Bass Jig Fishing

[Cecil]

He is thinking about making a 1/4 oz but nothing yet. He does have a sweet finnesse jig that we have been testing this summer in a 3/16 oz. They only one available right now has a light-wire hook on it, next year there will be a heavier hook as well. One thing I do to the RT is use a twin tail spider grub for a trailer and that will slow it down a lot, but sometimes they don't want that much action from the tails (typically spring).

I use a blood knot to connect the two lines.

[Craigums]

Cecil do you work for Outkast Tackle or do you just like there products?

[Deitz Dittrich]

I too use mostly just OutKast jigs, nice to be able to support a Minnesota company. That sunfish color is my fave as well.

I leave 1/2 a spool or so of mono on and only fill half with Floro... Then replace mid summer. Blood knot to get the two together.. or a uni-uni.

Craigums- Cecil is on OutKast Staff, and is a very good hook!

[Cecil]

Craigums- Cecil is on OutKast Staff, and is a very good hook!

Thanks Deitz, but I would say occasionally good (lucky) hook!

[Craigums]

Oh I was scoping out there site and didnt see a "Cecil" on pro staff....I like their jigs, How are there plastics? I seen they have bulk senko imitations I was thinking about ordering

[Cecil]

Sorry, It's just screen name. My real name is Brent. I use the Stick Worms a lot and like them because they catch as many fish as the original Senko but last a lot longer. I took 9th place last week on Vermillion and every fish I caught was on a 4" stick worm. Their chunks work great on the back of those jigs we were talking about as well. I like that they come in different sizes for different sized jigs and smaller profiles.

[Craigums]

How is the drop speed on the stick worms compared to the drop speed on the original senkos...I tried some Comidas, and dietz may disagree with me but I thought they dropped so slow I almost couldnt get them down with out using a swivel to add that little bit of extra weith, I really can't stand using hardware in those types of situations though :-/

[Cecil]

I will admit it does have a slower drop speed than the original. but I haven't found it to be a negative thing. If fishing in a little deeper water or in heavier wind, I will pinch a small Water Gremlin "Bull Shot" right above the bait.

[NCLaker]

Looks like sunfish it the way to go.

If your okay with sharing ... What is your top 3 jig combos for stained and for clear water?(color of jig and plastic type/color combo with these jigs)

[Craigums]

I like....

Clear Water:

RT Jig- sunfish pattern w/ green pumpkin chigger craw

Northland jig (Green with a little orange streak)

Stained:

Northland Jungle jig blue and black w/ Saphire blue chigger craw

All-Terrain rattlin' Jig Black and Purple.

I also think ZOOM makes some decent trailers

[Cecil]

I like to stick with natural colors when the water is clear.

1. Outkast Minnetonka Magic with orange craw colored chunk

2. Camo with same orange craw colored chunk or watermelon green fleck

3. Sunfish color with any one of about 4 chunks that match color

4. Green Pumpkin

Dark water

1. Black/Blue jig with black/blue or saphire blue chunk

2. All black jig with black blue chunk

3. Green Pumpkin

My key is in clear water try to imitate nature and in darker water try to do that as well, but more so make sure they can find it! Of course there are always going to be exceptions. That's why we all have a box full of them right

[NCLaker]

Thanks guys ... now all I have to do is find the fish.

almost forgot .... I have the reel, still need to pickup the rod and line, and possibly some of these color combo's.

[NCLaker]

Thanks guys ... now all I have to do is find the fish.

almost forgot .... I have the reel, still need to pickup the rod and line, and possibly some of these color combo's.

[Craigums]

These might be dumb questions but, what the hey! It's my understanding that Jigs excell as temps drop and bass start feeding before ice out. So were should I be using the Jigs, also do I cast it out a long distance and slowly work it back or just a few feet from the boat? And finally what is the best way to work a jig back to the boat. big hops/little skips/dragging?

[Cecil]

Craigums,

As the season gets later keep looking for the green weeds. Other baits will work in these areas, but they want a bigger meal as the winter gets closer. Green weeds can be pretty much anywhere, you just have to look. There should still be plenty of weeds out there right now but they will rapidly start dieing off. I will start throwing a crankbait until I find the greener weeds then work it slower. A lot of fish will move shallower as well later in the year.

I dont like to make too long of casts. You are trying to get a pretty big hook into the fish and a longer cast will have a negative effect on that. There is a time for just pitching it out a few feet as well, but I typically do that in shallow water when I'm pitching at a target or when I'm pitching into a milfoil pocket.

To answer you last question. All of the above. I have seen all work, just keep in mind you are trying to imitate a crayfish more often than not... Let the fish tell you what is working.

[Craigums]

Thanks brent,

Kinda what I was thinkin', Ive have the most luck when I just do little tiny hops, and little "scoots" or drags.

[Cecil]

Yeah, I dont like to move it too much. I see a lot of people move the rod like 3 feet (not saying it won't ever work) when working baits. Have to picture what your bait is doing down there as you move it.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Cecil has pretty much nailed it... However there are days when I hop the crud out of it.. Rip Jigging its called, and it flat out works some days..

Top 3 colors for clear water.

#1 bluegill

#2 Pumpkin of some sort

#3 bluegill

Top 3 Colors for Stained

#1 Black /Blue

#2 Black

#3 Black Red

[CaptZ21]

Dont forget just jiggling the jig(that sounds strange) when it is in the weeds. I have done very well at times when the jig is inside the edge and just wiggling it. This presentation works well in all types of deep weed growth.

I too am an Outkast fan, and have done well in the last two Silverados with the RT jig, cashing a check in one and missing a check by .2 ounce. Being an older guy, I think my hookset is more sideways/sidearm as opposed to straight back overhead, and the RT hook seems more suited for that style while the Pro model seems to favor better hook ups with the hard straigh back style. Color for me is green pumpkin in the clear and black blue in stained water. I almost always use 50# or stronger PP sometimes with a 20# flouro leader.

[Cecil]

However there are days when I hop the crud out of it.. Rip Jigging its called, and it flat out works some days..

Here's a great article from bassmaster on jig techniques! Mike McClelland is the master!

http://proxy.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassma...Jigging_BMM0706