jigging spoons for bass?

[carlcmc]

We've been talking about deep water bass and it got me to thinking about jigging spoons.

Do you guys have any recommendations for what one should get for jigging spoons? Are they worth it? What sizes and presentations? How do you use them?

[Deitz Dittrich]

This will be very interesting.. I myself have never used a jigging spoon for bass in the summer.. I have used them ice fishing.. But never summer fishing..

anyone?

[Captain B.R.K]

I'm thinking "why fish vertical with a jigging spoon in open water and not cover as much water as you would say with a jig-n-pig or spinnerbait?" When you say a jigging spoon, I'm thinking like a Northland buckshot spoon or Swedish pimple. We use these lures in the winter because of the limited presentations we can use (vertical) and because fish aren't as active as they are in the summer.

Don't get me wrong, this type of presentation probably works great if used on open water but I'm more interested in covering water and knowing when the water warms bass are more active.

[delmuts]

you hear about the pros using them in cold water when fishing deeper schooled fish.i use them from time to time, but not as a vertical lure, but more of a search lure around pts. and weed edges. i use it as a flutter lure?( guess you would call it that!) kind of like helicoptering a spinner bait, but i will pop it up and let it flutter down to the level i think the fish are at.a just a little more compact and maybe a different profile.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've never done it. My thought is that it is a technique more suited to fishing deep-water like resevoirs where you might find bass in 40+ FOW. Like BRK said, around here, bass tend to be shallower and horizontal presentations cover more water and seem to work well for us northerners with real lakes.

[CrappieJohn]

With the exception of lake trout, I think that most jigging spoons are an ice venture. Personally though, I have gotten into using them during the hot summer months for crappies and big sunfish; however, I am casting them, counting down and then "swimming" them back. Bass get taken frequently using this approach but trust me, on light tackle and line the last thing you want is a bass to grab one of these when you are near any kind of wood or sunken structure. I am not sure that jigging spoons would give you much fish-enticing action on bass specific line weights. And casting light spoons like I use would be a pain.

[SluggoMaster]

In southern reservoirs, vertical jigging spoons work well on river channel drops, and other verticle struture when the water temps are in the upper 30's and 40's. A "silver buddy" worked the same way will get results. You can really wear out the stripers that way as well. I have caught fish this way, but summer is usually a different deal altogether, but you need to use a different presentation, such as a carolina rig or other slower presentations, at least in the south. Current plays a major factor in that region.

Here in Minnesota, I find that water clarity is the biggest factor when looking for deep bass, since deep is relative to the water clarity. I have experienced that deep bass in summer are mostly not active, unless they are on an "edge" of structure, but there are usually others in the area, just hanging out. These fish can be "excited" into biting occasionally.

[delmuts]

i use them at times on river sys. and lakes around rocks and drop offs.( but not much around the trees! ) i work them with a ML spinning rod with 6- 8 lb. mono. i will usually count them down to the depth i want, and work them back popping them up and letting them flutter back down. i think most of mine are a 1/4 oz.