jignjake

Lews Laser MG reel is only $80 and twice as nice as your Abu Garcia Black Max. I've owned mine for over 3 years and it's a workhorse of a reel. I have used it for all kinds of techniques before I bought 3 more Lews baitcasters. Also for $100 the Lews Speed Spool will be the closest thing to the BB1 your buddy was using while still being in your price range.

I was in your same boat about 3 years ago, always heard about jigs and BIG bass biting them. A couple absolute MUSTS for fishing a jig. * A fast baitcasting reel, when fishing a jig the bite usually occurs on the fall so you will need to be able to pick up line in a hurry AND picking up line is must when setting the hook through the brush gaurd. * A stout rod at least 6'8", preferably a 7'2" Heavy action. Again, The ability to swing and pick up alot of line is KEY to hookin up with a jig. Also the Heavy action is necessary to set the hook through the brush gaurd. * Braided line when you can get away with it. Only if the water you are fishing is CRYSTAL clear I would use braid solely for its' sensitivity, nothing compares to the feel you get with braid. * As far as the bait itself, different head styles are very important if you don't wanna spend your day snagged in logs, brush or rocks. Pitching/ Flipping jig styles are best for all around cover but especially for logs and brush. Football Jig styles are superb at not getting nestled between rocks and boulders Swim jigs/ Punch jigs are better for grass and weeds. Milfoil, cabbage etc. * Trailers are determined by what you are trying to imitate, unless you are using a swim jig or "swimming" your other style jigs you should be imitating crawfish. Swim jigs you will want to use swimbaits or paddle style trailers. * Colors for me are based on the water clarity and bottom color. Crawfish naturally blend into their environment as their camouflage is their main defense against predators. So generally natural colors, maybe some highlight colors to catch the fishes attention. Darker for muddier water, lighter and more subtle for clearer water. Don't underestimate a fishes eyesight, get to your body of water and tie on your jig, drop it in the water where you can see it against the bottom, you want it to be the same hue as the bottom generally. * First off you must get good at subtle and near silent entries into th ewater with your jig, plenty of great videos on youtube showing flipping and pitchin techniques. I fish out of a kayak 90% of the time and therefore cant flip or pitch, I have found a good roll cast with your wrist can work almost as well. Fishing Technique for me is based on contact with the cover and bottom. I want to feel what kind of cover I am fishing, dragging, hopping and popping the jig off or over anything it comes in contact with is KEY! Crawfish DO swim but most of the time they are getting around by crawling and climbing over stuff. It will take practice discerning between the log you just pulled your jig into and the classic "knock" of a bass biting your jig. Again this is why braided line is soooo nice to help you feel the difference. When in doubt SWING BATTER BATTER! Hooksets are free my friend. * As with all techniques practice makes, not perfect, but CONFIDENCE! Once you get the "feel" down for this bait it will be hard to put down because of its ability to pick apart high percentage areas for bass. Check out Dirty Jigs, GREAT colors, hooks and head styles to choose from.

Well like I said mine has been a very durable reel for 3+ years, but there is a lews speed spool lfs for around $100 that I also own, it is a solid alum frame.

For that price range you will not find a better reel than a Lews Laser MG Speed Spool, tremendous quality, performance and durability. I've owned mine for 3 years and it has been a workhorse for me. I think they are going for around $80.

Best Lipless crank for me is probably Strike King Red Eye Shad, the fall on these baits is ridiculous, they stay upright and shudder slowly while sinking. The fall is sometimes the key to getting bites on lipless cranks. BUT, I do love the Rat-L-Traps, their "super natural" line of colors are amazing, check out some of the sunfish style patterns they have. Sunrise perch and fathead minnow are winners.

thanks for the tips guys. Tight lines!

Alright guys, I wanna hear from some Hoosier bass fisherman here. I have a friend who happens to live near an old flooded gravel pit with some super clean clear water. Limited shallow cover, lots of deep water with weeds and rocks. I have caught several largemouth from here that have been up to 5 pounds. In the past I have had limited success and never really been able to figure it out and catch bass consistently. Typically my confidence baits are jigs, squarebills and texas rigged soft plastic creature baits. All of these have caught "some" fish here but I would love some tips for very clear water. What do you guys have success with on clear, deep bodies of water?

thanks guys, I got some research to do.

Hey guys, looking at getting some new rods for bass fishing, specifically casting rods and am ready to buy some quality stuff that is durable and technique specific for under $200. Any pointers?

As with anything you can buy there are endless levels of cost versus quality, proven name brands versus new companies to an old game. Me personally? I am a big believer in CONFIDENCE! Nothing is more importanrt in fishing, especially tournament fishing you are talking about. Get quality gear you can rely on and have confidence in, period. Another thing people get twisted is the use of high end equipment in the wrong application. Example, someone will go out and buy a very high end flippin stick and tie on a spinnerbait and complain about the rod. Be sure that if you DO spend serious money on rods and reels that they are being used for what they were designed to do and you shouldn't be dissapointed. Side note but in my experience I haven't found a better reel for the money than Lews. WOW, durable, smooth and powerful. And they make some sweet spinning reels that cast further than anything I've ever owned. Tight Lines!

Well I got out for about 4 hours on jackson lake, fished from 1-5, didn't catch anything. Lol These Georgia bass must not like hoosiers. Great looking lake, lots of creek cut backs and great cover with lots of wood and rocks scattered throughout. Tried working pre-spawn staging areas like points and deep mouths to coves and creek channels. Threw a Rat-L-Trap and a football jig for a bit then switched out the Rat-L-Trap for 3/8 sexy shad color war eagle spinnerbait, slow rolling it deep. Regardless it was a calm 65 degree day in the kayak, not even mad. Better luck to you local fellas, if I get the chance to come back down to Georgia again and fish I'll hit you all up again, until then I'll catch ya round the website.

I'm thinking I'll be able to get out tommorrow afternoon for a bit, anywhere close to locust grove or mcdonough area?

Ok fellas, got to lake varner around 8am, cold and CROWDED! Holy crap, not a parking spot to be had. Got on the water and worked a good portion of the first half of the lakeshore before the bridge. Shoulder to shoulder fishing, just a line of boats shuffling down the shoreline in the same direction. Not my style but a gorgeous lake, lots of rock and clay shore, some wood mixed in. Needless to say....................... not even a bite after 4 hours of fishing hard, I will say I didnt see anyone else catch anything, and there were at least 5 boats within eyesight at all times. I threw a jekbait for a while, shaky head finesse worm, slow rolled a swim jig with minnow trailer and also tried a green jig n trailer. Cold water, TONS of pressure and clear water made for a rough day. Still beats a bad day at work gents. I'm lookin at trying lanier or juliette this coming saturday in the afternoon. Gonna let that water warm up first.

nvm found the launch on google maps

varner looks like a great lil lake, would anyone know what road he launch is on? or the address of it?

Thanks alot for all the water to explore but I cant find lake varner, what town is it near?

Just read you are 6'2" 235......... weird because I'm exactly that same height and weight. Guys our size especially need to be very sure to find a kayak that can handle about 300 lbs for gear and other stuff.

Ok, so I was brand new to kayak fishing only about 3 years ago. Like you I loved fishing but was stuck fishing from banks of ponds, lakes, rivers etc. THE most important thing in buying a kayak for fishing is the sit-in or sit-on top style. I have an Old Town DLX Angler 10 ft. fishing kayak. Google it for reference. It is a hybrid between the prior mentioned styles. If I had a time machine and could do it all over again I would probably get a sit-on top style strictly for ease of getting in and out of the boat, comfort and accessible storage, specifically tackle box, pliers etc. Make sure to check to buy a QUALITY kayak with plenty of weight capacity also. You want to be sure the kayak can handle your weight plus all your gear and then some. Kayaks these days are so sturdy and reliable, some people are worried they might fall out or roll one. I was one of these people and now I know from experience that they are very difficult to roll. Do your homework by going into dealers and asking lots of questions about tracking and stability. Pick one you feel confident about and have a blast dude! They are a fantastic way to get after bass on the cheap. If money is no big issue GET A HOBIE FISHING KAYAK! Absolutely the best money can buy. Good luck on the kayak and tight lines!

thanks for the tips Acwood04. Ok fellas turns out I will be in McDonough Georgia from January 26th to February 6th. I'm down there for training for a new career and will be busy mondays through fridays but will have weekends free. I google mapped McDonough and it's southeast of Atlanta. With this info can anybody point me towards nice bass fishing waters that are public? Lakes, Reservoirs or Rivers as long as the current isn't too fast. Also can anyone tell me what to expect as far as weather and maybe water temperatures lately?

Ok that sounds exactly like kayak water. Thanks alot man, I'll definitely get back on here friday night or saturday and give you a more detailed locale.

buzzed bait AllI know right now is that its outside of Atlanta, I wanna say southwest of ATL? I will have more details in a week.I have weekends free but wouldnt wanna drive more than an hour or so. Also would wanna try and avoid too big of water being in my lil kayak. Lakes are fine,Rivers are fine as long as the current isn't too swift.

Thanks FloridaFishinFool, what a relief to know there shouldn't be many if any gators on my trip. You think Atlantas' cold? LOL It's 19 degrees outside right now. Very much looking forward to getting some fishing in which normally is impossible at this time of the year in Indiana. Thanks and send some sunshine this way!

Hello all, I'm a new member to the site. I will be near Atlanta, Georgia for 3 weeks starting January 26th and I'm an avid bass fisherman from Indiana wanting to take advantage of the warmer temperatures down in Georgia while I'm visiting. I generally fish from my 10ft. fishing kayak and I plan on bringing it down with me to explore the great bass fishing opportunities of Georgia. Any tips as far as public waters, tackle tips, presentations or just general conversation about bass fishing is much appreciated. And also I'm a little concerned about alligators while fishing from my kayak. Wedon't have those critters up in Indiana. LOL