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  Fishin' With Capt. Gus - Jigging Spoons
August 27, 2006
The yo-yo action of a spoon 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 can be enticed by this technique. A little known fact is how effective jigging spoons are when fishing for catfish. Some are caught incidentally while fishing for other species, but many are caught by anglers who purposely use them for catfish. It goes without saying that some of the biggest blues and flatheads have been caught while jigging.
Jigging spoons are an excellent choice if you do not wish to use live bait. Many of the lake's best fishermen use jigging spoons and other bouncing baits year round. Deep jigging is easy and can be accomplished with either spinning or bait casting tackle. Start by attaching a half ounce spoon to the line. Position it at the desired depth below the boat. Lift the rod tip and then lower it toward the water. This will cause the bait to fall back to its original depth. As the jig falls, it will flutter and sway in much the same way that a dying shad minnow sinks to the bottom. This dancing and darting action makes the jig so lifelike that it will out fish live shad and herring on certain days.
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 there was 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 jigging spoons between 3/8 ounce and a full one ounce. When fish play hard to get, fish slow and down size.
Jigging spoons and fish finder go hand in hand. Hardcore deep jiggers put baits in the water only when they see fish on the sonar screen and they are very precise in positioning the lure. The jig is generally suspended a few feet above the lateral position of the fish. Jigging lures come in a variety of colors. Popular colors are silver, white and chartreuse. Some jigs include built in rattles. More fish can be collected and 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 thrown 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 putting a shad minnow or piece of cut bait on one of the treble hooks.
The Hot Spot of the week is the deep water in front of Governor's Island. Nice catches of stripers are being reported by anglers trolling deep diving lures in the river channel between markers 3 and 6. Catfish are taking suspended cut baits and jigs near the dam. Most mornings, schooling bass are hitting small lures in the lower hot hole. The lake level is 2.8' from full pond and rising, while the water surface temperature is in the mid to high eighties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. 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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