Reply With QuoteThank you for sharing this knowledge. Some, I knew, some I suspected, and some is good to try out.
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Originally Posted by crappiepappy
IMHO .... that would depend on "how" you were fishing. If you're trolling, you need extra weight only when you need to get the jig to stay down deeper than you can without it ... in relation to the speed in which you can effectively control your boat. If you're vertical jigging, boat movement causes a problem, so you may have to use a heavier jig.
I, for one, use most of the jigs or jigheads and "pretty colors" plastics that I have ... mostly when I'm casting. They're generally 1/32 & 1/16oz weedless jig heads/plastic bodies. If I'm trolling, it's generally a 1/16oz Roadrunner, Whirly Bee Pro, or a 1/16oz hair/feather jig (not weedless).
Like you, it never seems to be calm when I'm fishing ... and if it is, when or where I'm fishing, the wind seems to know that & comes and finds me
So, I do sometimes add a split shot sinker up the line above the jig (~12") ... but, only on the one rod/reel I have that has 10/2 PowerPro braid. On it, even light taps will transmit as pretty hard "thumps". When using the outfits with hi-vis mono, I don't try to "feel" the bite, but watch the line for any movement that I know I didn't cause. I cast the jig out, raise the rod tip up to about the 10 o:clock position, engage the reel & start my retrieve. I only reel fast enough to keep a slight bow in the line, and I watch the line for any slight jumps/jerks or a sudden slack in the line (when I know the jig couldn't possibly be on the bottom). Any of those "movements" in the line indicates a strike, and I set the hook immediately upon seeing them.
And ... if you like using minnows, or have more confidence in them :
Ain't no law says you can't put a minnow on your jig or jighead/plastic grub or a plain jighead ... & cast, troll, spider rig, vertical jig, deadstick it, or even fish it under a bobber !! You simply run the hook up from under the minnows mouth (in the V shaped section of its throat) and bring the hook out between the minnow's nostrils.
I'm not all that good at math, but I do know that any boat movement is going to produce a angle in your line ... even if you're using several ounces of weight. The prime factor in that scenario is that you understand that 10ft of line out is not putting the jig at a 10ft depth. You have to consider the distance between the rod tip & the surface of the water, when fishing straight down ... and you have to consider that the greater the angle of the line, the less depth your jig is running in. You compensate for those situations by letting out more line, equal to the distance needed to reach the depth you want your jig to be. That's where the "math" comes in... and, though I'm sure there's an equation that would quickly tell you the depth of your jig, in relation to the length of line out & the angle of that line ... I don't know what it is
But, then I'm not normally trolling or dragging my jigs or minnows around, so I don't fret over it all that much.
... cp
><}}}}*> (C.J.)
Crappie Wall Hanger
Great information!
Thank you for sharing this knowledge. Some, I knew, some I suspected, and some is good to try out.
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Crappie.com Legend
Slabmaster II
usually when it is windy the fish will move shallow. go with the flow. let your bait run higher in the water and see what happens. if you use lighter line it will help with small jig presentations. I like 4lb test most of the time unless im jigging real thick cover.
Crappie Wall Hanger II
How do you keep your minnows down? A minnow on a hook is lighter than a 1/32 jighead. If you're used to a straight line then you must be adding some weight there. Do the same thing with the jig and plastic. If you want to build some confidence with your plastics try adding some scent, like Pro Cure, it makes a difference, especially this time of year when a slow presentation is in order.
You just gonna sit there an argue, or fish?
~Claud Ledbetter~
Slabmaster II
for any lure to work you need to have confidence in what your using. you need to catch some fish to have confidence in a lure. this usually requires time and trial and error. never stop experimenting. that's what I like the most about fishing, the what, when, where, and how to catch them.
Crappie Wall Hanger
I like to experiment...
but I have a 15 yr old son that thinks banging the banks is the only way to catch fish. My wife and younger son don't mind me searching for bait and trying stuff out. All of this advise is great for me to file in the toolbox. When I was a kid and fishing from the bank, it seemed I could always catch em. Now I have all the gear and electronics and I have trouble catching the first fish!
love2fish LIKED above post
Slabmaster II
I don't know about you, but sometimes I find myself over thinking and relying to much on the gadgets to catch the fish I am after. all the gadgets are great but if you skip a step on the way they will not make you any more productive. a lot of times just relaxing and enjoying the day on the water can lead to better fishing. maybe that's why bank fishing was more productive. you didn't have to deal with what goes on at most boat ramps to start your day of fishing.
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