Old school jig presentation

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WRB
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Location: Simi Valley

Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

Anglers today present a jig by making long cast and retrieving along the bottom. Swim jigs come to mind that is popular today, similar but faster retrieve. Dragging a football jig is another popular technique, again similar but almost always the uses the rod to move the jig.
These are all horizontal jigging presentations and effective.
Sometime back in the late 60’s football jigs became popular in SoCal deep rocky structure lakes. Bill Haddock comes to mind for old timers and Larry McCain, a JPL tool maker, was making single cavity custom jig mold for local anglers. The football jig was ideal for making long cast hopping them down hill because the hook was longer we had good success getting hook sets.
1971 I had Larry make a viper head jig mold that stood up the hook and is a great shape for working through rocks. I believe this jig gave me the advantage of catching more DD bass then I can remember, at least 50 over12 lbs For 45 year period. Top 5 are 5 between 17 to 19 lbs.
This is how I fish jigs.
1. Hold the reel with 3 fingers in front=and under it, the line over the index finger tip and under your thumb tip. This allows strike detection by feeling line movements, not the rod.
2. After the cast watch the line sink making V on the surface and going slack when the jig stops. Both are strike indicators.
3. Working the jig back by turning the reel handle while keeping the rod tip pointed at the jig. The pace depends on depth and structure slope angles. Turn the Hanley 1 turn for example and watch for a strike or any change in the jig weight or movements.
4. Hook set technique when a strike is suspected simply crank the reel quickly while keeping the rod tip down. If you feel the bass sweep the rod back firming and keep reeling. If you mis stop and start over while you are still in the strike zone.
5. If you/hit a snag shake the jig loose on slack line then lift the rod to work the jig over the obstacle.
I use 12 lb FC 90% of the time in depths between 1’ to 40’ slowly working around structure areas known to hold big bass.
Just thought I would share this during the prime jig fishing seasonal period.
Tom
Last edited by WRB on Thu Dec 24, 2020 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
jaybird
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by jaybird »

Thank you Tom. Good stuff, Merry Christmas and thank you for your knowledge!!
MT
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by MT »

5 fish between 17 and 19lbs?! That's truly amazing. Would love to see a picture of the viper head you mentioned. Would it be safe to say that the presentation you described is only possible to with that head?
Thank you for sharing that.
WRB
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

Send a PM with email, I don’t like to post photos.
Football jigs like Yamamoto with right hook is a good choice.
I don’t like weed guards and use a hitchhiker spring with finesse worm section to cover the hook point. Will include a sketch how to make it.
For what it’s worth I use hair jigs with pork trailers 80% of the time but soft plastics trailers work at times but tend to attract smaller bass.
Tom
milehi
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by milehi »

Thanks Tom, keep them coming. Bucktail?
mark poulson
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by mark poulson »

WRB wrote:Send a PM with email, I don’t like to post photos.
Football jigs like Yamamoto with right hook is a good choice.
I don’t like weed guards and use a hitchhiker spring with finesse worm section to cover the hook point. Will include a sketch how to make it.
For what it’s worth I use hair jigs with pork trailers 80% of the time but soft plastics trailers work at times but tend to attract smaller bass.
Tom
Why did you choose a 90 degree hook?
Attitude plus effort equal success
CLEAN AND DRY
WRB
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

Jigs with a 60 or 30 degree hook moves the hook eye forward to the nose putting more lead between the head and hook point to accommodate weed guards . Second the line pull slides the jig head forward without lifting the hook point and trailer. Less open hook gap behind the jig head inside bass lips and crunchers to contact tissue when the jig is pulled forward during hook sets. If the jig is presented more vertical the line force pulls upward and more compact jigs work OK. When casting and retrieving a jigs long hook length is an advantage.
I didn’t mention Dobyns football jig using Gamakatsu 604 hooks, just forgot. I use Gamakatsu 114 and 604 5/0, prefer 114 because it’s a forge lighter wire hook, both are good. What is important is hook penetration, ounce past the barb the hook bend take+all the force.
Tom
Matbocsa
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by Matbocsa »

Hey Tom,

I’ve followed your posts for a few years and Im intrigued in your catches and jig fishing technique, thx for the great details. Just wondering what factors contributed to catching those giant bass ex. new jig technique, time on the water, lakes stocked with trout, less fishing pressure? How many of those fish over 12 have been caught in the last 10 years? Thx!
mark poulson
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by mark poulson »

WRB wrote:Jigs with a 60 or 30 degree hook moves the hook eye forward to the nose putting more lead between the head and hook point to accommodate weed guards . Second the line pull slides the jig head forward without lifting the hook point and trailer. Less open hook gap behind the jig head inside bass lips and crunchers to contact tissue when the jig is pulled forward during hook sets. If the jig is presented more vertical the line force pulls upward and more compact jigs work OK. When casting and retrieving a jigs long hook length is an advantage.
I didn’t mention Dobyns football jig using Gamakatsu 604 hooks, just forgot. I use Gamakatsu 114 and 604 5/0, prefer 114 because it’s a forge lighter wire hook, both are good. What is important is hook penetration, ounce past the barb the hook bend take+all the force.
Tom
It sounds like the 90 degree hook swings itself into the fishes mouth, like a snelled hook.
Attitude plus effort equal success
CLEAN AND DRY
WRB
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

Matbocsa wrote:Hey Tom,

I’ve followed your posts for a few years and Im intrigued in your catches and jig fishing technique, thx for the great details. Just wondering what factors contributed to catching those giant bass ex. new jig technique, time on the water, lakes stocked with trout, less fishing pressure? How many of those fish over 12 have been caught in the last 10 years? Thx!
Giant Florida strain LMB transplanted into our local SoCal lakes from San Diego city lakes occurred in the early 70’s at Casitas and Castaic. About 10 years later the FLMB all about the same age group stared showing up as giants. Casitas is a more fertile ecosystem with less fishing pressure then Castaic at that time period. Both lakes were receiving weekly trout plants of 8”-12” rainbows during the colder water months providing the ideal high protein prey source. Casitas also had an abundant crawdad population.
Before the giants showed up in ‘81 tournament bass anglers were using finesse presentations and not targeting big bass. Ray Easley’s 21 lb Casitas bass changed that. Castaic was a few years behind .
What pressured the big bass population was live bait anglers coupled with a Million $$$$$$$ reward for catching a world record bass. The pressure on these lakes was insane.
The bass managed to survive fishing pressure. In 1995 Castaic suffered a fatal blow when the entire population of stripe bass was accidentally released into the main lake from the forebay lake.
Casitas received a fatal blow when the DFG was ordered to stop trout plants. The Giant bass populations in both lakes crashed as a direct result and is slowly recovering at Casitas.
The last 15 lb bass I caught at Casitas was 2005, several between 2000 and 2008, no DD bass since.
Tom
Pete G
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by Pete G »

Great post! Very nice to see some info on some of the early bass fishermen in SOCAL. I fished with Larry many times and he was always innovating new ways to present baits.
WRB
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

Pete G wrote:Great post! Very nice to see some info on some of the early bass fishermen in SOCAL. I fished with Larry many times and he was always innovating new ways to present baits.
Off topic, Larry made the 1st “mojo” cylinder weights. I believe Larry moved to Florida and passed away about 2 years ago.
Tom
WRB
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

Couple things learned visiting bass forums are most bass anglers use line far to big in diameter/lb test then needed and fish primarily shallow bank cover. Western bass anglers have adapted to fishing light line finesse presentations off shore structure in water over 20’ deep because we had to.
The past decade the western trend has caught on nation wide, however haven’t figure out light line jig fishing off shore structure yet!
My success during the boom giant bass periods was using 10-12 lb FC line presenting jigs in 15’-40’ on deep structure. Basically had this fishing technique and zone all to myself with the exception of bait anglers and a few deep Swimbait anglers. Those were the days my friends and thought they would never end.
Merry Christmas and Joyful Nee Years.
Tom
5/0
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by 5/0 »

I use Gamakatsu 114 and 604 5/0, prefer 114 because it’s a forge lighter wire hook,

Tom,
I’ve seen the Dobyns 604, but confused on the reference to the 114. Did you mean the GYCB 44-05?

Joe
WRB
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Re: Old school jig presentation

Post by WRB »

I use Gamakatsu round bend standard wire 114 black nickel 5/0 jig hook, it’s a lighter wire hook then the 604, both are the same size and length. If you like to hit the jig to pop it out of the bass mouth the 604 is stronger and takes more abuse. Gamakatsu 111 sproat bend is another jig hook I have used prior to the 114 & 604 hooks, all are excellent and fit the same mold.
Tom
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