How To Retrieve A Shrimp Jig (When Fishing Docks)
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
No matter how enticing a shrimp jig looks…
Or how good a spot is…
If you don’t retrieve your lure the right way, you’re going to miss out on fish.
Yes, this means if you and your fishing buddy are on the same boat using the same lure, they can outfish you by simply twitching their lure a different way.
So in this video, you’re going to learn the best way to retrieve a shrimp jig when fishing docks.
(P.S. The tips you’ll learn here helped me outfish Joe 10 to 1 on a trip last month.)
How To Retrieve A Shrimp Jig [VIDEO]
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The best way to retrieve the shrimp jigs under docks is to bounce them off the bottom by twitching your rod tip.
Some days the fish like quick, aggressive pops, while other days they like softer and slower pops with a long pause.
You’ll have to do some testing to figure out what they’re looking for that day, but here’s a hint: in colder weather, they’ll typically prefer a slower retrieve, whereas, in warmer weather, they’ll typically prefer a faster one.
And here are some more tips to catch fish with shrimp jigs:
- Retrieve the lure all the way back to the boat because sometimes fish will follow it and strike at the last second.
- Set the hook when you feel the thump.
- Be mindful of feeling the bottom. If the lure isn’t hitting the bottom, it’s not in the strike zone.
- If you get a bite, but the fish gets off, keep retrieving your lure like normal because they’ll often hit a second time.
Here’s some fun footage of one of my first trips out testing the Power Prawn where I caught way more fish than I expected to:
Surprising Power Prawn Test Run [VIDEO]
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Here’s a list of the equipment used during this lesson:
- Reel: Quantum Smoke SM100 HPT
- Rod: 7′ Omen Black from 13 Fishing
- Line: 30 lb PowerPro
- Leader: 40 lb Ande Mono
- Lure: Power Prawn
- Glasses: Smith Optics Guide’s Choice Green Mirror Glass
Conclusion
Bouncing shrimp jigs under docks is one of the best ways to catch fish.
But if you really want to maximize your strikes, you need to retrieve them correctly.
To do this, bounce it off the bottom by twitching your rod tip.
Change the speed at which you’re bouncing it to match whether the fish are lethargic or aggressive, and hold on because this lure catches big fish.
You can order the Power Prawn from our shop here (Insiders only):
Have any questions about retrieving shrimp jigs?
Let me know down in the comments!
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Great lesson! Thanks. @SS, could you possibly do a lesson or spot dissection on how to fish a marina, for example the People’s St. T Head Marina in downtown Corpus Christi, TX. I am land based so I’m always looking for new areas. Thank you.
Just got some power prawns… just need the fish bite to start
It has been several years since I hear the word prong, and I still can’t get used to the idea of an imitation shrimp or crayfish being called a prong. Does anyone else have the same problem in America?
It’s actually called “Prawn”!
Another great video. We Love watching Otis!
Otis stealing the show; too funny! Great videos, you are basically bass fishing docks with a jig and that is one of the most effective ways to find bass around cover so this is just textbook content as bass fishing and inshore fishing share so many common traits.
Really good to see this and love the baitcaster with the 1/2oz jig set up so much as casting accuracy and having the torque on the reel and backbone of the rod to quickly move the fish out of the cover is so critical to dock fishing.
A suggestion worth considering is look in to the electronic foot control motor for your Motorguide. The foot pedal works the same as the spot lock remote and one will override the other at any time so it’s not an “either / or” scenario”. The benefit is that you never take both hands off of the rod / reel combo and you will make many more presentations which is a fundamental to being a great dock fisherman. It’s a numbers game, more pitches/casts = more bites if one is in the right area.
I have that setup on my bay boat with the MinnKota TM I run and it’s exactly like fishing a bass boat around docks with a foot pedal TM. The beauty is that using it becomes a subconscious thing just like using a bait caster does after a while so the angler can maneuver the boat away from docks, etc all without ever taking their eyes off of what they are fishing and their hands never leave the rod/reel.
It’s just more efficient and I bet you’d love it on the new rig. The pedal for mine was $100 so pretty easy expense to justify for the benefit. Just a suggestion, and stay Otis Strong! Love that dude!
I really love watching the dog react
Ditto
Hey Luke, where do you do most of your videos ? Do you fish in Tampa Bay? I live in Cape Coral and do most my fishing in Matlacha pass Pine Island Sound qnd Charlotte Harbor but there is a lot of red tide around right now and haven’t been out there in quite a while
seem like an advantage is the the buoyancy of the power prawn in its retrieval….have you ever tried Zman shrimp as their material is also buoyant??
It looks like you have a swivel between your line and leader. Is there a reason?
It’s an FG knot.
I personally use swivels because of line twist issues.
Must say that fishing Myrtle and North Myrtle Beaches (I.e. Apache Pier and surf fishing) has been so frustrating; not a bite on real or artificial shrimp, lures, etc. by myself and my buddy,. Did see someone catch a few croakers about 4-5 inches in length over quite a few hours. Could have been just as unsuccessful with cheapest fishing gear available. Didn’t expect much: But nothing…? Kind of makes Florida a lot more attractive. Just sayin’
Hasnt been exactly on fire down here lately either.