Fishing Jigs for Fall to Winter Transition Bass

As fall fades into winter, bass feeding patterns change drastically. The forage bounty of spring and summer dwindles, sending bass into a more lethargic, opportunistic feeding mode. 

This transition can frustrate anglers counting on reaction bites, but offers opportunity for anglers willing to slow down and finesse cold water bass into biting. One of the most effective ways to tempt a tough transitional bass is with a finesse jig paired with a soft plastic trailer.

Downsize Your Jig

The keys to any finesse presentation are lightweight and slow. As bass metabolism slows in the cooling water temperatures of fall sliding towards winter, bulky moving baits become less appealing. Scale back your jig size to 3/16 or even 3/8 ounce models, which allow for an ultra-slow falling rate to mimic dying baitfish. Light to heavy wire hooks also increase hooks ups on sluggish, chilled biters.

Match Your Trailer

Pair your jig with an equally diminutive soft plastic trailer, like a 2-3 inch straight tail, craw, or mini creature plastic bait. Keep your color selections natural, matching native forage colors like greens, browns, and blacks.

Slow Your Retrieve

With your downsized jig rigged, focus on high-percentage areas like steep drops, creek channel bends, stump flats, or any cover positioned near deep water drops. Make long casts and allow your jig to sink slowly, sometimes subtly shaking your rod tip to impart only the faintest movement. Bass will softly inhale the jig, so be ready to set the hook when feeling even the slightest of bites.

Make Multiple Casts to Cover

Cold water bass are often reluctant chase down a bait no matter how slow it's moving. Be sure to make multiple casts to cover at varying angles to have the best chance of enticing bites from these sluggish bass.

Take few moments and watch as the folks from Lurenet provide a short demo video with several tips on jig fishing for fall to winter transition bass...

Fishing Jigs Around Flooded Trees

Flooded trees provide excellent habitat for bass, especially when located close to deeper water holding areas. The stump and exposed root system gives bass plenty of cover to ambush prey, especially important since there's usually a lot of baitfish around as well. 

Because of their snagless nature, jigs are one of the most effective lures for catching bass around flooded trees.

Here are 5 tips to help you be more successful when fishing jigs around trees:

1. Selecting the appropriate jig is crucial. For fishing around flooded trees, a 3/8 to 3/4 oz flipping or pitching jig with a weed guard is an excellent choice. It helps prevent snagging on branches and debris while allowing you to work the jig effectively.

2. Make accurate casts keeping the jig tight to the tree trunks. You want the jig to fall straight down alongside the tree and into any bottom cover where a bass is likely to be hiding. Be ready for fast strikes. 

3. Set the hook hard. When fishing around flooded trees, strikes can be subtle. Keep your line taut and be ready to set the hook at the slightest indication of a bite. Sometimes, you'll feel a subtle tap or just a change in line tension.

4. Vary your retrieve. Once your jig has fallen to the bottom, work it slowly and deliberately. You want to give the bass enough time to sense and react to your jig. You can work your jig by hopping it along the bottom or by dragging it slowly through the cover.

5. Use strong line and powerful rods. Because of the heavy cover, you'll want to use at least 40 lb test braided line. A 7'+ heavy power, fast action rod will help you wrestle fish out of the branches and roots. Don't be afraid to apply maximum pressure quickly to pull bass away from cover and prevent lost fish.

Here are some additional jig fishing tips when working flooded timber:

• Use a trailer on your jig. A trailer will add bulk and vibration to your jig, which can make it more attractive to bass.
• Experiment with different colors. Bass can be picky about color, so experiment with different colors until you find one that is working.
• Pay attention to the weather. Bass are more active on cloudy days and during low-light conditions.

Bass pro Patrick Walters loves fishing jigs through the tangles of standing timber. Take a few moments and watch as Walters gives his approach to catching bass from flooded trees...

Things to Consider When Picking Bass Jigs

Bass jigs are a versatile lure that can be used in a variety of situations, but there are a few important factors to consider when picking one.

• Weight: The weight of the jig will determine how fast it will sink, so it's important to choose one that is appropriate for the water clarity and depth of water you're fishing. In general, a heavier jig will sink faster and be more effective in clearer, deeper water, while a lighter jig will be easier to work in stained, shallow water.
• Size: The size of the jig will also affect its action in the water. A larger jig and trailer will have a larger profile and may be more visible to fish, while a smaller jig will be more subtle and may be easier to fish around cover.
• Head shape: The head shape of the jig will affect its ability to crawl over cover and its action in the water. A bullet head jig will be more snag-resistant when fishing wood and grass, while a football head jig will have a more erratic action and is a great option when fishing rock structures.
• Trailer: The trailer you choose will also affect the action of the jig. A flanged plastic trailer will add more movement and vibration while a straight-tail plastic trailer will be more durable and offers a more subtle presentation.
• Color: The color of the jig is also important, but it's often a matter of personal preference. Many anglers prefer natural color patterns in clear water and opt for brighter colors in dirty water. Experiment with different colors to see what works best in your area.

Take a few minutes and watch as bass pro and Missile Baits owner, John Crews provides his insight on things to consider when selecting bass jigs:

Fishing Compact Jigs for Smallmouth Bass

Anglers use compact jigs to catch smallmouth bass in a variety of situations but most commonly in areas with heavy cover, such as laydowns, rock piles, vegetation, and docks. Compact flipping and football jigs tend to be more versatile than larger jigs, since they can be used to fish both shallow and deep water as well as through many different types of cover.

Here are some of the reasons anglers use compact flipping jigs to catch smallmouth bass:

Great in heavy cover: Compact jigs are easier to fish in heavy cover than larger jigs, since they are less likely to get hung up. This makes these jigs a great choice for anglers who are fishing in areas with dense cover with lots of potential snags.

Smaller profile: A compact jig has a smaller profile than a traditional jig, which makes it more appealing to smallmouth bass. This is especially important when fishing in clear water since smallmouths tend to be sight feeders.

Use a soft plastic trailer: A soft plastic trailer will help to add more action to your jig and make it more appealing to smallmouth bass. Good choices include creature baits or crawfish imitations.

Canadien bass pro Cory Johnston is highly skilled at catching big smallmouth bass across the U.S. and Canada. When fishing areas of dense, interspersed cover such as rocks and vegetation, Johnston often relies on compact jigs to trigger hungry smallmouths into biting. 

Take a couple minutes and watch the following video where he discusses his jig fishing system:

Mopping Up Prespawn Bass

A mop jig is a type of bass jig designed to mimic the appearance of a crawfish or other bottom-dwelling prey that bass feed on. The lure features a skirt made of extra-long, heavy, living rubber strands that resemble the appearance of a mop, give it a lifelike action in the water.

In addition to the skirt, mop jigs often feature a flat-sided, arky-style or football head that helps the jig sit in a defensive position on the bottom further enhancing its crawfish appearance. This makes it an excellent choice for fishing in almost any water depth or in areas with strong currents.

To use a mop jig for bass fishing, you would typically cast the lure out and then retrieve it slowly along the bottom of the lake or river, pausing occasionally to allow the lure to sink back down and imitate the behavior of a crawfish or other prey. The soft strands of the skirt float up from the bottom and move with the water current, creating an enticing motion that can attract the attention of nearby bass.

Take a moment as bass pro Grae Buck describes how he uses the Buckeye Lures Mop Jig paired with a floating craw-type trailer to trick transitioning prespawn bass into biting...

Jig Skipping Tips for Beginners

Developing the skill of skipping baits under docks, overhanging brush and into lay-downs greatly enhances your bass catching days on the water. 

Though many bass anglers first learn to skip using a spinning combo with fairly light line (up to 12 lb test), the use of baitcasting gear with heavier line is required when trying to skip into dense cover; a much more daunting challenge for many of us.

Though admittedly more challenging, skipping lures like jigs can become second nature with the proper gear and practice as bass pro Gary Klein points out in this W2F video...

Selecting Jig Colors

One of the issues all bass anglers face as you build your tackle arsenal goes beyond selecting the lure but also determining the colors to stock too. 

Fortunately there is one lure type that can make the color selection part relatively easy, jigs!

Don't get me wrong, there are dozens of color options for most jig types but you can simplify the process by selecting a few basic colors then adding different colored trailers to increase the possible color options. 

Watch and listen as bass pro John Crews explains in the following video tutorial!

Jig Fishing Through the Spawn

Bass love jigs, especially big bass! 

But there are so many types of jigs:

Swim Jigs

Flipping Jigs

Finesse Jigs

Structure Jigs

Football Jigs

Swing-head Jigs

Question is do certain types of jigs work better than others over the entire bass spawn period?

Seems so according to Strike King pro Greg Hackney!

Take a moment and listen as GH unravels his approach for jig fishing from the prespawn through the post spawn period:

Stop Missing Jig Bites

If you are like many novice jig fisherman, you may find yourself setting the hook on many fish that almost instantly spit the jig.

Does this happen to you on more than 10% of your bites?

If so watch and listen to jig fishing aficionado Greg Hackney as he discusses adjustments he made to hook almost every fish that strikes any jig he is fishing...

How To Power Fish Swim Jigs

If a straight retrieve isn’t working when fishing a swim jig, think about this approach!

MLF Pro Randy Howell explains a different method for swimming jigs… power swimming!

Several great tips from Mr. Howell!

So... straight or pumping/pulsed retrieve when fishing a swim jigs?

That is the question 😌

ABCs of Fishing Jigs for Bass

Are you confused by multitude of bass jigs and jig trailers on the market?

Do you know the basic retrieves used with the the most common types of bass jigs?

How about the common modifications made to many jigs to enhance the hook-up ratio of a bass jig?

If you are new to fishing jigs for bass or an infrequent user of jigs, here is an info-graphic from the folks at Fix.com with the "ABCs of fishing bass jigs

Source: Bass Jigs @ Fix.com

Jig Trailer Tips

In this video, Doug Stange of InFishermanTV discusses three different types of jig trailers he considers when fishing for largemouth bass…

Chunks, craws, creatures, swimbaits...

What's your preference?

Are These the Best Bass Baits?

Question... Are These the Best Bass Baits?

These baits can be:

• Fished in cold and warm water with success;
• Enhanced with a variety of plastic and pork trailers;
• Used around rocks, trees, weeds, docks & pilings; &
• Cast, pitched, flipped, skipped, swam and buzzed…

Does this make skirted bass jigs the best bass baits on the market?

Evidently the guys from Angling Edge think so…

Looks like they might be considered one of the best bass baits...

Of course the question remains...

What's a good trailer for your jig?

Hmmmmm

Selecting Spring Jig Colors

Most bass anglers have a a few jig color patterns they use in different situations including different jig patterns based on changing seasons…

My personal selections tend to be influenced by three major factors:

Type of forage present and active in the area being fished
Water clarity (to some extent)
Season

To me springtime is green time and most baits I throw have some green color in them throughout the spring season…

In this video, touring bass pro Casey Ashley details his preference for spring jig colors, where to fish them and how it differs from other times of the year!

Personally, I like black n blue (anytime color) and a greenish craw pattern are be gotos for spring jigs...

Just saying 😁

How to Fish Football Jigs

Football Jigs… Swim Jigs… Finesse Jigs… Flipping Jigs… Timber Jigs… Arkie Jigs…

Arghhhhh!

Did you ever wonder why there are so many different types of jigs?

Believe it or not there really are legitimate reasons for having different types of jigs; one of which is the unique action some jigs have…

These unique actions mean some jigs are designed for specific presentations and the football jig is definitely one falling into that category!

Take a moment and listen to Bass Pro Shaw Grigsby explains how to fish football jigs…

Given the design of this type of jig, I personally limit the color patterns those resembling crayfish…

How about you?