When it comes to fishing deep offshore structure, the new swivel jigs are entering into a whole new region of deep water fishing. Jigs like the Biffle Hardhead, the stringease Fastach Football Weight, the Punisher Hail Mary and the Zorro Buzza Whiplash, to name a few, are definitely innovations designed with the angler in mind. Some baits have attached hooks, others have snaps, and some have snap rings all giving a new action to deep structure fishing. I am sure even newer variations of these baits will show up at ICAST this year, and all of them will be put to use in weekend and professional tournaments from now on due to their innovation of allowing the angler to create his own baits.
When summer bass are too deep for most crankbaits, these jigs allow anglers to get down deep, and crawl a bait off structure such as ledges and drop offs to even greater depths as deep as 25 feet where bass have been taken. Several offshore structures that will hold bass deep such as a wide ridge or a point will produce fish if anglers get a presentation down to them. Cover in relation to the structure of a stump, rock, or a piece of brush is the places designed for these jig innovations.
Anglers fishing the 1/2- and 3/4-ounce sizes when fishing more than 12 feet deep on points, ledges and humps are finding the jig produces well in the summer. These jigs can be customized by the angler on the fly by choosing the soft plastic and the color that suits the conditions. In stained water jigging a black and blue soft plastic can be a good choice and brown can be used in stained as well as clear water, and a green-pumpkin jig in very clear water. Whatever color or style of bait the angler chooses can be quickly added giving the pride and confidence of catching bass with their very own custom bait.
A 7 1/2-foot flipping rod is ideal for these style jigs when matched with 12-pound fluorocarbon and a high-speed baitcasting reel. The long stiff rod and fast high gear ration reel will quickly takes up slack during a hook set, as the low-stretch fluorocarbon line guarantees that the hook sets with power. The sinking fluorocarbon allows the jig sink faster which often initiates reaction strikes.
Successful anglers retrieve these jigs with quick, short hops and the moving head adds action the jig like nothing bass are used to seeing. By beginning with the rod tip at 10 o’clock position and hoping the jig three or four times as they work the rod up to the 12 o’clock position and quickly drops the rod tip to 10 o’clock position while taking up the slack to repeat the process has been producing bass in the extreme conditions of summer. The slight hops with the swiveling head jig keep it close to the bottom allowing the anglers to feel the often subtle bites even better than when fishing solid jigs.
Summer is a good time to try one of these newer baits if you haven’t already. In a short time anglers have found these jigs to be fish catching machines. I look forward to new innovations that will be unveiled this week at ICAST. Anglers that face the heat of summer and those that take on the harsh winter in pursuit of bass rely on innovation to help them make time spent on the water productive.
Happy Fishing!
Featured Baits in this post:
Stan Sloan’s Zorro Bait Company’s Buzza Whiplash – http://stansloanzorrobaitco.com/whiplash.php
The Punisher Hail Mary – http://www.punisherlures.com/jigs/hillbilly-football.html
Attack Pak Fishing’s soft plastics – http://attackpakfishing.com/