For decades, anglers across the country have said if they could have only one lure in their tackle box, it would be the ever versatile jig. The standard jig has so many ways it can be used to catch fish from vertical jigging and snap jigging, to casting, and pitching. This versatility, combined with the evolution of the fishing industry, allows the fisherman to have an array of choices in his tackle box. Jigs have a diversity in sizes, shapes and colors and we here at LOA, feel that the jig is something that has to be part of every fisherman’s arsenal. LOA’s Jeff Anderson has been fishing jigs since he could tie one on his first fishing rod. Jeff’s range and skill with his jig fishing put him at an elite level and he stopped by LOA country to share some tips.
When it comes to chasing walleyes with jigs, Andersen has two favorite approaches: chasing weed walleyes and snap jigging across weed and sand flats. Weed walleyes often times are chasing 3-4” perch and shiners within bays, sand/weed flats, and bars or humps that have good cabbage weed growth on them. Early in the season, when water temperatures reach 42 to 50 degrees, be sure to focus in on the northern sections and structures of a lake. Weed growth will emerge much quicker due to the larger amount of sunlight it gets, but as the season goes on and the temperatures warm don’t forget to go to those southern locations as fish will move into those spots. Much like a bass fisherman does, Andersen idles with his MinnKota Terrova bowmount trolling motor, with the Ipilot feature, and keys in on pockets within the weeds. The ‘anchor’ feature on the Ipilot allows Andersen to key on certain spots and work them over a bit more. These pockets serve as ambush areas for toothy critters as they look for the next feeding opportunity. Walleye anglers always talk about the ‘spot on the spot’ and some areas that need a closer look here are the inside weed line (the weed edge closest to shore) and the outside weed line, inside turns, and isolated clumps of weeds. As he moves along he uses a variety of jigs to cast or pitch into this weed cover. Some of his favorites are the VMC Moon Eye or Hot Skirt Jigs and any of the offerings from Kenkatch; the size will depend on how aggressive he wants to fish and what the wind and waves are doing. When considering using a heavier vs. a lighter jig Andersen believes you need to consider the following. “Heavier jigs are better for thumping the bottom drawing attention to the bait, which allows walleyes to zero in on that sound or flash. Plus, when the bite is on, the quicker you can get the bait back into the strike zone the better.” When using lighter jigs, Andersen’s rule of thumb is to use them more when you know the fish are there but you they want more subtlety in the approach. Cold water or early season fishing are prime times to downsize your jig size. When you cast a jig and let it slowly free fall, swaying from side to side and weed walleyes will react. Anderson’s favorite set up when pitching jigs is a 6’6” medium Jason Mitchell Rod with 8-10lb high vis yellow Sufix braided line.
Another favorite technique for Andersen is snap jigging. Snap jigging is something more anglers are including in their jig fishing presentations. Snap jigging is essentially trolling with a jig and allows the fisherman to fish quicker and cover large areas of structure. On Leech Lake for example, one of Andersen’s favorite places to jig fish big walleyes, Andersen focuses on the variety of sand flats throughout the main lake and major bays. One of Andersen’s favorite presentations when fishing these locations is to take a ½ oz jig combine it with a plastic such as 3-4” Trigger X Soft Plastic or Berkley Gulp swimming grub. The jig guru will use his Minnkota vantage or Mercury kicker motor, which allows Andersen to cover water faster and keep his jig in the water more than it is out of it. The advantage of using plastics is you don’t have reach into the bait well to re-bait all of the time. One tip is to use a little bit of super glue to help hold the plastic on your jig longer. With the fishing plastics industry booming in the last five years, you can find plastics that are species specific with a synthetically reproduced pheromones that naturally attract fish and triggers them to chow down. As he moves along, he holds his rod at a 45 degree angle while snapping it with his wrist, and not the arm. The set up to use when snap jigging is very similar to pitching jigs, but instead of braid, use a good mono such as Sufix Elite in 8lb test. Mono allows you to have some stretch in the line. Anderson believes it is very common for walleyes to pick up the jig when snap jigging and, if you are using a braided line, they often times will feel that resistance and drop the bait. Mono just gives you that little more stretch to give the angler just a little more time to drop the rod tip prior to the fish detecting the resistance and then set the hook.
Even with all of the new methods and tactics today, the use of a jig is one of the most versatile and effective presentations today. Anderson reminds us when it comes to fishing jigs, “I let the fish dictate my presentation each time I am on the water, some days they want that lure no matter what and other days you have to coax them into biting. Sometimes they want it ripped and other times they will subtly suck it up on the bottom, but when you feel that hard tick, reel down, and set the hook!” Whatever the jigging stroke is, Anderson has proven that jig fishing is something that has stood the test of time in the fishing world and is something you will find in every fisherman’s tackle box. So this spring get out and challenge yourself to think outside the jig box and you might just GET HOOKED!
Editors note: Leisure Outdoor Adventures is a premier guide service, and promotional group partnered with Chase on the Lake resort in Walker Mn and other businesses in central Minnesota.