Innovation Skinny Dipper and Gambler Big EZ (for larger wobble).
“I play with trailers ‘til I find what they like,” Au said.
Jim Moulton, who won FLW’s Delta tournament in 2013, did so with a Revenge bladed jig. He noted that his a brown/orange bait tempted fish with a crawfish coloration, but the way he was able to fish it really maximized a scenario that others were simply underutilizing.
“Everybody was just driving through that grass (punching) and I just backed off and targeted the channels in the grass that all the guys were driving over,” Moulton said.
Another point relevant to Louisiana’s tidal bass waters involves tide levels.
“When the tide was up, I could reach farther back into the grass beds,” Moulton said. “As the tide dropped, I could see those holes and lanes better. Bass will sit on the edges of these (openings) and watch for prey to move out with the tide.”
NEW DESIGN
When Strike King introduced its Rage Blade last year, it redefined the vibe jig category with a weighted blade, rather than a traditional lead or tungsten jig head. Strike King pro Phil Marks said the benefit is a blade that folds back more easily on the strike to avoid any hook-set impediments.
Strike King made a good thing better by designing a new Rage Blade model with a clear plastic blade to complement the other options of metal blades in painted and gold finishes. Water clarity is the main determinant of blade selection.
“The clear blade still has all the action and vibration but it’s better in clear water where you might not want the flash and visibility,” Marks said. “This new model is kind of a cross between a vibrating jig and a scrounger.”
The new Rage Blade design will be officially introduced at ICAST in Orlando, Fla. in July.
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VIBE TIPS
Consider these options for maximizing your vibe jig productivity:
Most anglers thread their trailers onto the hook, but short-strikers often pull your bait down and require you to reset the trailer. Moulton “double hooks” his trailer by using the same basic form as you would with a Texas-rigged bait. He inserts the hook into the trailer’s head, brings it out about ¼-inch down the head, pulls the hook through, turns the hook and reinserts it into the body so the trailer aligns evenly with the hook.
Kenney suggests matching trailer size to what your area realistically offers. (Big fish might eat a smaller profile bait, but forcing a larger trailer on smaller fish typically results in missed strikes.) Habitat also factors here and Kenney uses trailer size to help keep his chatterbait running at the right depth.
“If I want the bait to ride high in the water – for example, over shallow grass – I’ll use a big trailer. And if I want the bait down lower in the water column – open areas, deeper water – I’ll use a smaller, slimmer trailer.”
For some, like the Lightning Blade and the Strike King Pure Poison bladed swim jig, elongated skirt strands extending past the main skirt give the appearance of a trailer, but with less bulk. Run that full
skirt for aggressive fish, but if the bite’s tough, or
if you’re getting a lot of short-strikes or
bumps, trim that latter section to shorten
the package. (Adding a plastic trailer
instantly converts a shortened
bait back to a longer profile.)
However you rig your
vibrating jig, remember the
wisdom of follow-up baits.
B.A.S.S. Master Elite Series
pro Brett Hite’s known for
his ChatterBait prowess,
but he keeps a swim jig
handy in case the fish get
wise to his go-to. If the
bass on a particular spot
start shying away from his
vibrating bait, he’ll follow
up with a similar look with
just enough uniqueness
to push them over the
edge.
®