In clear water, translucent natural colors such as crawdad, sunfish and shad are your best bet. In stained water, darker and brighter colors will produce well. Another rule of thumb is to use lighter color shades on bright days and darker colors in cloudy and low light conditions. Soft plastic manufacturers continue to expand and improve their color selections of craw worms and plastic pork-style trailers. By combining the colors available in jig skirts with soft plastics, you can match natural forage bass are feeding on year round.
Rattles can make a real difference in many situations.
In fact, anytime you're fishing a jig in heavy cover, try a rattle. My favorite is available from Oldham's Lures. It hangs from the hook on a split ring and is secured with a piece of rubber tubing, just like a trailer hook on a spinnerbait. This setup allows the rattle to swing freely and be activated with every movement of the jig. Jigs do not come out of the package ready to fish.