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Story & Photos
JIG S
BY MARK FONG
S f M o A r L w L inter bass
W
inter fishing can certainly be
challenging. Falling water temps,
frigid weather, fluctuating water
levels and generally unsettled conditions can create a serious case of lock-
jaw.
It’s no secret that when fishing gets tough,
finesse tactics rule the day. Here on the clear
water lakes and reservoirs of Northern California,
this traditionally has meant darter heads,
dropshots, and split shotting.
These tactics will certainly put winter fish in the
boat; but if you are a competitive angler looking for
winning tournament grade bites, these soft plastic
centric options don’t always give you the best
opportunity to do so.
It is also no secret that jigs catch big bass. In
fact, during the cold water period jigs are often at
their best. A standard ½-ounce football head with
a 5” Yamamoto Double Tail has been a staple out
West for decades.
I remember a warning an accomplished Western pro once imparted to me, “When fishing gets tough, the jig bite is one of the first things to go away.” As it turns out, it did not take long for me to experience this phenomenon first hand.
During the official practice period for an event on Lake Shasta, the spotted bass were absolutely chewing a jig. These were quality tournament grade fish. On the evening before the event a storm rolled through. Tournament morning dawned clear, sunny and cold. In case you have not figured out where this story is going, I won’t keep you in suspense. The jig bite disappeared and I had to scramble around to catch a limit of less than quality fish on worms.
A short time later a friend gave me a handful of small, hand-tied, living rubber football head jigs that I put in my storage locker and immediately forgot about. At the end of the season, while cleaning out my boat, I stumbled upon them. This time I put them in my jig box
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