There’s a common item found in military survival kits from many countries.
It’s the common fishing jig, along with a length of strong monofilament
line. Why a jig? Because it’s the most universal fish-catching lure in
existence. It’s also the most versatile. You can throw a jig out and just
let it lay on the bottom. You can suspend it beneath a float. You can swim
it, hop it, drag it, or do whatever you want with it to catch fish in
streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Basically, wherever you find fish, a jig
can catch them.
I wonder how many GIs have saved their own skin over the years by taking
that jig and line out of their survival kit to catch some life-saving
protein. Now, when we jig fish it’s to have some fun and perhaps put a meal
of fish on the table for our families. A far cry from “needing” to catch a
fish to survive. But the lesson we can learn from soldiers is that the jig
is a proven way to catch fish. So you can always tie one on with total
confidence.
I for one love to bass fish with jigs, and I think I’m pretty good at it.
One of the reasons I’m a successful jig fishermen is that I keep my approach
simple. It begins with locating fish. Obviously, you can’t catch fish if
they aren’t there. This article won’t go into the exercise of finding fish.
You can write entire books on the subject. Rather, I’d just like to share
some of my jig fishing recommendations to help you catch more fish.
Jig Selection
Good grief there are a lot of jigs out there! If you don’t already have a
collection of favorites (based on past successes), the task of selecting
bass jigs can be daunting. But, like I said before, keeping things simple is
the way to go. So I recommend that every jig box, at a MINIMUM, should
contain three different sizes (1/8, 1/4 and 3/8-ounce) in at least three
different head colors (white, black and chartreuse). I strongly suggest that
some of these jigs be mushroom-head “jigworm” or “shaky-worm” style jigs
with long hook shanks. Ask the guy at the tackle store for them and he’ll
point you in the right direction.
The array of plastic jig bodies available is as overwhelming as buying jigs
when you go shopping. In the spirit of simplicity, must-haves are three
sizes of curly-tailed grubs/worms (2, 4 and 6-inch models); with my three
favorite colors being purple, pumkin and black. You’ll also boost your
bass-catching percentages by keeping a selection of tubes on-hand. I don’t
know why, but sometimes a bass will ignore the skinny profile of a worm but
attack a fat tube jig with a vengeance.
Allow me to reiterate something at this point. I’m keeping it simple with
these recommendations. There are literally dozens of other jig/body
combinations that I won’t hit a weedline without. Like me, once you get
hooked on jig fishing for bass, you’ll quickly amass more jigs, grubs,
worms, tubes, creatures, etc. than you know what to do with.
Jigging Hotspots
There are basically three top locations where jigging is dynamite: weedlines
(inside and outside), weedless structure (rocks, reefs, sand breaks), and
docks. Jig selection and technique will vary depending upon which location
you’re fishing and what the conditions are (season, water depth, clarity and
temperature, etc.).
Again, you could write a book on these locations alone. But we’re keeping it
simple, right? So, for inside and outside weedlines, I’ll go immediately to
a 1⁄4-ounce mushroom-head jig with a long hook shank and a 6-inch purple worm.
With that bait, you can systematically pick apart a weedline. Be patient
with the bait. Let it fall and be ready for a bite on the drop. Don’t be
afraid to fish it slow when it finds bottom, and even let it sit motionless
for 5-10 seconds before twitching or dragging it. A lot of bass will strike
a “dead-stick” worm but leave it alone if it’s moving.
On weedless structure like rocks and sand breaks, particularly if it’s in
deeper water, you can’t go wrong with a 3/8-ounce jig with a 2-inch grub
body. It falls fast, so it becomes a good search bait that allows you to
cover a lot of water. Plus, its rapid rise-drop makes this jig resemble the
erratic action of a darting crayfish or minnow. Concentrate hard when jig
fishing this way. The bites can be light. Depending on your preferences, you
may opt for the sensitivity of braided line for deep-water jigging. Whatever
line you do use, watch it with an eagle’s eye. Often, you’ll see the bite
when your line “jumps” before you actually feel the fish.
When fishing docks, I’ll go to a 1/4-ounce jig with a tube. The wide profile
of the tube makes it great for skipping the jig back to the dark confines of
the dock. And the lighter jig weight gives the bait a nice slow fall, so it
stays in the strike zone longer.
Two other things:
First, there’s some great largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing
opportunities in our nation’s rivers. And the simple jig is tailor-made for
fishing current. I have to say, one of my favorite techniques is to cast
jigs and let them tumble with the current. Detecting the bite is more
challenging than it is in static water. But when you develop the “feel” for
it, holy cow can you catch a ton of fish!
And finally, a lot of you are wondering, ‘Babe, what about weedless
jig-and-pig style baits in the slop?” You’re right. That’s jigging too. But
I classify that more as a flipping or pitching presentation with a whole
different batch of factors involved. I’ll write about that in an upcoming
column.
Hey, I know I barely scratched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to jig
fishing for bass. But that’s OK. My goal is simply to get you thinking more
about jigging as a sure-fire technique for better bass fishing. After all,
the fact that the military puts a jig in every survival kit must mean
something.
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to
fish and hunt for more than 25 years. Watch the award-winning “Good Fishing”
and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (formerly OLN), Fox Sports
Net, WILD TV, WFN and many local networks.By: Babe Winkelman / Babe Winkelman Productions
