(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.)
Multiple-time tour level champion Bryan Schmitt still remembers the time he first learned the power of the vibrating jig. He was practicing and hitting all of his usual early spring Potomac River spots with a trusty lipless crank and continually rolling snake eyes. Eventually he got to some nascent grass in an area the tide had blown out, a place he couldn’t reel his “trap,” so he pulled out a ChatterBait.
“I proceeded to catch some of the biggest fish I’ve ever seen on the Potomac,” he recalled. “Once I experienced that, I fell in love with it.” He and his partner crushed the fish in the tournament, and managed to keep the technique a secret for a few more weeks, but like everything in fishing eventually the secret got out. Still, he relies heavily on these lures throughout the year and all over the country, especially when there’s grass. That’s because unlike frogging and some other techniques, it doesn’t require a perfect storm to allow it to work.
“This is a tool that produces in multiple scenarios,” he said. “I got tired of getting burnt by conditions.”
No matter where he’s using it, he keeps his tackle simple. That starts with a Fitzgerald Rod designed by Bryan Thrift. Whether he’s throwing a 1/4-ounce model or a 3/4, this 6’9” medium-heavy stick gets the call. Why not something longer? Because he fishes it with the tip down, and doesn’t want it slapping the water. Still, the rod is sensitive enough that he can tell when there’s a little piece of grass on the bait or even a bass following the lure. He pairs it with a long-casting Fitzgerald reel, and always uses the same line. “I don’t care where I’m at,” he proclaimed, noting that P-Line 15-pound fluorocarbon is strong enough to handle the biggest fish, yet has the small diameter to let the lure do its thing and attain max depth.
While his favorite vibrating jig is the Z-Man Jack Hammer, he gets them painted in custom colors to make sure he matches the hatch and has something different than everyone else. “I’m weird about stuff like that,” he explained. He likes a 3/8-ounce version in 1-4 feet of water; 1/2-ounce in 4-6 feet and 3/4-ounce from 6 to 10 feet. Nevertheless, he has multiple sizes and colors on the deck at all times. Sometimes a simple change helps him overcome fishing pressure or dial in what the bass are feeding on.
His favorite trailer when he wants a compact presentation is the Missile Baits Craw Father. When he believes bass are feeding on shad, or he wants his lure to create a heavier vibration, he’ll switch to a Missile Shockwave. When trying to keep the lure above thick grass, he’ll take the two pincers off of a Missile D-Bomb and thread it on for the added bulk.
There are other tricks, too. For example, while he uses a standard Palomar knot, he wants the tag end above the main line, a configuration that he believes adds weedlessness and grants him more casts in the course of a day.
If you want to learn some of the multiple-time Elite Series champion’s other vibrating jig secrets, including his favorite retrieves and why he almost always lets it fall to the bottom on the cast, check out his full on-the-water video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
