Here I sit in front of my computer with a world of information at my fingertips. Passing the time until the pre-spawn begins. It's like I'm studying for the big exam. I decided early on to try new things this year to see if I can discover something new to catch more fish. Winters in Indiana can be brutally cold with water temperatures on the fall, bass are lethargic and slow-moving. Which means they're only going after baits just as slow. Enter the jig. For the non-fisherman who associate the "jig" as some kind of dance, that's not what referring to.
A jig is usually a skirted bait with a heavier head equipped with a built in hook. Jigs come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Jigs do different things depending on what the fish want. More often in colder weather, jigs are used to throw in some type of structure or cover and retrieved at an extremely slow speed. Like "I'm about to nod off" slow. Remember in that cold water, fish aren't chasing a quick, darting bait. Let your jig hit the bottom and drag it. The occasional hop might entice that bass to strike. There's a good chance he's been watching your jig move.
Tweaking your jigs appearance will also help attract winter bass. I like to attach some sort of trailer (soft bait) to my jig. Ribbon tails, craws or grub imitations are always a good starting point. Most bites on a jig come off the fall. Heavier weighted jigs = faster fall rate. Color presentation is just as important. With dark and murky water you'll want to use browns, blacks and blues. Lighter, clearer water you'll use greens, chartreuse or yellows.
Here's my honest moment: I've never caught a bass on a jig. Every word you've read so far was advice given to me via fellow anglers from all around the country. If you're reading this you probably know that my Facebook feed is about 80 percent fishing (sorry, not sorry). Here's what I love about fishing: I can post a question and get over 100 responses from anglers who have had success with fishing jigs. Anglers who are willing to share their tips and tricks. As mentioned above, I'm trying something new. I fished a jig for three hours without a bite the other day. And that's okay. I'll take that experience and try something different next time.
Bass know what they want. If it's not appealing they will definitely pass it up. It's like you're craving a nice juicy cheeseburger and someone slides a tray of week-old crackers in front of you. Not appealing. Not eating. Hoping I will be able to post a follow up picture of a fish caught on a jig.
With a couple nice days in January and February, I jumped at the chance to do some fishing.
