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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Jigging Spoons
April 26, 2009
The yo-yo action of a spoon, when fished vertically below the boat, has tempted saltwater striped bass for decades. “Deep jigging” has proven to be equally effective in freshwater lakes. Stripers, bass, white perch and catfish are all enticed by this technique. A little known fact, however, is how effective jigging spoons are for catching catfish. Some cats are caught incidentally while fishing for other species, but many large blues and flatheads are caught by anglers who purposely jig for them.
Jigging spoons are an excellent choice if you choose not to use live bait. Many of the lake’s best fishermen use jigs or other bouncing baits year round. Deep jigging is easy and possible to do with either spinning or bait casting tackle.
Begin by attaching a half ounce spoon to the line. Lower it to the desired depth below the boat. Lift the rod tip, and then lower it toward the water. This causes the bait to fall back to its original depth. As the jig falls, it flutters and sways in much the same way that a dying shad minnow sinks to the bottom. The dancing and darting action makes the jig appear so lifelike, that sometimes, it will, if fact, out fish live shad and herring.
A key to success with deep jigging is to maintain the feel of the lure as it falls through the water column. If you can't feel the lure dropping, you won't feel the bite. Often the bite is so slight that if the line isn't taut, the fish will spit the lure without the angler ever knowing he had a strike. If allowed to free fall, the jig will sink faster than most fish are willing to chase. Use the rod tip to control the descent and the bait will stay in the strike zone long enough for the fish to see it. As a rule, the deeper the water, the larger the jigging spoon. Most anglers use spoons from 3/8 to one ounce. When fish play hard to get, downsize and slow the bait.
Jigging spoons and fish finder go hand-in-hand. Hardcore deep jiggers are very precise in positioning baits in the water, and only when they see fish on the sonar screen. The jig is generally suspended a few feet above the lateral position of the fish.
Jigging lures come in a variety of colors. Silver, white and chartreuse are popular. Some jigs include built-in rattles. More fish congregate and are caught in a shorter period of time with the combination of sight and sound in one lure.
Jigging spoons are compact and versatile. They can be cast long distances and retrieved at various depths and speeds. They can be skipped across the surface when stripers are chasing bait on top, or can be pulled slowly across the bottom like a soft plastic lizard. No matter how you use it, a jigging spoon is an inexpensive lure that everyone should have for fresh or saltwater fishing.
Tips from Capt. Gus!
The sense of smell can be added to a jigging spoon by adding a shad minnow or a piece of cut bait to one of the treble hooks.
Upcoming Events:
Saturday May 2, 2009, Light House Marine Services will offer a Boater Safety and PWC Class. Registration fee is $49.00 for the eight-hour session beginning at 9:00 a.m. The class will be at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, in Mooresville, NC. To register, or for more information, call Capt. Scott Spivey – 704 587 0325 or visit www.lmservice.org.
The Hot Spots of the week are the backs of coves where bass, perch and stripers are feeding on bait fish. At times, fish are surface feeding, but most of the activity is below the surface. Spoons, spinner baits, and live baits have all been quite effective. Warming water temperatures have blues and flathead catfish hitting prepared and fresh cut baits.
The lake level is 1.5’ from full pond and the water surface temperature is in the sixties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704.617.6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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