Living Rubber vs Silicone Skirts: Which is Better for Bass Jigs?
Ask ten serious bass anglers which skirt material they prefer and you'll get a passionate debate. Living rubber and silicone are the two dominant materials used on bass jigs today, and each has a loyal following for good reason. Understanding the differences will help you match the right skirt to the right situation — and put more fish in the boat.
What Is Living Rubber?
Living rubber is a natural latex-based material that has been used on bass jigs since the early days of the sport. It gets its name from the way it moves — the individual strands breathe, pulse, and undulate with even the slightest water movement. When a living rubber jig is sitting still on the bottom, the skirt is still working.
Key characteristics of living rubber:
- Extremely lifelike, pulsating action even at rest
- Slightly heavier than silicone, which affects fall rate and profile
- Tends to clump together when wet, creating a tighter, more compact profile
- Can degrade over time, especially when exposed to sunlight and certain plastics
- Typically available in a more limited color range than silicone
What Is Silicone?
Silicone skirts became popular in the 1980s and have largely replaced living rubber in mass-market jigs. They're durable, colorfast, and available in an almost unlimited range of colors and patterns. Silicone strands are lighter and more buoyant than rubber, which gives them a different action profile.
Key characteristics of silicone:
- Flares out more dramatically on the fall and during pauses
- Highly durable — resists UV degradation and doesn't react with soft plastics
- Available in hundreds of color combinations, including multi-color and flake patterns
- Lighter weight means a slightly slower, more horizontal fall
- Consistent action that's easy to predict and replicate
Action Comparison: The Real Difference
This is where the debate gets interesting. Living rubber's action is often described as more "alive" — the strands move independently and irregularly, mimicking the erratic movement of a crawfish or baitfish. Silicone's action is more uniform and flared, which can be equally effective but in a different way.
In slow, cold water conditions where fish are lethargic, living rubber's subtle movement at rest can be a significant advantage. In warmer water where fish are more aggressive, silicone's bold flare and vibrant colors often trigger reaction strikes.
When to Choose Living Rubber
- Cold water fishing: The subtle action at rest is deadly on sluggish fish
- Slow presentations: Dragging and crawling on the bottom where subtle movement matters
- Clear water: The natural, irregular action looks more realistic
- Finesse situations: When fish have seen a lot of pressure and need something different
When to Choose Silicone
- Warm water and active fish: The bold flare triggers aggressive strikes
- Stained or muddy water: Bright, high-contrast color combinations are more visible
- Flipping and pitching: Durability matters when you're making hundreds of casts into heavy cover
- Color matching: When you need to precisely match a specific forage color
The Pure Poison Approach
At Pure Poison Jig Company, we've been hand-tying skirts since 2005 and we offer both living rubber and silicone options across our jig lineup. We work closely with professional anglers who fish both tournament trails and guide trips, and the consensus is clear: both materials have their place.
Many of our customers keep both styles rigged and ready, switching based on water temperature, clarity, and fish activity level. If you're just getting started with jig fishing, silicone is a great all-around choice. If you're looking to dial in a finesse presentation or fish cold water, give living rubber a try — you might not go back.
Questions about which skirt style is right for your setup? Reach out to us — we love talking jigs.