Steve caught this nice bass on a jig.

How a non-traditional swim jig technique can help you crack conditioned fish

By Steve Pennaz

Like a lot of anglers, I grew up fishing bass jigs traditionally, pounding cover with an endless drop-lift-drop-lift routine. And while I caught fish, I didn’t fully grasp how truly versatile jigs are—and how they can be fished in ways that can crack conditioned bass when everything else fails.

My “Eureka” moment came on a trip with a saltwater guide who’d throw his jig out as far as he could and rip it back to the boat. Watching him catch fish taught me that we all have preconceived ideas about how we’re supposed to fish jigs.

During a TV shoot in Texas a few years back the producers asked me to burn the bait back to boat so they could get a shot of the reel handle rotating. So I start drag racing a jig through two feet of water and all of sudden an 8-pound bass grabs the bait. Here again, I never would have fished a jig that fast, but it produced a solid fish and once again opened my eyes to the efficacy of breaking conventions.

And why is that?

Bass are typically released after they are caught, which means a percentage of any bass population has been “conditioned.” Larger fish have seen it all. That’s why fishing new bait designs, colors and techniques are essential to staying ahead of the curve.

Like modifying your jig routine to offer bass something different.

We’ve been taught to fish the three main jig styles according to head design. For example, traditional round-head designs are usually flipped to cover on heavy braid, while a football head is typically dragged over bottom. The keel head (swim jig) is designed to slither through grass and other cover, usually higher in the water column or even bulging the surface on a steady retrieve.

But a round-head jig can also be used as a punch bait to penetrate thick vegetation. Likewise, a football head can be fished on a steady retrieve, even burned back to the boat. The heavy weight typically keeps it down, and in situations like riprap, a football head will bounce from rock to rock like a crankbait. I’ve also used footballs in shallow water, burning them over weed tops like a silent spinnerbait—definitely not the norm.

Choose the right jig and trailer

Yet, of all three major jig head designs, the keel head (or swim jig) is probably the most versatile. Case in point, I don’t often fish them with the rod tip close to the water using a slow, steady retrieve. I like to activate the trailer tail by swimming it three or four feet and letting it glide back to the bottom on a semi-taut line, then repeating until the bait is back to the boat. I call it “roller coaster” swimming.

The bait spends very little time on the bottom, and this retrieve offers multiple triggering points on every cast—there’s strike potential during the sweep, the drop and the pause. The technique works in channel areas, flats, around stumps, and open areas off emergent vegetation like cattails—and a lot of other areas, too.

When you watch what happens underwater, the sweep makes a trailer like a 4-inch PowerBait grub or Havoc Beat Shad paddletail go crazy, then come to an abrupt stop on the pause, then beat again like crazy again on the glide. Get the cadence right it and the presentation seems almost magical. And it’s a lot more fun than the standard jig retrieve.

Fall Rate

The most crucial component of the ‘roller coaster’ system is fall rate. Head weight, skirt bulk and trailer all factor in. My go-to swim jig head size for shallow water is 3/8-ounce. Go too light and the bait doesn’t fall fast enough; go too heavy and you drag bottom at typical retrieval speeds. However, as bass orient in and around deep weedlines later in the summer you may want to go with a heavier swim jig fished with a slower ‘roller coaster’ retrieve to achieve maximum depth.

Another essential component of the ‘roller coaster’ program is the use of fluorocarbon line. I’ll typically fish 12- or 15-pound test, sometimes moving up to 20 if I’m on a body of water with big fish and lots of cover. Fluoro’s slow stretch means excellent sensitivity, solid hooksets and the line’s sinking tendency gives the bait a natural appearance on the retrieve. Fluoro’s near-invisibility under water can be key in shallow, clear waters. Most importantly, fluorocarbon helps keeps jigs near the bottom even at faster retrieves.

Next, a properly matched rod and reel can be a huge plus. I fish swim jigs on a fast-action medium heavy seven-foot and a medium-speed, low-profile 7.1:1 ratio baitcaster like the ultra-lightweight Abu Garcia Revo MGX. The reel takes in 28 inches of line for every turn of the reel handle; about the same as other reels geared 6.4:1.

Pick the right jig head

More Tips

Besides using a soft plastic trailer that matches the color of the skirt/jig head and produces a gentle wobble, I’m a big fan of modifying stock weed guards. I like to remove about a third of the bristles to improve my strike-to-hook-up ratio. The addition of rattles is also a good idea at times, especially in more turbid waters.

Another thing: A lot of guys will immediately start reeling and let the rod load, letting the fish set the hook. When I get a hit I drop the rod tip and set the hook.

Final Word

My challenge to anglers fishing jigs is to think about how other anglers aren’t fishing them—then experiment with those methods. The ‘roller coaster’ swim jig routine is but one example of the myriad ways you can modify your jig game to catch more fish.

ABOUT
Award-winning fisherman/journalist, creator of Knot Wars, formerly with the North American Fishing Club, Steve Pennaz has launched Lake Commandos, a new brand that includes Lake Commando television/social media series on Pursuit Network and TuffTV.

Casey Martin shows the umbrella rig

Alabama pro offers tips on multi-hook devices called “Umbrella Rigs.”

By Frank Sargeant
frank@thefishingwire.com

It ain’t as easy as it looks.

Though he wins plenty of money with the umbrella rig, he says he’d prefer not to throw it any more than he has to. That’s the message from FLW pro Casey Martin about flinging the notorious umbrella rig, AKA the “Alabama Rig”, on the waters of the southeastern U.S. in pursuit of tournament-winning largemouth bass.

“It can be really effective and catch fish that other lures won’t, but you’ve still got to get in the right places for it to work,” says Martin, who lives south of Huntsville, AL, near his favorite lake, Guntersville. “It’s no miracle rig, for sure.”

Martin said that, contrary to popular belief, he doesn’t consider the A-Rig to be primarily a winter rig, either.

The five-armed wire rig allows creating the illusion of a baitfish school running through the water. It has proven amazingly effective on big fish in deep water.

“I throw it pretty much year around, except during the peak of the spawn,” says Martin. “If you’re fishing tournaments you pretty much have to have 5 pound fish to be in the money, and the umbrella rig gives you the best shot at those fish in most lakes most of the time.”

The big chore in success with the multi-lure rigs, says Martin, is studying charts and then idling along and watching your sonar. If you don’t put in your time finding the offshore areas likely to hold schools of fish, the A-Rig won’t bring you much success.

Casey Martin lands a nice bass on the umbrella rig

Martin primarily throws the Picasso School-E-Rig Bait Ball, a five wire rig with added spinners, to which he adds jig heads from 1/8 to 3/8 ounce and shad tails 3 to 6 inches long.

He fishes this where he finds a set of conditions that usually spell success.

“I want to be on a hump that’s near the main channel or a deep creek drop-off, I want to see a lot of shad on the sonar, and I want some trash on the bottom, rocks or stumps or mussel shell. If you hit enough spots that look like that in 15 to 25 feet of water, you’re going to find a school of big fish sometime during the day,” says Martin.

Martin says that fish of this size are a must to place well in large tournaments, and the umbrella rig is one of the easiest ways to connect with them.
He said his side-scanning sonar/GPS units, two on the console and one up front, are an important part of his strategy.

“A lot of times you’ll see bait or cover out to the side that you’d miss completely if you’re just looking straight down with conventional sonar,” says Martin. “You really have to have the structure-scanning electronics to be competitive in tournaments these days.”

Martin said he lets the umbrella rig do most of the work once he heaves it out to where the fish should be.

“I let it sink to bottom, and then I crank it back steadily just fast enough to make the tails on the soft plastics swim,” says Martin. “You don’t have to add any extra action-there’s enough going on with all the spinners and shad tails.”

Unlike many anglers, he fishes the rigs on 25-pound-test fluorocarbon rather than on 65-pound-test braid.

“I just don’t like the way braid casts, so I stay away from it unless I’m fishing where there’s a lot of wood cover,” says Martin. “I lose a few rigs, but I think I get more hits than I would with braid.”

PROS AND CONS OF UMBRELLA RIGS

Casey Martin readily admits he’d rather not throw the umbrella rig ever again-but he has to if he’s going to make a living as a pro angler.

“If you’re fishing a tournament where it’s legal, 90 percent of the time you have to fish it or you don’t finish in the money,” says Martin. “I’d just as soon see it banned for all competition, but as long as it’s legal I’m going to throw it.”

He said he does not agree with some anglers who say the extra hooks on the rig cause lasting injuries to fish, however.

“It does stick them sometimes and you’ll see some fish with sores, but they’re minor and they heal up fast,” says Martin. “The reason I don’t like the rig is that it’s murder to cast all day, and it takes some of the interest out of trying to figure out a pattern that you’d be fishing otherwise.”

To learn more from Casey Martin, visit his website www.caseymartinfishing.com.

Y ou can catch big post spawn smallmouh on top

By Dan Johnson
from The Fishing Wire

Bedfishing smallmouths is a blast, but for the adrenaline junky in all of us, nothing beats the rush of busting beefy bronzebacks on topwater poppers. This big-fish, post-spawn pattern is guaranteed to make your heart skip a few beats, and it’s happening now on lakes, rivers and reservoirs across the Bronze Belt.

Minnesota bassin’ ace Scott Bonnema knows the drill. Decades of chasing smallies across the continent have taught him the finer points of the popping program, including key locations, killer baits and winning presentations.

“It’s a classic situation,” says Bonnema, whose tournament travels crisscross the northern half of smallmouth territory each season. “After smallmouths leave the beds, you can catch numbers of smaller fish near the bank, in depths of 3 to 8 feet, on a variety of presentations.”

Windmilling 2-pounders is fun, but bigger bites await a bit deeper. “Groups of larger fish stage in the 10- to 14-foot zone,” he explains. “They feed aggressively, and when the surface is calm, topwater poppers are a fun and effective way to target them.”

To tap the bite, Bonnema looks for structural complexes rich in rock and gravel, lying just outside the spawning grounds. “I look for humps, points and islands connected to shore, up to ¼ mile out,” he says.

A good sonar and GPS combo is key to finding prime post-spawn structure, and for pinpointing sweet spots such as fish-holding irregularities. While traditional down-looking sonar aids the search, Bonnema believes new side-scanning options really lift the curtain on what lies beneath the waves.

“I use Humminbird’s Side Imaging, and have found it a priceless tool for surveying structure and mapping out plans of attack,” he says. “I can scrutinize rock formations in incredible detail, and create tracks following the outline of the structure. One of my favorite features, though, is the ability to locate and create waypoints for boulders that stand out from the rocks around them.”

He explains that rocks ranging from football-size up to Volkswagen proportions all attract bass, but individual rocks that are larger than the prevailing rubble can be dynamite. “Picture a suitcase-size boulder surrounded by footballs,” he says. “Even though smallmouths may be roaming an entire reef, they’re instinctively drawn to the larger object, and often use it as an ambush point.”

When his side-scanning sonar reveals one of these super-sized treasures, Bonnema simply slides the display’s cursor over it and marks a waypoint for future exploitation.

While it’s a time-consuming process, thorough recon can pay big dividends for years to come. “The rocks aren’t going anywhere, which means prime areas can produce smallmouths season after season,” he says.

To keep structure straight for the long haul, he recommends marking it with appropriate icons. “Use a fish, skull and crossbones, whatever helps you remember something about the spot. I mark really good areas with the first-aid icon, because I know I can go there and get healthy in a hurry.”

GPS breadcrumbs guide his final approach and boat positioning. “Using the directional arrow on my GPS, I can idle within casting range of a key boulder or group of rocks, without ever running over the fish,” he says.

Taking the process a step further, he notes that Minn Kota’s new i-Pilot Link system-available on the Terrova or PowerDrive V2-makes the trolling motor, Humminbird sonar and LakeMaster digital GPS map collaborate to steer whatever course you desire. “Being able to focus on fishing while your electronics handle the boat is amazing,” he says.

No matter how you chart your course, stealth is important to avoid spooking skittish smallies. “Keep your distance and fire long casts,” he cautions.

Gear-wise, Bonnema wields a 7-foot, medium-power Lew’s Tournament Speed Stick, paired with a matching Speed Spool low-profile casting reel. Monofilament line gets the nod, thanks to its buoyancy. “Fluorocarbon sinks, dragging the popper down and ruining the action,” he explains. “I like 12-pound Sufix ProMix, but Siege and Elite are top options, too.”

On the business end of the line, a loop knot tethers his topwater. “With a loop, the lure moves freely, and spins a little when you pop it, creating just the right splash,” he says. “You lose that with a tightly cinched connection.”

There are poppers aplenty, but Bonnema favors baits that produce an enticing combination of gurgle and spray, like the 2¾-inch Rapala X-Rap Pop or 3½-inch Skitter Pop, in shades of silver, gold and chrome. “Natural finishes work wonders, but sometimes the bass want something a little different,” he says. “When that happens, the X-Rap clown pattern is a good bet.”

The presentation is straightforward-though not without its tricks. For example, pops and pauses beat continuous popping. To pop like a pro, make a long cast over the target area. Let the bait sit until the ripples fade away, then give it a couple quick 6-inch pops, imparted by sharp, sideways twitches of the rodtip. Pause again for five to 10 seconds, add another pop or two, and repeat.

Ultimately, the ideal number of pops and duration of pauses depends on the whims of the bass at the moment. “Experiment to find the right cadence,” Bonnema advises. “Keep in mind that when it comes to pauses, patience equals bigger fish.”

When you get it right, explosive strikes are the reward. Which brings up another pivotal point in the process-setting the hook.

“Strikes are startling, and your first reaction is to rear back and set the hook,” he begins. “But that’s a good way to lose the fish. Instead, when a bass blows up on your popper, lower your rodtip toward the fish, reel as quickly as you can to take up slack, and don’t set the hook until you feel the weight of the fish.”

If a bass misses the popper, it’s likely trying to tell you something’s not quite right with your presentation. “There was something it didn’t like,” Bonnema explains. “Make slight adjustments with lure color and size until the bass get your bait in their mouths.”

If you can’t seal the deal despite such tweaks, it’s possible the bass just aren’t in the mood for dinner on the ceiling. “Think positive-at least you know they’re down there,” Bonnema offers. “Throwing something different, like an X-Rap XR10 jerkbait, can light them on fire.” The twitch-pause of a slender, suspending slashbait is also deadly on post-spawn smallies, but that’s a story for another summer day.”