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No Pork
By Larry Hemphill

September/October 1996

Jigs and Yamamoto Grubs - A Winning Combination

Fall and early winter bass fishing means a lot of things to knowledgeable anglers - uncrowded waters, pre-winter feeding sprees, Hunting for schooling bass at various depths, offshore structure fishing, and my favorites - falling water temperatures and BIG BASS! I live for October through December bass fishing because my number one confidence bait for larger bass becomes the most effective bait I can throw. As the water cools, the metabolism of all bass slows down. Large bass are less likely to continue chasing bait fish and more likely to look for their favorite slow-moving target - the crawdad. Now is the time to tie on a jig and let the excitement begin! I feel the jig is the most effective lure bass anglers can use to catch a trophy bass from October through April. May is not a big fish month and large plastic worms or lizards work equally well in the hot weather months of July, August, and September.

It is reasonable to assume that the larger a bass becomes, the less often it will feed. These large specimens gradually become opportunistic, selective feeders, looking for the chances to devour a few large crawdads, a 10" bass, or a juicy rainbow trout. Their life-style can be summed up as the greatest food intake with the least amount of energy used. Most of us who love to pursue the trophy bass do subscribe to the big bait - big bass theory. All this is to say that a jig is the prime crawdad imitator and is attractive to bass of all sizes, but especially larger fish. A jig has mass, enticing looks, and the ability to attract bass in low light conditions or at night (when large fish feed the most). A rattlin' jig and a good trailer are the keys.

Another positive feature of a jig is that it is generally a heavier bass lure (1/4 to 1 ounce) which enables fisherman to stay in touch with the bottom in 15 to 50 feet of water. An angler can feel every nuance of a clay or rocky lake bed - every ridge, drop-off, high spot, or isolated stump. Jigs fall quickly and spend more time in the strike zone for big bass, 10 to 25 feet. I have personally landed nearly 70 bass over 8 pounds, 8 of them from 11 to 14.2 pounds, all in Northern California. I have also seen my clients the past 15 years land dozens of bass from 8 to 11 ½ pounds. From this experience, I can tell you firsthand that nearly 90% of these large bass have come from 10 to 28 feet of water all year long, except during spawning. Even in winter, these large bass don't often go as deep as smaller bass. That is why I feel spooning is mostly a smaller bass technique. I prefer to throw jigs, shake large worms, or work 5 and 6 inch grubs at a medium depth (15 to 35 feet) during winter.

I began experimenting with grub trailers on my jigs around 1984, when Gary Yamamoto was taking over the old TWIN T'S BAIT CO. Since I was getting into night fishing more, I was looking for a trailer that would move a lot of water behind the jig, similar to a sickle tail worm. I also wanted to appeal to the visual sense of bass in daylight hours with the enticing Yamamoto grub tail action when the jig would fall or when I would swim it over rocky structure. Swimming a jig was not my choice, but California rocks consume ALL jigs that move TOO SLOW! I knew better than anyone in Northern California about the potential of the Yamamoto grub since I was probably the first up here to fish these grubs, including the legendary salt and pepper grub. Well, the jig and grub combo really caught on quickly with great catches in tournaments and trophy hunting. This is probably putting a dent in pork rind sales! Recent catches this October include my 8 lb. 11oz. largemouth caught on a Rattlin' Weapon Jig with a 6" #135 super grub, and a client's 5lb.11oz. spotted bass on a Rattlin' Weapon Jig with a 5" #149 grub trailer.

An interesting topic of debate among bass anglers is the proper color combinations for jig and trailers - grubs, pork, or others. I will share some of my successful color patterns for you. My favorite daytime jig-trailer combo is a Weapon II or Rodstrainer in brown/orange (rubber) with my favorite grub as a trailer, the color #180. I told Gary once if he ever quit making this color, I was taking up golf! I fish the 5" single and double tail most of the time. In clear water, I will bite off part of the head, leaving just enough to slide onto the jig. This makes a smaller profile, but still allows great tail action. I fish 1/4 ounce jigs if at all possible because they are more buoyant, just like a crawdad. I can make a 1/4 ounce jig "float" over rocks and riprap better. I use 3/8 ounce jigs in deep water, wind, or if I want to make more noise on the bottom. The brown/orange jig-bluegill (180) grub combo is like a chocolate Bon Bon to a spot or smallmouth, and largemouth up to 11 ½ pounds eat them (some California anglers have even named this lure combo after me - pretty neat)! In the fall I might switch to a black/red jig with #180 grub. A good winter choice is black/blue/purple tri color jig with blue or purple grub. In murky spring water conditions, I have found a brown or black jig with a color #156 (chartreuse pepper) or #155 (tomato pepper) draws a lot of strikes. And yes, I rely heavily on the use of scents on my jigs, all year long! I have had so much success with my black/chartreuse Rattlin' Weapon Jig with 5/0 outbarb hook and color #135 and #149 trailers at night that I rarely ever fish any other combo. I've had people practically write me love letters for turning them on to that particular jig combo. The #135 grub may seem a little strange, but it flat works, especially in the moonlight. I tend to use the #149 on dark nights. I might add that the Weapon jig now has the rattle set off the hook because so many people are fishing them with grubs. The grub slides up just under the rattle - fabulous! No more muffled rattles!

I recommend fishing a jig very slow, stopping often if possible. Deadsticking is deadly for big bass! Resist the temptation to pump your rod - crawdads don't hop - they glide just off the bottom. The darker water, the more I will occasionally pop the jig and grub, getting that tail to call the bass. Once in awhile that popping action will get a lethargic bass to strike. I have found that inactive bass sometimes will not hit a topwater lure or jig worked in a conventional manner, but will strike viciously if the bait appears to be suddenly escaping.

Bass anglers who are going to commit to learning jig fishing need to use medium heavy to heavy action rods. A 6 1/2 foot medium - heavy rod with 10 to 14 pound test line is fine for daytime. Seven foot heavy action rods with 14 to 25 pound test is standard for night fishing. I use Fenwick's Flexline Hi-Vis grape with a black light at night. My clients can fish 20 pound test on a spinning reel with no problems. The Fenwick HMG 970 MH (7ft) has been the answer to my prayers. Clients who can only handle spinning rods now have a rod that can move a 10 pound bass! Remember that jigs are a prime bait for fishing rocks. This means using slightly heavier line because of the inevitable nicks which are going to happen. Re-tie often!

I hope this article has encouraged you to start fishing with a jig-grub combo, or to fish it more than you are presently. I can almost guarantee your catch will be heavier at the end of the year. If you are looking for a "kicker" in a tournament, a jig is likely to get the job done. As for your wall hanger - you know what to do!

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