Adjust Techniques as Fall Becomes Winter

With each passing day one of my favorite and most productive times of the year, fall, is slowly fading into another great memory. This is not necessarily bad news. While the total number of bass and other species we have been catching with comparative ease will decline, the lures, tactics and techniques we'll turn to now will produce some of the largest fish of the year. As water temperatures steadily drop toward sixty degrees and below, we put away the topwaters, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits that were so successful for us all year. We'll replace them in the storage compartment of the boat with jigs and either pork or plastic trailers and Craw Worms. It's time to slow down the presentation and work a variety of structure diametrically opposed to what we were targeting just a few short weeks ago.

At first, all of this may sound like the selection is relatively simple compared to deciding between colors and sizes of spinnerbaits, crankbaits or topwater lures. Well, you would be wrong. There are many varieties of jigs in varying quality. Personally, I want a jig made with the best components. As far size, a lot will depend on the body of water you'll be fishing most. Is the water on your favorite lake normally stained, or clear? Is it a deep, rocky, highland-type reservoir or more of a shallow run lake with grass, stump fields? Is the rock solid or very silty? All of this must be taken into consideration and here are a few tips that you might find helpful when you stop by the tackle shop before you head out to the lake.

In clear water situations like some of the lakes in my area, conventional wisdom dictates smaller lures and different colors than you would use in shallow, darker water. For example, in a deep canyon reservoir my preference would be one of the Terminator Finesse Jigs. These come in the ideal sizes for clear water; 1/8, 3/16 and ¼ oz. and a rainbow of colors.
In the clear, cool or cold water in winter the primary forage of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass is a 2 or 3 inch crawfish. Therefore, I'm going to select a jig with some brown or pumpkin and match it up with a pork trailer. I start with the lightest jig I can get away with, depending on the depth of the structure I'm working. Generally, a 3/16 oz. jig fits most situations because it has a relatively slow fall and small profile to imitate a crawfish realistically.

On the other hand, if I find myself on a river-run lake where the water is slightly stained, I prefer to "bulk up" working a lot of brushpiles, stumps, rip rap and ledges in comparatively shallow water of say 8 to 14 feet. Here, my choices would be expanded. I'm going to increase the size of the jig and will have two or three different colors tied on and laying on the deck until the bass tell me what their preference is that day. In stained water, I like rattles on my jig as an attractant and trigger that will hopefully aggravate a big bass enough to inhale the lure. In this instance, my choice would be a Pro's Secret Jig also produced by Terminator Lures. The titanium trailer keeper holds a 3 inch Craw Worm firmly in place and that's important to prevent the trailer from sliding down and possibly covering the hook point on the bite or hookset. As for colors, the standard has always been black & blue, but here again I always let the fish tell me what they prefer on any given day on the water. It may be a pumpkin, black with red fleck or watermelon. So I always go with a box full of varying sizes and colors as well as trailers that I might need.

I have clients and even occasionally a fisherman I consider to be well versed admit they have difficulty with, and little confidence in jigs. It really isn't the confidence in the jig. It's the lack of confidence that individual has in him or herself to work it properly. Well ladies and gentlemen, jig fishing is not rocket science. Get well acquainted with them because they will definately increase your productivity on the water. This winter, leave everything else at home and hit the lake with nothing but jigs and trailers. Work rock ledges, stumps and tight to vertical or horizontal timber. Just keep pitching and winding. Work slowly. The old adage "when you think you're fishing slow, slow down some more" really does apply when you fish in fifty-something degree water. Bass are just not going to move far, or exert much energy to eat anything. Therefore, the slowest approach is the best. Remember to keep the lure in constant contact with some type of structure and on the bottom! After all, how many crawfish have you ever seen swimming? They don't. They scoot across the bottom and that is where you should keep your lure.