The Rooster Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 Today was cold and windy, but the water temps are still in the low 60's so my brother in law and I decided to go fishing this morning. I didn't expect to catch a thing because we went to a lake where the water is extremely clear all year long (over 10' visibility straight down, it's like glass) and with the sun being high in the sky I didn't think today would be any different than any other fishless day on that lake. Since winter is coming, and I've been wanting to learn jigs anyway and figured that would be my best shot if I could catch anything at all, I tied on a green pumpkin football head with a Netbait paca chunk trailer in the same color. After only a few casts I got a small bass (my first ever on a jig), and then the next cast I got another one, which turned out to be a keeper, but it was only a 1 lb. fish and 12" long, which is all it takes for this lake to be a keeper. I fished a bit more and got one more on the same lure before making a hard cast and snapping the jig off. It was on fluorocarbon line so I'm thinking I must have had a fray in it for that to happen. Oh well, the jig was cheap and I can get more. I'm just pumped about my first jig bass, and getting 3 was totally unexpected, and for one to be a keeper, that was just unreal. This lake is notoriously hard, I hardly ever go there but he was staying at the hotel on the lake and is from out of town so I just went to have a good time fishing and expected nothing really. Now I'll probably try it more often, at least with a jig. Quote
Big-O Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 WTG and glad you're extending your fishing war chest to include one of the best tools in fishing! Big O www.ragetail.com Quote
The Rooster Posted October 15, 2011 Author Posted October 15, 2011 I've never really had any confidence in any ability I might have with a jig since you just tie it on and throw it out and it sinks like a rock. You can't feel it doing anything like you can with spinnerbaits, cranks, and other lures. You normally can't see it either so all you have is feeling of it bouncing on the bottom and watching the line for movement and that's it. I tried them a few times this past summer but not seriously, only just where I could watch how they move in the water up close in the shallows and then a few casts out away from me to see what I might get with them, which was nothing. Not the lure's fault, just where and how I chose to use it was all. When I'm on my boat I usually throw jerkbaits and moving lures of all types, or fish a worm weightless for a slow fall, or texas rigged when I want to fish the bottom. Today, I just knew I wasn't going to have any luck so I figured this would be a good time to try a jig and make myself learn to work it, when I wouldn't just think I was wasting valuable fish catching time by not using something else. I still didn't know how I was going to tell if a fish hit it though, but when they did, all three times I was told by my much more experienced brother in law that they were just barely taking it. It felt like little clicks resonating up the line to the rod. Like a "tick tick tick". Not a jerking feeling like when a bluegill grabs the trailing plastic arms of my craw, just a very slight ticking, and I figured this is something different so I'll set the hook and if it's nothing then it won't matter. Turned out I had fish on each time I felt that. Guess I must have did something right. This lake is extremely hard to fish,being so gin clear and all. Most local people here won't fish it for other than trout or catfish, and even then it's mostly at night. The Kentucky state record has been caught from it twice over the years, but not recently, it's been a while, so it's got some nice fish in it. I've seen some that I know would go 6 or 7 pounds just swimming lazily along. We were there in early to mid morning, from 7 AM to 11 AM. My fish came at around 8 to 9. I had one more hit later in the day, at just before 11, but I missed it. It felt the same as the previous ones had so I'm sure it was another bass. Quote
EastTexasBassin Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 Congrats! I remember my first jig fish. The jig brought my fishing skills to a whole new level. I always have one tied on now. Quote
Big-O Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 It could very well be one of the best all around lures in fishing today! With the many styles of jigs today, you can Flip/Pitch, cast and drag, hop or swim... punch grass and mats or rip/jump with a more vertical presentation over rocks and ledges. Plus I've never found any water that some type of jig couldn't be fished. I'm as confident with jigs as any other presentation that I use and more so in many cases. Stay after it friend and I'll bet you will be too Big O www.ragetail.com 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted October 16, 2011 Global Moderator Posted October 16, 2011 I remember how excited when I taught myself how to fish a jig and finally caught a fish. Once I learned how to fish one the number of big fish I caught went way up! Quote
Super User Sam Posted October 16, 2011 Super User Posted October 16, 2011 Rooster, you are branching out into unknown territory and that is great! Jig fishing, as Big O says, is a lot of fun. You have to concentrate when jig fishing and be ready for the tug at any time. And don't worry about losing some jigs. It is part of the program. Congrats and how about posting some pics of future jig fish???? Quote
The Rooster Posted October 16, 2011 Author Posted October 16, 2011 I will post some pics of them. We went out early in the morning and I really wasn't all that prepared like I would have been if I'd had more notice on going. Trying to be quiet and get out of the house without waking anyone up was the main thing here at home. Didn't think I'd catch a thing at that lake either. I live within 15 minutes driving to it and I bypass it every time I want to go fishing for either one of two others that are anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour away. They are much better lakes. Now maybe I can have a shot at bagging a few fish on the closer lake too. But that's why I didn't think to bring a camera, I knew there would be no fish. Between the 2 of us we caught 7 fish. I'm blown away. Quote
Super User BASSclary Posted October 16, 2011 Super User Posted October 16, 2011 I had the same problem where I would throw a hard cast and my jig just went sailing with flouro. Turns out it was my knots. I highly recommend the uni knot for fluoro Quote
Khong Y. Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Jigging and Worm are great when the Sun is up and the wind is calm. I like to pitch Jig and Worm to tight/heavy cover or timbers. The best part is feeling the thump on your rod tip and you sweep/set your rod to set the hook. That there will make your heart jump by 10x. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted October 17, 2011 Super User Posted October 17, 2011 Congrats. My son started jig fishing this season and now it's his goto. Word of advice. I keep my index finger right in front of the levelwind with the line running over my finger. Makes it extremely easy to feel bites. I feel the "ticking" on my finger. Also, When in doubt, set the hook. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.