Yesterday, after fishing for pike for 4 hours with no luck, (probably due to the fact that I was limited it a relatively small portion of open water on a frozen lake) I started to head home. I should mention that on the way there I saw people in bass boats even though there was still ice on the water in some spots... Lucky b******s..... Well on the way back, there were two men fishing from a little cement platform from the same lake that the boats were in. One was relatively old, and the other young. The young guy knew what he was doing... St. croix rods and reels that looked much more expensive than mine... Well, he was throwing jigs. I had been doing the same the other day trying to catch some largemouth with no avail, however in the 15 minutes we chatted he landed 3 nice fish, and the other guy landed a  really nice fish. Probably 4-5 punds or so. I asked the guy throwing jigs if he was dragging it or hopping it. He replied with a lip full of dip and a Maine accent, "Im draggin'  it a poppin' it" He was using a black and blue jig with a dark blue trailer. I was using brown with a brown and green paca trailer. I was not using a very large jig. More of a finesse type of jig. My question for all of you experienced elite bassmaster pros is this.... WHAT IS THE BEST PRESENTATION, AND THE BEST COLORS FOR WATER THAT IS LITERALLY LESS THAN 40 DEGREES? It is freaking cold here in Maine despite the fact that it's almost April. 

 

One other question is how the hell do I tell if a fish has taken my bait or spit it out. I can tell the difference between rocks and logs and such, however I cant for life of tell when it takes it. I am not very experienced with jigs but have seen firsthand what they can do. I was using a 6-6 Cabelas IM7 and a daiwa viento. The problem I believe is the line that I am using. I was using 20 lb Suffix Mono. Should I be using braid, flouro, or other line? 

Thanks guys!!!

First change the line to 10 to 14 lb, no reason for 20 lb line in water with little to no cover.

If the bass are hitting the jig on the retrieve, even a very slow retrieve, mean the jig is on the bottom. The heavier jig allows you to make longer casts. Go to the top of this page and read jig fishing questions.

When I first started to bass fish it was from shore about 60 years ago. My first lure was a Haiwiian Wiggler #3, a weedless lead spoon with a hula skirt that

could cast a long distance and learned to bass fish with. My 2nd lure was a black hair jig called a Doll Fly, round head jig about 3/8 oz, no weed gaurd or trailer.

I can still remember clearly fishing off a long point and hitting rocks every few feet and thought I was lucky not to hang it up. Went back a few hours later and tried the point again, this time there wasn't any rocks, no matter where I casted!

Rocks don't move, so those must have been strikes....lesson learned.

No rod ever made has better feel then your finger tips, run the line under your thumb and over your index finger to feel the slightest changes in line tension that often indicate a bass striking your jig. If you feel 2 bumps; the 1st is the bass biting, the 2nd is the bass spitting it out, swings are free, so swing early, not late.

Learn to watch your line, especially where it enters the water, that is the best strike indicator, if the line jumps slightly you jig moved and jigs can't swim on there own and bass don't have hands.

Tom

I am not one of those elite professionals that you speak of, but here goes.  WRB gave you some good information in his post.  As for why they were catching bass and you weren't there could be a few reasons. 

 

1. You stated that you were "doing the same the other day" so you were fishing for bass on a different day.  Maybe they weren't biting jigs on the day you were fishing.  Sometimes a slight warming trend can cause bass to bite in Winter.  For example, if you fished on the first or second day of the warming trend and they were fishing on the third that can sometimes make a big difference in the bite.
2. Maybe they were fishing a location used by the bass and you weren't.  Locating where the bass are is the most important thing one can learn.
3. Maybe their presentation was triggering the bass to bite and your presentation wasn't.  It could have been a difference in the way they were working their jigs, a difference in the movement of their jig trailers, or both. 
4. Another point on presentation is color.  Was the water clear, murky, stained, etc?  In muddy water a dark colored jig is generally considered to be easier for the fish to see than a natural colored jig like the one you used. 
5. Maybe you aren't feeling the fish, as you indicate in your last paragraph.