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Summer 2024
F
rom time to time a fishing spot may get stale, or
an angler may feel like he is going through the
motions. One thing a bass fisherman can do to get the bass
biting again or get reengaged is to keep things simple, and
one way to do that is by switching to one of these three
lures.
THE UPDATED JIG AND PIG
A jig and pig (for historical sake) has been a tried-and- true staple for bass anglers for countless years, and for some anglers it is still a mainstay on their boat deck come tournament day, but for many the jig has been replaced by a Texas-rigged soft plastic bait. Anglers may get more bites on a Texas-rig, but with the jigs bigger profile and ability to fish it differently it is a great choice for anglers looking to switch up fishing presentations.
A 1/2-ounce Black/Blue or Green Pumpkin jig is a standby lure for me and works around a variety of cover, from flipping boat docks and laydowns to vegetation. Many anglers will lose confidence in the jig, if they don’t get bit right away or miss a few fish. This is when it is important to not get discouraged and keep fishing that jig. Sticking with a jig and learning to fish it will pay off down the road.
Having the correct gear makes fishing a jig that much easier, which is why I’ll use 20-pound Seaguar TATSU Fluorocarbon. It is abrasion-resistant and super sensitive,
meaning I’ll be able to feel light bites, with the correct line and rod. Selecting a rod to fish a jig on will depend on the angler’s preferences, some a like to use a shorter 7’ rod, whereas others like to use a 7’6” flipping stick.
CHANGE IT UP
To vary things even more with a jig, an angler can swap out the type of trailer they use. I’ll use a variety of soft plastic trailers, such as a Zoom Super Chunk, Super Chunk Jr., Z-Craw Jr, or an X Zone Muscle Back Craw.
CHANGING YOUR FROG FOCUS
The topwater frog is a lure that anglers will tie often tie on when fishing around lily pads or matted vegetation. But if you are looking to change things up in your fishing patterns, try using a frog around other forms of shallow water cover, such as boat docks, over hanging trees and grass lines.
A frog, like the Northland Fishing Tackle Reed Runner Frog has a super soft body so it will increase your hook up ratio, and it will skip easily under boat docks and overhanging trees, it is also very snag-resistant so it will get hung up less on the cover and hook up on more bass.
A frog is known for getting fewer bites, but that isn’t a reason to get discouraged. Many times, you will find that once you find a pod of bass, they’ll explode out of the water
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