Why The Jig Is Your Most Reliable Lure

If you're tired of being a winter couch potato, tie on a jig and go fishing.

No doubt about it, January weather can be brutal. But if you choose your days carefully, dress properly and target the areas that winter bass frequent, you may be surprised by what you catch.

The jig is my favorite lure when water temperatures are the coldest. There may be times when you can fool fish on crankbaits, jigging spoons or tube baits, but the jig is the most reliable this time year, especially on highland reservoirs where bass hang around steep drop-offs and where rocky or gravel bottoms are prominent. This is because jigs emulate crayfish when they're bounced down drop-offs or over deep cover. During winter, crayfish are a primary forage for bass.

Main-lake bluffs and bluff points are a good place to find them. If that doesn't pay off, scour the channel bends in the middle of a creek. The technique requires good electronics that will show the drops, cover, baitfish and, in many cases, the bass.

For this kind of fishing, I like to put my boat right on the edge of the channel and pitch ahead of the boat, allowing the jig to free-fall to the bottom. You don't have to make long casts. It's more important to cover the edge of the drop thoroughly and slowly.

I also like vertical structure with some cover. An ideal spot would be where the channel swings against a bluff bank and there are downed trees extending into deep water. I will cast the jig so that it lands between the deep side of the channel and the tree trunk, then drag it through the deep branches.

The thing to remember about winter fishing is that you can go long periods without a bite, but when you find the bass, they will be bunched. Largemouths school this time of year, so when you find one, there should be several others nearby. Plus, if you can get that first one to bite, it often excites the others and triggers a feeding frenzy.

Now be advised that bass probably won't take the rod out of your hand if the water is cold. The bites are subtle, and you have to really focus on what the jig is doing, which is why you don't want to make long casts. Long casts cause you to lose feel with too much line between you and the jig. If you sense any pressure or unusual movement, set the hook.

Because I'm fishing deep this time of year, I prefer heavier jigs. I may opt for a 3/8-ounce jig when the water is less than 10 feet. However, I'm usually fishing deeper, so I prefer a 1/2-ounce jig.

The rate of fall can be important, and you may have to experiment to find what provokes the most strikes. I prefer to alter the rate of fall by adjusting the size of my trailer. A big trailer on a 1/2-ounce jig falls fast enough, yet produces the kind of action I want.

Pork chunks are great for cold water, but I'm leaning more and more toward plastic, especially the Cyber-flexxx super plastics used in Strike King's 3X soft baits. Cyber-flexxx is very soft, buoyant and has great action.

I also trim my jig skirts a little shorter this time of year so that the trailer is more visible to the fish. However, if the water is extremely clear, I'll downsize the package and may even opt for a twin-tailed grub as a trailer.

I also use lighter line than normal, preferring 10- to 14-pound Bass Pro fluorocarbon, unless I'm fishing heavy cover or know giant bass are in the area. The fluorocarbon improves the sensitivity and sinks faster so I maintain feel as the jig falls to the bottom.

Let's not forget the best part of winter jig-fishing -- your chances of catching a really big bass are better than normal. I can't think of a better cure for a bad case of wintertime cabin fever.