Eakins Jig Question

[Don House]

Mobass sorry it has taken so long to get back with you, been kinda busy.. Ok fishing the jig on Table Rock, well best place to start is the dock fishing. I really like to use a smaller 1/8 ounce jig on the docks even better on really sunny days when the fish get pushed into the cover of the docks. Early in the day I start by flipping jigs on the fronts and corners (Cables and Floats) of the dock then move into the dock and start by fishing the front one or two slips on each side then working my way down to the back end of the dock. When I fish these dock stalls I really pick apart each stall by fishing the very back corners right middle and left then move to the middle of the stalls same thing right side , middle then left and move out to the front and repeat same as above. Make sure you slow down and pay attention to the stalls with cables in them just about midway on most bigger docks. Once I have fished that out really good I move to the back of the docks around the walkways and floats on the walkways. I pretty much pick apart the whole dock until I get a bite, once I do then I try to replicate on other docks to find a pattern. Also in the Afternoons with good sunny days don't forget the sides of the dock with shade, bass can and will be holding in that shade waiting for something to go by them.

Long Point fishing a jig. The best I found for this is a good Football jig in the 1/2 to 3/4 ounce. This really works well when the fish are holding on the bottom. Place your boat out in the deep water, say 40 feet range make a long cast up to the 10 - 15 foot range and slow drag this bait back to the boat. There are a few ways you can drag this bait, 1) Sweep the rod tip slow and long just like a C-rig feeling everything that the jig comes into contact with. 2) Hopping or slow swimming the jig back to the boat, wait for the bait to hit the bottom then lift your rod tip up to get your jig to lift off the bottom then lower your rod tip down to get it to fall. 3) Crawling the jig back to the boat, a slow way to fish but the best I have found for the football jig, I will cast out and wait for the bait to hit bottom. Once it does then I engage my reel and very very slowly reel it back to the boat. You should feel everything that your jig comes into contact with, such as rocks, brush ect.. Most of the time I have found that the fish will take your bait right after you come into contact with this type of structure like a rock so be ready you will feel it hit the rock and then pop it free and bang they will take it.

Give this a try this year it will surprise you how many more fish you can catch if you just slow down and pick things apart. Hope this helped some and gave you a few pointers to help you out.

Good Fishing

Capt. Don

[MOBass]

Don

Excellent info. you need to teach a class on this stuff. One last questions on fishing docks. Are you getting the jig to the bottom and working it or are you letting is swing like a pendulum?

Any thoughts about what the cold front will do this weekend?

[swelbo1]

When yall are talking about muddy water, what type of visibility are you referring to? I am pretty sure it is not as muddy as what I am accustomed to down here.

Also, in the colored water, is there ever any kind of lipless crankbait bite (Traps)? Thanks.

[Don House]

Don

Excellent info. you need to teach a class on this stuff. One last questions on fishing docks. Are you getting the jig to the bottom and working it or are you letting is swing like a pendulum?

Any thoughts about what the cold front will do this weekend?

Mobass, I will do both but most of the time the fish will hit it on fall. Shallow docks it will hit the bottom deep docks of course fish are hanging right below the flotation and follow it down. As far as the cold front well there goes fishing again.. They will move back out from shallow to deep. It is already going on now, I spoke with a few other guides that fished yesterday and they are reporting that with the rain the bigger fish moved back out and they are catching a few but alot smaller. So it will be a day or so after or by next week sometime I hope they will move back in again. Those fish should be around close by I would think they would back out to the 15 - 25 foot range where before they were up really shallow. I'm going back to a grub or a football jig and move it slow in the deeper water until then!!

Good Fishing Everyone

Capt. Don

[Don House]

When yall are talking about muddy water, what type of visibility are you referring to? I am pretty sure it is not as muddy as what I am accustomed to down here.

Also, in the colored water, is there ever any kind of lipless crankbait bite (Traps)? Thanks.

Well as far as the muddy water it was very muddy for this lake, maybe a 6" or less in visibility. Hint the all white spinnerbaits so it could be seen. Lipless, sure if they are on! I was throwing a Balsa B square bill and they were munching it. Anything that really makes alot of noise or moves alot of water when it moves, helps the fish find it in this dirty water.

Good Fishing

Capt. Don