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BBB HONOR ROLL |
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Jig It Up for More Fish
Jeff Snyder - 10/22/2000 5:42:17 PM
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I guess I can't help the way my mind works. It is the only one I have and can do very little to change my style of thinking. However, my style of thinking is not that unusual when it comes to angling. In fact, I would guess that a lot of anglers have some of the same thought patterns that I do.
One of those patterns is the familiar habit of thinking back to the various techniques that helped me catch fish. Most of us have several tried and true techniques that become our "go to" methods for our fishing trips. During this last year my "go to" method was definitely the jig.
I started out opening weekend last year fishing a small, nondescript lake about an hours drive from home. This lake was only 20 feet deep and basically had no structure. The little structure we could find was pretty much filled with boats.
I don't really care that much for fishing in a crowd, so we started off in search of something a bit more peaceful. Eventually, we settled on a rock shoreline and started pitching eighth ounce Bambino Finesse Jigs tipped with ISG Pig Tails towards the rocks. We weren't all that surprised to find scattered largemouth in about four feet of water, which was much shallower than any of the other anglers were fishing.
However, it wasn't until a storm chased us to shore that we discovered the real hot spot. This location was a rock hump that topped off at four feet and was surrounded by eight feet of water.
When the storm was over we went back and had a ball jigging bass off of this tiny piece of structure. By keeping our distance and making long casts we were able to stick fish after fish without spooking them. Although we experimented with other baits, jigs were the only lure we caught fish on.
Much later in the year, on a trip to Canadian waters, we again put the mighty jig to use. This time the technique was much different. The fish we had going were in 20 plus feet of water and tucked up into a field of tackle eating boulders.
Once again, the versatility of the jig came through with flying colors. By hovering over the bass, we were able to fish very vertically and hang our lures right in the face of these fish. We did get snagged occasionally, but for the most part, we were able to feel the rocks with our jigs and stay out of trouble.
Around home, I don't fish for walleyes as much as other anglers. I spend much of my time chasing bass. Another of my favorite lures is an eighth ounce Darter Jighead tipped with a four inch Mudd Puppy.
I catch all kinds of fish on this jigworm rig including walleyes, crappies, and northerns. The mainstay, of course, is the bass, but nearly anything is possible.
The jig may not be perfect for all fishing situations, but ask any angler with a lot of years on the water and they will tell you the jig is about as versatile as a fishing lure gets. Yet, for some reason, many anglers are still afraid of giving the jig a fair shake.
I think many anglers shy away from jigs because it just seems too simple to actually work. I'll agree with the simple part, but for many fishing situations, the jig is going to put more fish in your boat than any other presentation.
Other anglers steer clear of jigs because the subtle bites can be hard to detect. In response to this, some strikes are anything but subtle. However, I also know that many pick-ups are difficult to feel. I believe inexperienced jig anglers will quickly learn to feel a hit if they just use it a while. Light line and quality rods will make the process of detecting bites easier.
It is certainly possible to catch a fair number of fish without knowing how to use a jig. However, I also believe that if an angler is serious about fishing, they must take that step into the world of jigs.
Once an angler gains confidence in fishing a jig they want to use it more and more. The good news here is that they can. With the versatility of the jig, there are endless ways to fish it.
Jigs don't fit perfectly with every fishing application. In fact, there are times when jigs don't work at all. However, by learning to fish the versatile jig, you will take a step up the ladder of fishing success. When this happens you will find that jigs will become one of your "go to" lures.
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