Football Jigs

[lildave]

Got back from annual spring trip and we had good luck on football head jigs with craw trailers.I normally fish topwater in the morning until the bite dies down, then go to finesse worms. They have always caught lots of fish for me. I always have a jig tied on, but rarely fish it. But this year, my partner was doing better on a jig, and I switched over, and hardly ever put it down again. They liked the peanut butter and jelly Eakins jig in 1/2 oz, with a green-pumpkin craw trailer. Got lots of spots, smallmouths, and one of my personal best largemouth. I appreciate all the generous help from this forum, and thought I should try to reciprocate the kindness. Good luck fishin'!

Li'l Dave

[Jason Essary]

Dave, what depth was the bite and what area was you in?

[Jim Furman]

Had to take a minute to comment on football jigs. I fish most of the time in the Kimberling City, Mill Creek area near our house and use football jigs most of the time. I was fishing last week and was just about to call it quits after a decent morning when I threw out one last cast. I felt a big pull and landed a 7.2lb largemouth. This was by far my best fish in the 12 years we have had a house on the Rock and made my day. I will say that it didn't fight any harder than a 3lb smallie. It was a very old fish with one bad eye, took a couple of pictures by my dock and put it back in (under my dock). Caught it on a 1/2oz Eakins watermelon red, with a river bug watermelon red trailer.

[lildave]

Most fish were caught on cove banks and backs of coves. The best bite we found was when the boat was in about 15 feet of water when you were a cast distance from the bank. We fished it pretty fast, letting fall down the slope, then quick cranks as soon as the jig hit bottom. We had lots of fish follow it up to the boat. We fished mostly from Big Creek upstream just past where the White, Kings, and Mill Creek come together.

[clf989s]

Fished Mill Creek/Baxter area over the weekend and had some pretty decent success thanks to the 1/2oz PBJ Eakins Football jig and some good advice from Champ. Used a PBJ Chunk Jr trailer. No giants, but had some good numbers for a newbie weekend warrior. Most of Jig Bites were in the back of deeper coves and creeks. They also seemed to be hitting it when we threw it up on a ledge and dropped it off. Also caught some off the Yellow Magic in the early AM and caught 3 nice smallies on one point using a DT16. Congratulations Jim on your new personal best.

[Champ188]

Fished Mill Creek/Baxter area over the weekend and had some pretty decent success thanks to the 1/2oz PBJ Eakins Football jig and some good advice from Champ. Used a PBJ Chunk Jr trailer. No giants, but had some good numbers for a newbie weekend warrior. Most of Jig Bites were in the back of deeper coves and creeks. They also seemed to be hitting it when we threw it up on a ledge and dropped it off. Also caught some off the Yellow Magic in the early AM and caught 3 nice smallies on one point using a DT16. Congratulations Jim on your new personal best.

Glad you were able to catch some and have a good time. That's what it's all about. If I can ask, what color was that DT16?

[clf989s]

I like the Disco Shad color as well, but these came off the Smash color. I also got a few on a Brush Pile off a Joe Bald point using a DD22 in Jelly Bean.

[Champ188]

Thanks clf989s. Keep saying I'm gonna try deep cranking some of the clearer water but not sure where to start with colors. The new DT16 colors were obviously created with clearer water in mind.

[Jason Essary]

Champ, color sure does matter when cranking in the clear. Ive been know to have 3 on at once until I find what they want at that time. Then a cloud comes over and Im back to square one.

[Champ188]

I don't doubt it, Jason. But there's a pretty much untapped deep cranking bite out there and I intend to try and find it this year. Been sayin that ever since that guy from Texas came up here several years ago and just waylayed em way up the White in that Stren Series championship. Some guy with a fat wallet hit both of the Hook Line & Sinker tackle shops down here and stripped the shelves of the DT16s in the new Ike's Ink colors. I did look at a DT10 in that Blueback Herring color and I'm not sure I've ever seen a prettier crank bait. As Bry said, the Disco Shad looks darn good too. Same for the Smash and Caribbean Shad colors. All of them seem just subtle enough to work well in clear water.