Hittin The Rip Raps

[FrogTosser88]

So... The shallow channels I usually fish have slowed down.. while fishing for stripers in the deep channels I have stumbled upon some large black bass around the rip raps... some have hit a shad crankbait but the larger fish have hit a black jig/craw.. problems is.. this stuff im fishing is simply, broken up concrete slabs used to reinforce the levee.. after hooking said beefy bass.. i lost a cpl of my jigs in this stuff..... should I just buy a bunch of cheap jigs and toss em out?.. or is there a better way?.... to avoid the snags that is

Frog

[Kevin22]

That's about all I fish. Run a square bill around that concrete and bounce it off as much stuff as possible. Be sure you have good line or you'll be retying every 3 casts. 

 

If they won't hit the square bill then slow down with a LIGHT t-rigged craw. 1/16-1/8oz. Let it fall into the crevices and pop it out. 

[speed craw]

I have had good luck with a gamakatsu skip gap shakey head with craw a trailor. Slips in and out of moderate to large chunk rock . Check your line every couple of casts , and try and find anything different areas such as drops in and around big rock sections.

[FrogTosser88]

Ya.. im just wondering if the shape of the jighead will matter.. I just cant afford to keep losing the jigs... I'm fishing from shore... the rip rap goes out about 10 feet and there is a big drop off...

But maybe a squarbill craw imitation crank could work.... but it seems like they are really going for the jigs... even senkos dont get as much action here. I think because when the tide is coming in, the current effects the falling action.....

Thanks guys for the input

[Bluebasser86]

If you're sticking big bass on jigs I wouldn't downgrade to a cheaper jig. The lower quality hooks on cheap jigs will cost you eventually. Losing jigs is just part of jig fishing unfortunately. If I fish all day with the same jig that's a pretty rare day. Brush jigs and football jigs are the 2 head designs that do best for me in rock. If you feel it starting to hang, try not to pull real hard. Usually all that does is wedge the head in the rocks even harder. Try shaking or popping it when it starts to hang and you can work it loose fairly often. Straight braid is another option to lose fewer baits too. 

[gobig]

That delta rip rap is tough to fish from the bank you are going to loose some jigs. I would stay with a good floro line around 20lb. Braid is going to get cut up on those rocks unless you have a leader. I would go with bass patrol jigs around 1/2 oz. They are pretty cheap at $1.99, fish well through the rocks and have good hooks.

[Raul]

If you can´t "afford" to loose jigs don´t fish with jigs, fish with something else, ex, unweighted soft stickbaits.

 

You wanna know how much a jig lasts in my hands ?

 

- 99% of the jigs I use don´t last more than one trip

- from that 99% about 50 % don´t last more than 5 casts

- from the remaining 50 % about 50% are lost in the first cast

[kcdinkerz]

Easy make your own lol jigs are simple to make

[ATX]

Using the square bill cranks is the advice I would have given. Yet making your own jigs sounds fun and it would be rewarding when you catch a nice fish on something you personally put together. OK kc... Can you point me in the direction to building my own jigs?

[bassin is addicting]

i fish from the bank alot...and around rip rap most of the time. 

rip rap and jigs don't mix well at all...

if they are hitting a jig really well...then...

 

i love a Yamamoto hula grub...as light a weight as possible..even weightless...

it is a great jig imitator....

[tholmes]

Lots of good advice here. Fishing rip-rap is tough, especially with bottom contact baits. Squarebills are a good alternative, but often don't get deep enough. 

 

I like weightless t-rigged stick worms in the rip-rap. They don't seem to hang up as much as a weighted rig.

Sometimes though, a jig is all they want, and as my grandpa once told me "If you ain't losin' jigs, you ain't fishin' them in the right places."

 

Tom