Football Season All Year Long
By M.L. Anderson
Justin Welch is a well-known name in Arizona. He’s been running the Chandler Bass Club since last July and he started Another Damn Derby a year ago — these are night tournaments mid-week at Saguaro, fishing from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m, and they’ve proven to be immensely popular. He’s been fishing since he was five years old, and credits fishing legends Tommy and Bobby Crawford for making him a “jig-loving fool”.
For Justin, every day is a good day to throw a jig. “Jigs aren’t just a winter bait,” he says, “I use them all year because they are so versatile. There are just so many ways to fish them that you can fish virtually any structure at any depth with the right jig.” He keeps it simple, fishing Hula Grubs on football head jigs nearly all the time. His favorite jigs are made with Owner 2/0 hooks and he has the jigs poured by Jack Lewis. The hooks have a small curve that sinks the hook into the mouth of the bass, and each jig has two bait retainers that really button up the bait even when it gets bit, Welch says.
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