Rather than learning all the different jigs that are available, a novice angler should simply tell the clerk what type of fish he or she wants to catch and ask about the best jig for that particular application. Over time, you will come to know more about jigs than you ever would have thought possible, so you can start slow and build knowledge from there.

Saltwater jigs are not the only means by which you can expect to catch saltwater fish species. A jig is simply a type of lure you can use when you are not using live bait. Take note that, with saltwater species, live bait is always the best choice. However, jigs can be effective when used properly. For example, the striped bass is one very popular target for anglers, and these are fairly easy to lure in with artificial bait. Jigs work well with this species, as do metal squid, spinners, and spoons. You'll find anglers all over New Jersey hunting for striped bass, and many times, live bait are not readily available, causing these fishermen to opt for jigs.

Using jigs is something that is learned most through practice. As you read about various rigging techniques, you'll find there are probably more ways to rig up a jig than there are types of jigs, throwing you for another loop when you first start out. Studying up on one or two different ways to hook your jig in order to best lure in your catch can cover a multitude of different target species. Note that, often, saltwater fishing involves looking for fish on the bottom of the body of water, and there are one or two preferred ways to rig your line using saltwater jigs in order to best serve this application.

In other situations, such as fishing for whitefish, you'll want to rig up your jigs to float them somewhere above the bottom, since this is not a bottom feeding species. Other times, you'll be targeting shallow waters in the bays and along the coastline for species such as weakfish. In these cases, there are other ways to hook up your saltwater jigs.