Break the Seal! First Bass on Jig!

[Drawdown]

Serious boost of confidence after buying a bunch of jigs and trailers! About as excited as I’ve ever been reeling one this size. Arkie head, basically, in Upshaw craw color with a green pumpkin 4” Pit Boss.

 

Caught this little guy in a pond casting down the bank edge, right where the pollen lines floats above the grass.

Had spent the preceding 20+ minutes adjusting retrieve, looking at the lure shallow to figure out how the rod and reel affects the action. Amazed at how wonderfully weedless the jig is not only snag-wise, but also action-wise.

 

I’m holding him a bit funny in the pic, since the other side had some bad wounds on the back (thought I saw a rib showing even, not sure if another fish tried to whack him).

 

Anyway, thanks for indulging the dink celebration!

[A-Jay]

Congrats !

A-Jay

[DinkDreams]

Send me that energy!! Love catching fish on a jig, unfortunately the fish haven’t loved it as much as I’ve hoped. 

[islandbass]

Congrats. I need some of that bass jig magic myself, lol. ??

[Catt]

Congratulations ?

 

It's on now!

[KSanford33]

Congratulations! I’m hoping to join you this year. 

[Bird]

Congrats on the jig catch.?

[Sphynx]

Congratulations, I love jig fishing, it tends to get big fish and while you can learn the basics in an afternoon, it takes a lifetime to master!

[Aaron_H]

Getting confident with a jig will give you a powerful tool for targeting big bass. Congrats on the catch!

[Drawdown]

Happened to fish the same pond again today, threw one color, then tried a spinner, and finally switched to another color jig. Had a bite on the first cast; just did a “trout hook set” for some reason and he came off halfway to the bank. Decided he didn’t want the trailer that bad, lol.

 

Guess I’ll be unafraid to shuffle the deck on colors when the bite is poor.

[Bankbeater]

Congratulations on the jig bass! 

[Drawdown]

First swim jig bass, yesterday, attacked right next to the bank.

 

 

Found the retrieve is better using the a “staccato” reel retrieve (in other words, choppy, not smooth reeling) worked best for pulsing the skirt. That said, this was my only bite, so maybe a different retrieve would have been more effective.

I think this is about the size of all the bass in the pond right now. Lures may be a bit oversized, but I’m gratified I’ve still gotten hits while “practicing” for fishing out of a boat on the lake.

 

Pond might not have enough minnows and bluegill. Years ago, it was stocked beautifully, with good sized bass and cats and baitfish, but a drought killed the oxygen levels and resulted in an apocalyptic die-off. Not sure if the prey species have been adequately re-established.