Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

This is going to a favorite jig for my wintertime fishing.
1/2oz Viper head

Credit my Viper jig for every giant bass I caught during winter/early pre spawn at Castiac and Casitas. Top 5 are 17.4 lbs, 17.4 lbs, 17.6 lbs, 18.6 lbs and 19.3 lbs over a 14 year period 1981 to 1995. Still occasionally big bass but the giants are very rare today.
Hope you catch a new PB
Tom

Jig fishings simple rules
Heavy wood structure jig gos in dam straight the fish are coming out caught.
Heavy Rock structure jig go in and around the structure the fish are coming out caught.
Rule 1 Mark is always right
Rule 2 If Marks wrong go back to rule 1

Couple colors tied today
1/2oz . Viper head jig
Click for close up

Tying a few wintertime
Viper head jigs
'

Those are some good looking jigs right there.
Question.....How do you determine what size weight to use? Is the lightest weight you can get away with? or does it just depend on the structure? Please advise. Thanks.

If the bass are around wood I use 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz. Jigs if there hold up in the wood I use 3/8oz and 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz jigs 30 to 50 ft of water I've caught them deeper.
Heavy Rock structure steep walls rocky points
in 30 to 60 ft I use 1/32 1/8 3/16 1/4 3/8 1/2 and 3/4 oz jigs for wintertime rate of fall on 1/32 oz and 1/8 oz jigs being your lunch the other jigs I use are fairly quick dropping in deeper water. The key is light line Maxima green4,6,8 I'll go 10 but not til it starts warming up and the fish start moving up.
Myself I think the bigger fish like the lighter lines and the line is easier to control getting the fish out of heavier wood structure and out of heavier rock structure both. You don't need braid to fish heavy cover.

Blk /Blue Viper heads

Jiggin’, are you sponsored by Yamamoto baits? I do like your color selections. But I’d have to say you left out the bumblebee color. Yellow and black. It’s deadly when fished deep in the rocks, specifically on dam rip rap in about 45’. The key is you gotta use 7# test and an ultralight 6-6 spinning rod. Pro-tip…don’t forget to bring your Hound-Dog lure retriever.

Thanks for the info. jiggin. You must be a very patient/disciplined man. I know that very slow rof can make all the difference between catching fish and skunking. Slowing it way down is really something I need to work on.

Pd Been making bumble bee for better than 30 years now.

Jig fishing is not Rocket Science you just have to have a lot of patients and discipline and dedication
In fishing jig of al types. For me building jigs has always come pretty easy for me building baits matching forage colors figuring out and targeting the difference types structure in very lake depth when and what type of jig work best in certain situations. My favorite time of the year to fish is wintertime bass skool up they like structure so attacking and targeting it well give you your best shot a catching bigger fish. Depths of 25 to 60 feet works for me. Fish well transition throughout the winter months some will suspend over and around cover there all catchable fish. A little time and effort and time on the water make wintertime fishing fun for me.

Pd are you still using 65lb. braid with 30lb. mono leader fishing 1/4oz. jigs

Pd I don't make it a practice of getting hung up in any type of structure I fish just keep your jigs or bait moving surface contact with the structure your fishing vertical wintertime jigging is deadly its easy to keep control over your jigs or other baits your fishing

This Saturday fishing coming up
1/2 Viper head Blk /Blue
Black Label 3" Baby Bug trailer
Click pics to enlarge

3/8oz. Arkie head