Jigs (Shad)

[Kevin22]

This might piggyback with the other topic on shad here but I thought I should make my own instead of jumping on his thread. 

 

I have a spot right below one of the major L&D on the Miss river that is currently PACKED with smallies and largemouth. I was catching them on shallow shad raps, lipless cranks, and spinnerbaits fished aggressively above the boulders. I could see the fish come out and smack the lure as it went by. Now they messed with the flow and throwing upriver is no longer an option, the current is too much to get spinner blades moving and cranks are just impossible. The fish are still behind those rocks so I was thinking a 1/2-3/4 jig would do the trick. Drop it right behind a boulder like a shad coming over it. 

 

Forage is silver dollar sized gizzard shad and 3" shiners. I figured a white jig would do the trick. My question is, how would you fish it? Throw upriver and scoot it over the boulders letting it fall behind each one, swim it ticking the boulders, or pitch to each boulder individually and just let it sit? 

[iabass8]

which lock and dam/pool? I'd probably be able to give you more specifics as I fish pools 9-13 all the time.When the water is stable directly below the dam the fishing can be fantastic and almost every cash can produce a fish. When the flow/stage increase the largemouth move back out of the stronger current in pockets that can be pitched to as close as the shore line. If there is any sort of cut /creek that leads to a backwater area  below the dam (most do have some sort channel or deep pocket within a short distance) the baitfish you are seeing right now (the shad spawn) will move out of this current into "lesser" current  but and the fish will stack up right out of the current. this is a big pattern up and down the pools right now. the the smallmouth don't avoid the current right now as the flow isn't that high. they will still be there. football jigs are your best friend right now. you will be able to feel the boulders and drop the jig off them on a slack line so they fall straight behind them. they are the current breaks for the smallmouth. As far as color goes I've tinkered a lot of the yearsand finally came up with 3 solid patterns that will produce almost everywhere on the river but white is not one of them...unless it's a swim jig. swim jigs/football jigs/squarebills are all I'm throwing right now in tournaments and fun fishing with the occasional spook/frog. This is a great year for fishing on the river.

 

almost forgot..shakey heads are killer on the boulders as well. rage tail baby craws seem to work better for the small mouth and zoom 7' finesse worms work better for the largemouth.

 

you can pitch trig beavers or craws on these rocks where theres lots of feeding and catch tons of fish but the average size will drop a lot.

as far as jig size 3/8 is plenty. you don't want to dead stick the jig in the boulder or you are just going to lose them as the heavier weights will get caught up more. 3/8 seems to be the perfect median to keep the jig in one spot on the rocks but still moving if that makes sense.  i only use 1/2 oz footballs in strong flow dragging downstream towards me or i'm in a little deeper water.

[Kevin22]

Got to fish for a few minutes until a couple guys started throwing nets around. Just a traditional hop and fall around the boulders worked, he popped it pretty good on the fall. 

 

[JayKumar]

Cool. Can try swimming it too....

[senko_77]

If your having trouble getting a spinnerbait to work in the current, try throwing the Scrounger Head with either a paddle tail swimbait, grub, or fluke style bait threaded on and make sure the Scrounger is the long billed model.  Throw past the rocks they are sitting on and swim it by them.  Lights out.