Over the past decade or so, you can argue that no bait has been as successful at catching bass as the vibrating jig. They are consistently credited with tournament wins at all levels and across the country. While they are incredibly versatile, most of the time, they are associated with shallow-water largemouth.
They are also very effective at catching smallmouth bass, according to Major League Fishing pro Anthony Gagliardi and the many other anglers who've discovered their knack for catching bronzebacks.
Vibrating Jigs and Smallmouth Makes Sense
Gagliardi says that it makes perfect sense for these baits to work for smallmouth because of how they feed. The fish are notoriously on the move and their aggressive nature makes them an ideal candidate for a fast-moving lure.
"While most people associate vibrating jigs with shallow grass and wood for largemouth, it makes sense that they are a perfect bait for smallmouth," he said. "Smallmouth like a moving bait in the right conditions and they really like something moving fast. You can use them to cover a lot of water and that's what you have to do a lot of times with smallmouth; you have to be constantly moving and looking for active fish."
Gagliardi's choice for a vibrating jig is the new Berkley Slobberknocker. "It's tuned perfectly for the right sound and vibration and comes in 3/8 and ½-ounce, which are two perfect sizes for shallow smallmouth bass," he said. "It feels good and has excellent response; the resistance is the perfect amount when you're winding it. It's the perfect candidate for largemouth and smallmouth because it gets a lot of bites and big ones, too."
He typically uses them for smallmouth in predictable and proven areas.
"For smallmouth, they're best on shallow water fisheries and if the fish are primarily in deep water offshore, they won't be as big of a player," he said. "Generally, it's going to be 10 feet or less, and I'll be searching for rocky shoals, gravel banks, humps, grass, and anything that looks fishy. In my years of smallmouth experience, the fish will be in all of these areas and the best approach is to move around a bunch to find the most active fish and the biggest concentrations of them."
Colors, Trailers, and More
When it comes to selecting the right colors and soft plastic trailers for his Slobberknocker smallmouth, Gagliardi keeps things simple. The same goes for the gear he uses; each piece has a specific purpose that helps him land more of what bites.
You can outfit these baits with various soft plastic trailers, but Gagliardi has a few favorites. "The Berkley Powerbait Boss Grub is great for largemouth or smallmouth," he said. "I also really like the Berkley Powerbait The Deal, especially when I'm using a white Slobberknocker because I think it has a perfect shad profile. Another one I like is the Berkley Powerbait Power Swimmer because it has a great kicking action and the tail looks just like a small fish."
For colors, it's generally either a shad or bluegill imitator. "I keep my color selection simple with all of my baits, either a white to imitate shad or something like chartreuse and white to stand out," he said. "I also like something to imitate a perch or bluegill, so something green pumpkin with some orange or chartreuse is great. The biggest reason the Slobberknocker is so good for smallmouth is the vibration and because they don't see it as much as crankbaits, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits."
Gagliardi prefers a 7-foot, 10-inch medium-heavy Level rod with a 7.3:1 Abu Garcia Revo STX reel for his vibrating jigs when targeting smallmouth.
"I lean on faster reels for smallmouth and will even go up to the 8.3:1 Zenon X because the faster retrieve speed will allow you to keep tension on fish when they are running in shallow water after you hook them," he said. "The longer rod helps you make longer casts and get a good hookset when you hit them with a lot of line out."
For line, he uses 14-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line as a starting point but will adjust to a heavier line if needed or if he wants to keep it higher in the water column.
"Line size isn't a big deal because you're fishing fast enough that it doesn't play a huge role," he said. "I start with 14-pound and will go heavier if it's shallow water, and I want to keep it closer to the surface."
Fishing vibrating jigs like the Berkley Slobberknocker is a great way to catch bass, no matter the species. They have proven themselves time and time again as one of the most effective lures in modern bass fishing.
Advertising