5 Must Have Rigs for Winter Kayak Fishing by Steve Melander

Tackle packing for Wintertime Kayak Fishing

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Winter 2021

FOOTBALL JIG

BAIT: 3/4-ounce football jig COLOR(S): brown or brown/purple ROD/REEL: 7’3” to 8’ medium-heavy, fast action bait casting rod with an 8:1 bait cast reel LINE: 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon PRO TIP(S): Cook keeps it simple with size and colors. He only uses 3/4-ounce jig heads

to allow him to fish it faster. The 3/4-ounce jig will reach bottom sooner and will

maintain bottom contact. Brown and brown/purple round rubber skirts with a

Yamamoto Double Tail Grub in green pumpkin is his bait of choice. When they won’t

eat the round rubber jig, he switches it up to the Yamamoto Double Tail Hula Grub

also in green pumpkin. He suggested to vary the retrieve (pop it, sweep it, slow crawl

it) until the fish dictate how they want it. He gets the bigger bites when he fishes it

like a reaction bait.

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