Del Rio, Texas—A new football jig has contributed to the early success of one of the hottest competitors on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail.

Alabama pro Derek Remitz relied heavily on the Omega Football Jig to accumulate a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 111 pounds, 7 ounces and win the Bassmaster Elite Series opener on Lake Amistad. “Pretty much every fish I caught in that tournament was on the football jig,” reveals Remitz.

The bass were in a late winter/pre-spawn pattern staging on offshore ledges, so Remitz needed a lure he could work effectively in deep water. “The football jig is the first lure I am going to tie on when I'm fishing deep structure,” the Alabama pro discloses. “That is my go-to bait.”

During the Elite Series event, Remitz selected a 3/4-ounce Omega Football Jig in the Ozark Special color (brown with green flash). He positioned his boat parallel to the ledges and crawled the lure along the bottom. “I had to dead-stick it a lot,” describes Remitz. “I would just shake it and inch it along.”

Remitz believes the cross line tie of the Omega Football Jig allowed him to crawl the lure along the rocky bottom without hanging up. He notes the position of the line tie helps the jighead roll easily over the rock and rubble and then stands up straight whenever he pauses the lure.

The jig's black nickel extra wide gap hook also helped Remitz land his fish throughout the tournament. “That angle hook on the jig keeps the fish penned up pretty well,” he says.

Stroking an Omega Football Jig is another way Remitz uses the lure for fishing deep. “A lot of times I like that 3/4-ounce model and even a 1-ounce to get a faster reaction bite in the summertime,” says Remitz. He depends on a 1/2-ounce model when he wants to work the lure slowly on the bottom in the 5- to 15-foot depth range. The 3/4-ounce model works best for Remitz when he's keying on fish deeper than 10 feet.

Omega Football Jigs are available in three sizes (1/2, 3/4 and 1 ounce) and 14 colors. The jig's skirt is also equipped with a rattle collar capable of holding two Omega Rattles.

For more information on the Omega Football Jig and other Omega Custom Tackle products, visit www.omegacustomtackle.com or call 636-368-2405.