IS ONE LURE ENOUGH?

Midwest Fishing Tackle Pro Staff Member Aaron Hunter says if he had to choose just one lure to fish with it would be a jig.

Many years ago Aaron Hunter would have described himself as a “power fisherman”.  Aaron describes a “power fisherman” as an angler who covers a lot of water with a variety of lures like a crank bait, fluke (soft plastic jerk bait) and spinner bait.  He says he used to carry so much tackle in his boat he often wondered if he could get it on plane at the tournament take-off.   

While fishing smaller club tournaments Aaron learned he could not be consistent fishing in this manner.  He reports, “I spent too much time running the boat and not catching fish.”  “I would win a tournament once in a while using this technique but when I started fishing larger tournament circuits I found that my skills using this method were not even close to the other teams who were consistently cashing checks.” 

He says he remembers fishing a tournament on Pomme De Terre Lake where he and his partner weighed in about 14 pounds of bass and felt they had a good chance of winning the event.  However, as the other teams started weighing in they found 18 – 20 pounds of bass were the stringers needed to cash a check.  He began listening to how the other anglers were catching these larger stringers and discovered many were taken on a jig. 

Up until this time Aaron seldom fished a jig.  However, he learned that the jig was producing larger strings of bass so he made the move to learn all he could about jig fishing.  During his time on the water he reports, “I started using a jig about 90 percent of the time and found out just how versatile this bait really is.” 

Aaron keeps very detailed records of his catch after each day on the water.  Therefore, at the end of this last season while fishing a circuit on Pomme De Terre Lake he found that during six events he and his father (Alton Hunter) weighed in 22 bass that weighed over 50 pounds.  Of these 22 bass all but two were caught on a jig. 

While it could be said that the reason most of the fish were caught on a jig was due to using it 90 percent of the time.  However, many smaller fish were caught and later culled with fish taken on a jig later in the day.

He learned that a jig isn’t just for flipping brush and docks.  Aaron has been successful with a jig by swimming and hopping it to get a reaction strike from aggressive fish that were located deeper in the water column.  He says “I have found when fishing get tough you can swim a jig and trailer and catch fish when a crank bait and spinner bait will not produce.”  Also, “during the pre-spawn and post-spawn I swim a ¾ ounce jig because I get a better feel of the bait and the fast fall rate gets the less aggressive bass to hit it without having a chance to see it closely.  He finds at times getting a reaction strike is the only way to get the weary bass to hit a lure.

During the high pressure systems that bring blue bird skies Aaron targets standing timber to catch suspended bass that will not hit a spinner bait.  If conditions are right with a little wind during the day Aaron finds a jig swam near the surface in the standing timber can sometimes produce even better that a top water as a Zara Spook.

If Aaron had to choose just one lure he would pick up a box of ¾ ounce All Terrain Tackle football head jigs and leave all the other tackle behind.  Aaron says he prefers the All Terrain Tackle jigs because the “wide football head doesn’t hang in the rocks and the textured surface on the bottom of the jig head creates better feel of the bottom”.  He often comments that there are many successful professional tournaments anglers that have made most of their winnings from fishing jigs.  While there are times that a jig isn’t the best producer he feels the jig is the most versatile lure for catching bass.

Copyright 2008, Marc Rogers, all rights reserved

Carolina Rigs Are Not Just For Lizards

When the term “Carolina Rig” is said most anglers think of a soft plastic lizard on 3 – 4 foot leader behind a ½ to ¾ ounce sinker.  The leader is usually 8 – 12 pound test line while the main line is 14 – 20 pound test.  This presentation has been very effective for catching bass for many years but the Carolina rig doesn’t have to be limited to lizards.

The popular Senko style baits as well as tubes, worms, grubs, crawdads and flukes are very effective when used with the Carolina rig.  Generally the presentation is the same with these lures as it is with the lizard.  However, the Carolina rig gives these baits a different look than their regular presentations.

The Senko style baits on a Carolina rig allows the angler the dead-stick presentation in the deep water of extended points and submerged humps.  A lift and drop presentation with the heavy sinker causes the bait to rise from the bottom quickly and slowly fall similar to a dead shad.  Rig it on a light wire hook wacky style for a dead-shad look.

Tube baits are generally fished on a jig head for open water or Texas rig for flipping to heavy cover.  Anglers should not pass on tube baits for the Carolina rig.  I have had great results fishing 3 – 4 inch tubes on a Carolina rig on long points and flats.  A light wire hook inserted in the head of the tube and brought back outside like a Texas rig has proven the most effective for this presentation.  When fishing clear bottoms with mostly rocks I leave the hook point against the side of the tube but do not insert it back into the bait.  If cover requires, I rig it weedless by skin hooking the bait just under the outside of the tube.  For added action from a tube place a foam ear-plug (or small piece) inside the tube to add flotation to the bait.  A tube rigged this way will move erratically when retrieved with a lift and drop motion.  However, make sure the foam material doesn’t interfere with the hook finding its mark when a fish bites.

Many anglers think plastic worms are for Texas rig presentations.  However, a small shaky style worm (the ones with a flat side create more darting action) on a Carolina rig is ideal for sluggish bass.  This worm can be used with the lift and drop presentation as well as a slow-dragging motion for quick side-to-side action with this worm. 

Grubs are also a great choice for using with the Carolina rig.  A 3 – 5 inch grub is a great way to imitate a swimming shad.  Again, a light hook and light leader will allow the bait to look more realistic to the bass.  When using a grub I have found a lift and drop presentation has proven the most effective.

The fluke (soft plastic jerk bait) is very effective for imitating shad just below the surface.  This same lure can be used on a Carolina rig and create the same action well below the surface.  It should be rigged the same as traditional methods for sub-surface use but on a 3 – 4 foot leader for increased action in deep water.

The soft plastic crawdad is traditionally used as a flipping lure on a Texas rig.  When swimming to escape from a predator the crawdad with jump off the bottom and swim a short distance with the claws up in the defensive position.  The Carolina rig creates this exact action with the crawdad when used with the lift and drop presentation.  Most strikes occur on the fall as soon as the sinker makes contact with the bottom.

If your choice is generally a lizard you should not forget about the floating lizard made by Gene Larew Lures.  This special formula of soft plastic will float a light wire hook on an 8 - pound test leader well off the bottom.  This particular lure is great where submerged weeds are present.  You can adjust your leader length to keep the bait just above the top of the weeds.

I have even experimented with using floating jerk baits like the original floating Rapala minnows on a Carolina rig with some success.  Once, I located spotted bass holding just above the bottom on an extended main lake point holding close to large boulders.  The fish were too deep for a crank-bait to reach and I was having no luck on any lures that would reach the depth.  This method is difficult to cast and can be dangerous if care isn’t used.  This particular situation called for a quick dragging presentation but was effective in catching fish from the school in about 45 feet of water.

There are many advantages to using the Carolina rig but the best one is that an angler can cover a lot of water more quickly with soft plastic baits and greater depths than other methods.  This isn’t to say the Carolina rig is the best soft plastic presentation, but when fish are scattered on long points and flats and are biting on soft plastics there isn’t a better way to cover the large areas quickly and thoroughly.  However, don’t be afraid to experiment with the Carolina rig.

Copyright 2008, Marc Rogers; Midwest Fishing Tackle