Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Wednesday, 19 April 2023 08:58

Bladed jigs around grass
Over the many years of lure development, no lure has been as effective around grass as the bladed jig. Now, it has been named many things: chatter baits, vibrating jigs and more. The bottom line is, they have taken over where the rattle bait left off with a natural shad look that moves, vibrates and attracts bites with great results. The thing is, not all bladed jigs are the same, and picking one style that suits your fishing zen can make you a better fisherman. I have found that the look of the bladed jig and results can be extremely different, dependent on the lake, your fishing and the depth and structure of your targeting.

Many times, the head shape and size has a lot to do with how that particular jig works, especially around grass. As an example, take the different head designs. Some work well through the grass, others get caught up, some drop naturally, others are bulky and don’t look natural. Blades are all over the place as they are all made differently, giving them different action around cover. I have fished some that seem to always be hanging up in the grass while others move naturally. Many of the blades are different styles, creating a juggernaut of different movements; some work well and attract bites, others not so much. The key is what fits your fishing style, and the type of cover you fish most of the time as deeper lakes are very different than shallow grassy lakes, and different looks give different results.

Around grassy lakes like Guntersville, you’re doing a lot of stopping and dropping and fast and slow movement, forcing you to have to work around the grass and catch fish with different presentations. Finding the bladed jig that works best in this structure can be different than other lakes or types of structures like rocky bottoms or lots of standing timber. All you can do is sort it out over time as your work on different styles of bladed jigs. You will be successful as this bait is a natural fish catcher, and once you pick a style that fits you, success will come, and it will become one of your favorite baits.

-Captain Mike Gerry