HOOK's TABLE ROCK
LAKE
FISHING GUIDE SERVICE
Midwest Outdoors - Feb. 1999
DIG REALLY DEEP FOR BASS
By Jim Van Hook
One of the least utilized techniques
for Bass fishing by people that visit our deep reservoirs in the Ozarks
is deep-water jigging. I watch people all day long, hugging the banks and
flailing away at the shoreline with their lures. I guess most of them just
don’t realize that quality Bass are up on the banks in these lakes just
3 to 4 weeks of the year. Yes, you can get lucky occasionally, and pick
up a good fish that way, but generally speaking, most of the good water
is behind you. If you intend on fishing deep, clear reservoirs, and you
are used to fishing weedy, and maybe, off-colored natural lakes,
you definitely need to make some adjustments. One of those adjustments
that may work for you is deep-water, vertical jigging. It’s a tried and
true technique for catching quality Bass and other species, yet most anglers
shy away from it. Let’s take a look at this method and the tools you should
use to make it a successful outing.
· Electronics
To successfully fish in water depths
of 30 to 100 feet, you definitely need quality electronics! Whether
you are using a flasher, LCD, or a paper graph, it needs to be a quality
unit in good repair, with enough power to penetrate those depths and return
a good signal to the angler. There are a number of good units out there
on the market these days. I have come to prefer the power and features
of the Lowrance X-75 and I still occasionally use my good old X-16
paper graph. You need the ability to pinpoint breaklines, brush piles,
and other key structural elements to effectively fish this deep. And you
need these units to pick up the fish , as well as schools of baitfish.
No matter what model unit that you use, learn how to operate your unit
properly so that it will perform at it’s peak for you!
· Boat
Control
One of the biggest elements in making
an effective deep-water presentation, especially vertical jigging as we
are talking about here, is precise boat control. Once you have located
the piece of structure or school of fish that you want to jig, you need
to stay right over the top of it. This is especially true in cold water
fishing. Generally, the colder the water, the more important a vertical
presentation becomes. In warm water, you can toss a spoon out and let it
fall thru a school of fish and get bit, but when that water cools down,
fish are less likely to move horizontal to chase a bait moving quickly
thru the water. You have got to put the nose of your boat into the wind
and try to match its speed as closely as possible. If you’re working a
breakline, you need to be moving ahead ever so slightly. Proceed down the
breakline slowly, keeping your bait directly underneath you. If you are
working a school of fish clustered on the bottom or suspended, you want
to keep your boat as stationary as possible. Needless to say, as the wind
picks up, this becomes more challenging.
· Rods,
Reels, & Line
Generally , I prefer to use baitcasting
equipment with this technique. A 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 foot, medium to medium
heavy action, good quality, graphite rod is best. A great combo that works
really well for me in this situation is a St. Croix PC 56 M rod
with a Quantum EX-501 reel. The rod needs to have enough backbone
to jig those heavier lures and set the hook at those 50 - 70 foot depths,
but yet be sensitive enough to detect the light hits you’re going to get
most of the time. I’ve also come to really like the high speed ratio reels.
They enable me to quickly retrieve my lure when it is fouled so I can fix
it and get back to the business of catching fish. I set my drag light to
medium so larger fish won’t tend to pull off. I prefer using 10 to 12 lb.
mono on my reels, mainly because I’m fishing very clear water most
of the time. Some of my fishing partners use up to 20 lb. when we’re fishing
in the deep trees and it does save them a fish or a lure on occasion. When
the fish are a bit shallower in the water column and we switch to
lighter weights, such as 1/4 oz., I’ll use a spinning rod & reel combo.
A good combination for me has been a St. Croix PS 60 M rod
with a Quantum Energy E5-2 reel. I’ll spool this combo with 6 or
8 lb. mono.
· Lures
There is a real variety of different
lures to use for vertical jigging. I’ve got my favorites, some of which
you may be familiar with, some you may not. In different fishing situations,
my clients and I have caught good quality fish on all of them. First
is a traditional chrome-plated, lead jigging spoon. The one I use is made
by a local company by the name of Hog Jaw Tackle. The 3/4 oz. model works
well down to 75 feet or so and has a fluttering action the Bass just seem
to love! Next is a 3/4 oz. Hawger spoon produced by Jig A Whopper. Originally
marketed as a Walleye lure, these produce some fine Bass. They also
produce another spoon-type lure called the Rocker Minnow. I had a
heck of a time tracking them down. Check with your local tackle shop.
Another spoon that I have had success with is the Swedish Pimple. Try a
chrome or white model in 3/4 - 1 oz. I’ve also rediscovered some old lures
in my tackle box and they’ve been producing some nice fish recently using
this technique, namely, Sonars and Billy Westmoreland’s Silver Buddy.
In clear water, chrome or silver usually work the best. The biggest problem
you’ll probably have is trying to find these in 3/4 oz. size. Have your
local tackle shop order them for you. And don’t forget about the
good ol’ lead head jig. A 3/8 to 1/2 oz. is usually needed at these depths.
Rig them with 3 - 4 inch reaper type tails in silver, red flake/clear,
or smoke-type colors.
I will sometimes modify and experiment
with these spoons. You can bend them, slip gitzit bodies over them, and
change the hooks. One particular modification that has been working well
for me is replacing the manufacturers’ hooks with a #4 Flashtail hook made
by Storm. The extra flash seems to work very well. I intend to experiment
with it on some of my other lures as well. Some spoons also require the
addition of a split ring. Use a good quality snap to attach it to the line
and you’re in business.
· Location
Here is where your electronics and
a good lake map come into play. Check the main lake points, with and without
wood, secondary points, bluff banks, creek intersections, creek channels,
etc. You’ll find the fish. One key is to find the schools of baitfish,
usually shad. The Bass won’t be far away. Sometimes you won’t see them
on your flasher or LCD, they’ll be laying right on the bottom. Bounce that
lure in front of them and they’ll eat it! Remember, if the fish are suspended
off the bottom, present the lure at their level or just above them. They
will generally come up to the lure, but not down. In any case, experiment,
the fish will tell you how they want it that particular day!
Next time you’re out on the water,
give deep-water jigging a try. It’s a deadly presentation almost any time
of the year. Depths and actions vary according to the time of the year,
but the basics are the same. You may be in store for some pleasant surprises.
You’ll be throwing for fish that don’t see too many lures a good portion
of the year! An added bonus is the variety of fish you’ll catch with this
technique! You’ll find yourself catching Largemouth, Kentuckies, Smallmouth,
White Bass, Crappies, Sunfish, Bluegills, and even a Catfish every once
in a while!
* * * * * * * * * *
* * ** * * * * * * * *
Jim operates Hook’s Table Rock
Guide Service. He can be reached at 1-800-603-4665 or Email HOOKSBASS
@ AOL.COM
Jim receives promotional consideration
from the following companies:
Champion Boats
St. Croix Rods
Mercury Motors
Ulrich Marine
Dual Pro Chargers
Lowrance Electronics
Hamby’s Protector
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