Tips when fishing
jigs to catch hybrid striped bass
Ask any
accomplished bass angler, and he’ll tell you that he uses jigs
year-round as a “go to” fishing lure when hybrid bass are biting. Going after bass means having a tackle box that includes
several bucktail jigs of varying sizes and colors.
During the
warm months, many anglers use a jig with a skirt (or trailer). This is
primarily to attract the attention of active stripers and hybrids that
have plentiful food supplies. Like all bass species, the hybrid can be
a finicky striker, so brazen presentations are often called for.
When it’s
colder, a good strategy when using a jig is to remove the trailer
entirely, or use a short, shiny spinner. Then, you must fish it
slowly! Cold water makes even hungry bass lethargic, and they simply
will not often hit a lure speeding by them too quickly.
Use a jig that mimics the bass’s prey
As with other
bass species, you’ll want to discover what kind and size of prey fish
the hybrids and stripers are eating at any given time of the year. The
real trick is to then apply that knowledge by fashioning a unique jig
that closely resembles their food, and presenting the lure at the
right depth and with the best action to spur the bass into striking.
One way to do
this is by varying the length of the skirt on your jig. If the bass
are feeding on shorter silver shad (Spring and early Summer in many
locations), add a 3-inch silvery trailer to a smaller jig head. When
the hybrids are hitting bigger prey, use a darker or brighter colored
6-inch skirt on a heavier jig.
Finally, keep
in mind that in many situations, bass will hit a jig on the fall. That
is, when your lure hits the water, if you allow it to sink in a bit
before beginning your retrieval, you’ll get some strikes very quickly.
Hybrids are famous for this pattern, so use a heavier jig when they
are schooling deeper, and a lighter jig when they’re nearer to the
surface.
Fishing Tackle |
Fishing Lures |
Fishing Rods |
Fishing Reels |
Fish Finders
