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John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
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Nothing tempts a big bass like a succulent crawfish scurrying along the
bottom.
“If a bass could order its food off a menu, it would probably pick
crawfish first, frogs second and shad or bream third,” said Lonnie Stanley,
a professional bass angler from Huntington, Texas. “Crawfish are a major
source of protein for bass.”
When crawfish emerge from the mud in late winter or spring, bass and
other predators pounce on them. Therefore, anglers fishing with something
that resembles a crawfish scurrying along the bottom might attract a lot of
attention in the spring. While nothing can duplicate the real thing, a rattling
jig sweetened with a pork chunk or plastic claws comes pretty close to the
original. Bumped along the bottom where it stirs up a telltale mud trail, a jig
offers something many lunkers find irresistible.
“I’m a firm believer in throwing a 1/2-ounce Strike King jig with a Denny
Brauer chunk on the back,” said Roger Stegall, a professional bass angler
from Iuka, Miss. “Crawfish hide on the bottom. When they get disturbed,
crawfish jump backwards. That action could attract the attention of a bass.
To imitate a crawfish, I hop a jig off the bottom with a series of quick pops
and let it fall back.”
Jigs come in several crawfish colors, shapes and patterns. In dirty
water, many anglers prefer to use natural crustacean colors, such as
brown, red or orange. In clear water, many anglers switch to high contrast
colors, such as black tipped with blue claws.
“A jig is a good bait for stained water,” said Mike Wurm, a professional
bass angler from Hot Springs, Ark. “In the spring, it’s very effective around
standing timber and similar cover. I fish a jig along the edges of the grass
to catch the aggressive bass. Then, I break through the grass with a heavy
jig and fish right in the middle of it to get down to them.”
Fish jigs slowly, especially in chilly water during late winter or early
spring. In cold weather, bass often hold tight to cover such as fallen trees
or stumps and won’t chase prey very far or fast. A jig hopping along the
bottom presents an easy target. Drop it as close to cover as possible and
tediously work it completely around the cover. Fish might hang on one side
of an object or another so work each spot thoroughly.
Don’t expect shoulder-jarring strikes when jig fishing. Sometimes, a
strike feels like a worm bite. More frequently, a fish simply sucks in a jig
and may spit it out without the angler even realizing the strike occurred.
Often, anglers just notice a heavy, mushy feeling on the end of the line. If
so, set the hook!
“Sometimes, with really big fish, I never feel the bite,” said Alton Jones,
a professional bass angler from Waco, Texas. “The major mistake people
make is not letting it fall on a slack line. When the line stops falling, either it
hit bottom or I have a strike. I then raise the rod to make contact with the
lure to see if it’s on bottom or in a fish’s mouth. If I feel anything heavy, I’m
going to set the hook.”
To notice more subtle strikes, pay strict attention to the line, especially
when the jig falls through the water. Watch to see if the line moves off in an
odd direction. Fish often strike jigs on the fall. To increase the sensitivity
for detecting even the most inconspicuous nudges, pass the line over one
finger when jigging.
“Wall-hanger” baits, not “numbers” bait, jigs do attract attention from
occasional small bass, but usually, they produce significantly larger fish. In
late winter or early spring, most jig anglers look for one or two bites from
giant pre-spawn bass instead of racking up the numbers. Early in the year,
big female bass swollen with roe reach their largest girth and heaviest
weight. The same fish could weigh several pounds more in February than
in July.
Admittedly, jigs don’t generate the anticipation of a spinnerbait or the
adrenaline rush of a big bass exploding on a topwater lure, but they can put
fish into the boat. If anglers want a lot of action from many small bass, they
probably should throw something else. If they want to concentrate on
lipping one or two sowbellies, possibly the biggest fish of their lives, pile on
the pork and let that jig rattle around on the bottom.
bottom.
“If a bass could order its food off a menu, it would probably pick
crawfish first, frogs second and shad or bream third,” said Lonnie Stanley,
a professional bass angler from Huntington, Texas. “Crawfish are a major
source of protein for bass.”
When crawfish emerge from the mud in late winter or spring, bass and
other predators pounce on them. Therefore, anglers fishing with something
that resembles a crawfish scurrying along the bottom might attract a lot of
attention in the spring. While nothing can duplicate the real thing, a rattling
jig sweetened with a pork chunk or plastic claws comes pretty close to the
original. Bumped along the bottom where it stirs up a telltale mud trail, a jig
offers something many lunkers find irresistible.
“I’m a firm believer in throwing a 1/2-ounce Strike King jig with a Denny
Brauer chunk on the back,” said Roger Stegall, a professional bass angler
from Iuka, Miss. “Crawfish hide on the bottom. When they get disturbed,
crawfish jump backwards. That action could attract the attention of a bass.
To imitate a crawfish, I hop a jig off the bottom with a series of quick pops
and let it fall back.”
Jigs come in several crawfish colors, shapes and patterns. In dirty
water, many anglers prefer to use natural crustacean colors, such as
brown, red or orange. In clear water, many anglers switch to high contrast
colors, such as black tipped with blue claws.
“A jig is a good bait for stained water,” said Mike Wurm, a professional
bass angler from Hot Springs, Ark. “In the spring, it’s very effective around
standing timber and similar cover. I fish a jig along the edges of the grass
to catch the aggressive bass. Then, I break through the grass with a heavy
jig and fish right in the middle of it to get down to them.”
Fish jigs slowly, especially in chilly water during late winter or early
spring. In cold weather, bass often hold tight to cover such as fallen trees
or stumps and won’t chase prey very far or fast. A jig hopping along the
bottom presents an easy target. Drop it as close to cover as possible and
tediously work it completely around the cover. Fish might hang on one side
of an object or another so work each spot thoroughly.
Don’t expect shoulder-jarring strikes when jig fishing. Sometimes, a
strike feels like a worm bite. More frequently, a fish simply sucks in a jig
and may spit it out without the angler even realizing the strike occurred.
Often, anglers just notice a heavy, mushy feeling on the end of the line. If
so, set the hook!
“Sometimes, with really big fish, I never feel the bite,” said Alton Jones,
a professional bass angler from Waco, Texas. “The major mistake people
make is not letting it fall on a slack line. When the line stops falling, either it
hit bottom or I have a strike. I then raise the rod to make contact with the
lure to see if it’s on bottom or in a fish’s mouth. If I feel anything heavy, I’m
going to set the hook.”
To notice more subtle strikes, pay strict attention to the line, especially
when the jig falls through the water. Watch to see if the line moves off in an
odd direction. Fish often strike jigs on the fall. To increase the sensitivity
for detecting even the most inconspicuous nudges, pass the line over one
finger when jigging.
“Wall-hanger” baits, not “numbers” bait, jigs do attract attention from
occasional small bass, but usually, they produce significantly larger fish. In
late winter or early spring, most jig anglers look for one or two bites from
giant pre-spawn bass instead of racking up the numbers. Early in the year,
big female bass swollen with roe reach their largest girth and heaviest
weight. The same fish could weigh several pounds more in February than
in July.
Admittedly, jigs don’t generate the anticipation of a spinnerbait or the
adrenaline rush of a big bass exploding on a topwater lure, but they can put
fish into the boat. If anglers want a lot of action from many small bass, they
probably should throw something else. If they want to concentrate on
lipping one or two sowbellies, possibly the biggest fish of their lives, pile on
the pork and let that jig rattle around on the bottom.
Getting jiggy with monster
bucketmouths in chilly water
bucketmouths in chilly water
TOP: Kevin VanDam, a
Bassmaster Classic
champion from
Kalamazoo, Mich., and
Shaw Grigsby, a
professional bass angler
and television show host
from Gainesville, Fla.,
show off a bass Shaw
caught on a jig and craw
combination at Reelfoot
Lake, Tenn.
RIGHT: Rattling jigs
sweetened with pork or
plastic frog chunks can
mean the different
between nothing and
lunker largemouths in
late winter or early
spring.
Bassmaster Classic
champion from
Kalamazoo, Mich., and
Shaw Grigsby, a
professional bass angler
and television show host
from Gainesville, Fla.,
show off a bass Shaw
caught on a jig and craw
combination at Reelfoot
Lake, Tenn.
RIGHT: Rattling jigs
sweetened with pork or
plastic frog chunks can
mean the different
between nothing and
lunker largemouths in
late winter or early
spring.
