Bass
jigging is not for everyone, but if you are looking forward to learning it, you
will get all your information from our article.
Vertical
jigging is useful when fishing in deep water, as well as near the bottom. It is
also useful when in open water. You will see spectacular results with this
technique when the fish is thickened or in schools. This is common with pure
oysters and hybrids, white bass, carp, bass and shovel, as well as other
species. In this article we are going to focus on using jigs for bass fishing.
Lead-heads
and teaspoons
Vertical
jigging can be done by using lead devices and metal spoons. The former may have
bodies or hooks that are coated with hair (especially bucktail or marabou) or a
soft plastic form or a combination of both, such as a bucktail plus plastic
tail.
A warning
in the use of soft plastic bodies is that their tail shape must be active when the
movement goes up and down, which is not the case for many, as they only show up
when they are pulled out horizontally. Another clarification is that you must
avoid tangling on the hook point, on the head or on the thigh of the jig; some
styles or lengths of soft plastic fail way too often during vertical use.
Metal
jigging spoons are very different from spoons used for trolling or “cast-and-recover”
fishing. They are rather lateral, compact and cylindrical. They are heavy, sink
quickly and are almost useless for casting and recovery (or trolling).
As a
category, such bait are called jigging spoons. Many people, myself included,
who do a lot of vertical fishing, prefer spoons over the lead ends.
When using
both, you are fishing close to the bottom or to a certain depth. Keeping the
attraction as close to the bottom as possible will help detect mistakes and set
hooks and help avoid hangars.
Using Sonar
It is
almost essential and, at least extremely beneficial, to use a sonar device
while jigging vertically. If you have a correct adjustment, you can see the
fish below and see your attraction (or at least the one that is attracted to
the cone of the sonar transducer). You can see when you are directly over the
fish, and when you have passed through them. Using sonar in combination with an
electric motor (especially a sonar with on-site anchoring function) means you
can keep your boat and bait directly over the fish.
Determining
the degree of depth
If you know
how deep to fish, then you can leave the desired length of line and start
jigging. Never reel in any line and start paying the line only if you start to
drift. Here's a way to know how much you let go: twist the device to the tip of
the rod, glue the tip of the rod to the surface, release the cutting device,
and raise the tip of the rod to eye level; then stop the jig from falling. If
the eye level is six feet above the surface, your jig will now be 6 meters
deep. Lower the tip of the rod to the surface and proceed again. Now you've
left 12 meters of line. Continue until the desired length is stopped.
With a
level wind-drum, which has a free-rotating guideline, you can measure the
amount of line that is released with each side-to-side movement of the line
guide; multiply this amount each time the guide moves back and forth.
If you use
a spool that does not have such a guide, you can detach the line on the spool
with one-foot increments (or 18 inches) until the desired length is stopped.
Another method is to count the attractive attraction.
Vertical
jigging technique
For some
vertical jigging, you may need to let your bait fall to the bottom and then jig
it up to the surface a foot or two at a time. Bring the grip to the bottom and
the drum to the feet. Then jig it there three or four times before recovering a
few more line legs and jigging often. Repeat this until the shelter is close to
the surface. The only problem here is that you usually don't know exactly how
deep a fish is when you catch one and you can't clear the right line and get to
the right level again.
Sometimes
the best tactic is to leave the bait at the bottom, let it there for an hour or
two, then quickly twist it with two or three turns of the handle and turn it
back down.
Other times
you can try jigging for a while or two near the bottom, drum a few feet and jig
again a few times, then drum up a few meters more and repeat, finally drop the
bait at the bottom and repeating this. Try to see what works best for you, but
understand that virtually all strikes occur when the shelter revives while
jigging it up (a few appear when you straighten your bait up).
Whenever the
angle of your fishing line in the water moves away from its vertical position,
rotate it and lower it again. You may need to use a heavier attraction to reach
that upright position, although it is generally better to use the lightest
weight attraction that will do the job. A low visibility-line or leader with
small dimensions is also advantageous for this fishing. The microfilament line
is especially good due to its thin nature and sensitivity, although you will
need a low leader attached to the rod.
FAQs
·
Do you
put bait on a jig?
Yes, it is possible to tip the jigs with live bait or
even plastics which prove to be very useful in this regard. It’s very important
to look at the jig head and take into consideration whether you are fishing in
open water or deep water when choosing your bait.
·
What
color jig is best for bass?
I advise
going for black and blue. These colors offer the ultimate visibility for bass,
as they have strong contrast and are visible from a large distance by loner
bass as well as schools. We advise using black-and-blue jig in low light
conditions, around vegetation, as well as in dirty water.
·
What size
jig should I use for bass?
You should use 1/2oz and 3/8oz in
almost every case. However, there are few certain situations when lighter or
heavier jigs will be better suited. Take into account that a lighter style
works well in shallow water, whereas heavier ones will work very well in deep
water.
·
What does
a jig bite feel like?
The
sensation will vary a lot from case to case. Sometimes, bites on a jig will
feel like a slight tick, while other times you may feel the like a sharp thump
in the rod handle. You will notice that at certain times the line will start
moving to the side, while other times it will come with full-throttle straight
at you. This is a good indication of the fish quality.
·
Where do
you throw a jig for bass?
It will work very well in deep water, but you can also
see some good results in open, less shallow water.
·
Do I need
a sinker with a jig head?
Yes, you will need a weighted jig head or a sinker
when fishing for bass. This is needed as you want your bait to go at the bottom
and stick there. The weight of this sinker will depend on several factors,
including lure size, water depth, wind velocity and current speed.
·
Can you
jig from shore?
Yes, this
is actually one of the easiest and most effective ways of catching bass. Choose
artificial bait or even live bait, but make sure it sticks at the bottom of the
water column.
