Page 40 - ODUNovAndDec2018

be prepared to watch the
line. Watch the cadence on the line as you quiver the rod and if the cadence changes, set the hook.

Tiny Challenges

When we scale way down in jig size, we create some challenges. Obviously, it takes more time to get
down to fish but on tough bites, the fish want the jig worked slowly through the water column from a
much higher ceiling. You simply can’t get away with dropping right down to the level of the fish. In
really clear water on heavily fished fisheries, you often have to fish down into the zone from four or five
feet, sometimes higher. Perhaps the biggest challenge is that smaller hooks simply require a more
babied approach during the fight and you will usually need forceps to remove each hook. There are
times when we simply have to drop way down in size but the first adjustment, I try to make that usually
makes a difference is switch from a horizontal jig to a vertical jig. Vertical jigs like the Clam Pro Tackle

Half Ant have the classic tear drop shape but are made out of tungsten. Vertical jigs often shine when
the conditions get tough. I personally believe that tear drop style jigs move less water and have a much
smaller profile from a fish’s perspective when they are looking up at the jig. From a bluegill’s point of
view, a size ten vertical jig looks as small as a size fourteen horizontal jig. This is a huge advantage
because you get the added weight and larger hook on the vertical jig with less bulk and less profile.

Another factor to experiment with is your knot. There are situations where a loop knot will cause the jig
to flash and swing more
as you pound it. A
palomer knot allows you
to change the angle of
the jig and adjust how
the hook rides below the
jig. There will be days
where one knot will out

produce the other.

As a rule of thumb, I
would rather use soft
plastics over live bait
because of the durability

and a list of other
factors. There are some
tough bites however