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Snag Proof Moss Master Tournament Frog
1/4 oz - Black 6400
1/4
oz - Green 6402
1/4
oz - Chartreuse 6405
1/4
oz - White 6407
1/2
oz - Black
1/2
oz - Green
1/2
oz - Chartreuse
1/2
oz - White
By: Jim Bess - YourEdge Texas Bass Spot
3/27/03 - Often time’s patience seems to be put aside in our quest to catch the elusive bass. The ever-pressing time of faster computers, mobile phones, Palms or PDA or ever increasing technology are we losing touch with patience in general? In the old days, we were left to our own devices and methods of catching fish. Using your head to determine what methods or techniques are necessary will always be necessary. Though, technology tools even in the fishing industry are making the job even easier. This has made many anglers impatient as a whole. “Run and gun” has taken over the today’s typical angler and most likely taken away one of the strongest methods of fishing.
The question how "light" can-you fish and be productive? The answer for many well-known anglers like Jimmy Houston or Roland Martin for years have been saying, “fish as light as you can get away with”. Depending on the method however patience can better your productivity in using even lighter lures sizes beyond ¼ ounce or smaller weights or jig heads. Years ago the method of using finesse jig heads weighing 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64 ounce became a productive technique I used very proficiently. The use of this technique was spawned from watching a trout fishing show. The host remarked about how the slower fall just drove the fish crazy. From there, it laid a thought in my head about whether the same technique could work in the clear water environment of Lake Mead. Lake Mead is a member of the Colorado River chain of lakes. Starting in Utah (Lake Powell) stretching through Nevada Lake Mead/Lake Mohave), Arizona (Lake Mohave/Lake Havasu) and California (Lake Havasu).
Originally, the technique for me was used and very productive with finicky spawning bass. In many tournament situations much as in the rest of the country anglers find themselves fishing behind other anglers during the pre-spawn. During a pre-fish situation I found myself discussing the technique with my team partner. He was not convinced that the technique was as productive as I had stated. He felt that it was simply that I was offering the lure first to fish and that if he were at the front of the boat; he would catch the fish first. On with the battle of who was right and we began in a gypsum laden bottom cove where the water was so clear you could spot the bedding bass as far 30 yards away.
The heavily contrasted bottom provided sight-fishing advantages to both of us as anglers. To even the odds we had both opted to use 4 inch Berkeley Power Leeches in the Pumpkinseed/Pepper color. My partner opted for a ¼ ounce rigging “Texas Style” as my choice was imbedding a 1/32-ounce tube jig head inside the body of the leech. This brought some laughter from my partner as were preparing our rigging in the middle of a large cove. As I cast my leech rig just over the side of the boat in 40 foot of water it was descending roughly six inches in depth every minute. As I said before it takes some patience to us this technique even in deep water. Since we were pre-fishing for a team tournament I also decided to rig a Big Boy’s Tube on a 1/64-ounce jig head. Once I completed tying the tube rig I look over at the leech rig and noticed that my line had jump. Immediately, I grabbed my pole and set the hook began landing a four-pound largemouth bass. My partner looked at me in disbelief as he could see the fish on our LCD graph around 24 feet. It should be noted I played it for all it was worth by grand standing and making him think that I had been jigging the rig.
Releasing the fish he commented that was blind luck. So away the rig went again into the deep water heading down so slowly I decided to make myself a sandwich. Some twenty minutes later with sandwich in hand I stood and began jigging the leech slowly. It’s important to note that these light heads and large bodied leeches fall in a wide spiraling fashion. By wide, I mean in circles that cover three to four feet in diameter. The jigging action is to simply stop the lure from falling-twitching the bait and sending it back on its way. The bite comes as the lure continues on its way down. Now, boasting that I was about to get bit, I actually felt a solid thump and set the hook. Again, my partner could see the fish rising diagonally on the LCD graph. Except now he was angrily spewing illicit verbs and adjectives commonly used when you loose fish not catch them. This was just too much for my now angry partner and as I pulled the four-pound largemouth from the water he suggested we go fish for “bedding fish”. Oh, by the way he had been fishing his lure in the same stretch water.
Moving into the shallows the deep-water fish was quickly forgotten, as bedding fish were everywhere. We now determined that we would not over fish the area simply find out what the fish would bite and then move up some twenty to forty yards down the coves bank. As noted previously the water was very, very clear. My partners Texas-rig did in fact begin catching some little buck bass. Only after spooking the fish from building their bedding area. As we moved up into the next stretch we both threw in on what looked to be a six-plus pound largemouth. The fish began to bolt as my partner threw his lure and the water splashed. My bait had actually hit the water first and had already begun its slow descent downward. The fish suddenly stopped as it came upon my bait. Mesmerized by the slow fall we could both see the fish become interested in the spiraling lure. Some seconds later the fish was becoming agitated as we could see the fish at first begin to flare the gills slowly. Two revolutions had now been completed and the bass was even more agitated and the gills were flaring so much, I could see through the fish’s mouth onto the bright sandy white gypsum background of the cove. Now as the leech made it’s path away from the bass like a flash of lightning the bass bolted toward the bait and engulfed it. Setting the hook I brought in the five-pound nine-ounce largemouth into the boat. My partner again started with the illicit vocabulary this time it did not last long as it appeared he now had the male bass on his line.
Now I had unhooked my fish and thrown my bait back into the water aside the boat. My partner now had unhooked his three-pound fish and released it back into the water. Just as his fish began to leave our vision it shot back toward the boat. Suddenly the male bass rushed the boat and stopped just beneath my lure. My partner moved to the center of the boat with me and as we watched the fish began flaring his gills and thrashed the bait setting the hook. Both of us were in shock and as I reached for the pole the fish jumped and got off. Not for long though, as two other fish appeared shaded by our boats presence.
Nevertheless, we could see them eyeing the bait as well. Just as the other two fish had done they flared their gills and attempted to strike the bait. My partner quickly threw his bait in, but the splash again spooked the fish in the area and they bolted. In the end he was left asking for one of my lightweight specialty jig heads. Really, I wished there would have been some left for him that day. But, I was out, or at least I thought they were all gone. Some lessons are hard earned but necessary to advance ones hard-headedness.
Since that day, I have continued using what some people around the industry call ultra-light jigging. The jig heads are extremely hard to find and often requires that you find someone to pour them for you. The technique has worked on lakes fished in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. No matter whether the water be clear, dingy, stained or just flat out dirty the technique works. Some practice is necessary as line size and the actual lure you are using does effect your lures presentation. Some days, the little finesse baits are the ticket, yet there are other days that a seven-inch worm, soft plastic jerk bait, grub, craw worm can be used depending on the bass’s appetite.
