(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Whether fishing in the late winter or the still-chilly early prespawn, North Carolina pro Shane LeHew is likely to have a selection of jigs in his boat. But no matter which one he’s using, the basic advice is the same: “The biggest thing for me in the winter when throwing a jig is presentation,” he said. “Typically for me, the slower the presentation in the winter is going to get you more bites. You almost have to work that bait painfully slow.”
While the speed may be similar, he relies on several different jigs to get the job done.
His all-around choice, particularly in clear water, is the new 3/8-ounce Berkley Powerbait Finesse Jig. It comes in a heavier 1/2-ounce size, too, but he wants that slow fall, as fish often hit the lure as it descends. He cuts the skirt down flush with the end of the hook not only for a smaller profile, but also so it does not interfere with the trailer, usually a Berkley Boss Grub in a matching color. While his advice is to fish slowly, he nevertheless uses a speedy reel, an Abu-Garcia Revo AL-F with an 8:1 gear ratio. That allows him to pick up line quickly out of deep brush or rocks, or to catch up with a fish that’s swimming at him. His most frequently-used color is green pumpkin, often with a bit of blue or purple or orange mixed in.
When he’s fishing super-deep rock or brush, or long deep points, he’s more apt to rely on a 3/4-ounce Berkley Football Jig in the same colors, but there are some other differences when it comes to trailers. Instead of the grub he’s likely to employ a Berkley Chigger Craw. “I thread a bait on a football jig,” he said. “I don’t use really a chunk style.” Once again he uses 12- or 15-pound fluorocarbon to get the lure down quickly and maintain feel on the bottom, and he spools it on the same Revo AL-F, but he’ll usually go to a slightly longer rod (7’3”) because long casts are critical with this technique. That’s particularly true in clear water.
In slightly dirtier water, he likes a 1/2-ounce Berkley Skipping jig, again in those shades of green pumpkin because he’s often imitating bream as well as or in addition to crawdads. “That’s a great bait to get a big bite,” he explained. When he’s actually skipping it, he still doesn’t thread his trailer onto the hook shank, but in order to keep it from rolling over the point on the cast or the hookset, he’ll thread on a piece of Maxscent General ahead of time to keep the main trailer from sliding. That adds scent, too.
Finally, in super-stained or truly dirty water, especially around laydowns or grass, he employs a black and blue 1/2-ounce version of the same skipping jig. “That dark silhouette, for me, gets me more bites.” He throws it on a 7’6” heavy rod and 50-pound braid, but has no fear that the beefy 4/0 Fusion 19 hook will hold up to any abuse he and the bass can dish out.
If you want to learn some of the other secrets of how LeHew fishes a jig when the mercury drops, including how and why he chooses trailers based on rate of fall, action and the forage that’s present, check out his full on-the-water video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
