Patience is not a cliche when it comes to winter jig fish. Taking it slow and following the right winter jigging techniques can produce your biggest fish of the year. Photo Jeff Little
By Jeff Little
Everyone loves a powerful, rip the rod out of your hands, smashing jig hit. Keep your line taut, focus on the presentation and you usually have no problem feeling the bite. As the water temperature drops south of 40 degrees, however, those bone jarring hits seem to disappear.
Instead, the line just goes mushy, or if you’re lucky the line moves to the side, letting you know it’s time to bury the hook. Honestly, most anglers never feel the hit, and assume after a fishless trip that the bass just don’t bite in cold water. The winter jig bite is the most challenging to tap into, but those who have the right gear and frame of mind can pull it off and even catch their biggest bass of the year. Here’s how:
