So it was only a few weeks back that I excitedly posted about catching my first ever jig fish, learning to catch fish in deep water, and catching in bright sunshine.  Well, a lot of water has passed under the boat since then, and I've caught a LOT of fish.  Between my local pond (Lake Huntsman, VA) and a more distant reservoir (Beaverdam Res., VA), I have routinely caught lots more bass than I used to, and with a much larger average size.  I'd say about 70% of these have been on a jig (3/8 - 3/4oz football head with a chunk trailer). 

Today was the perfect example out on the reservoir:  half a dozen bass (5 on jig, 1 on topwater) mostly from offshore structure, with two over 3lb and one over 4lb. 

The key for me -- and aside from sharing my happiness, this is the point of this post -- has been confidence and following advice I've read on here.  Now when I throw the jig, I'm expecting to catch rather than using it as a last resort.  Now I feel like I'm in a whole new world with bass fishing -- it's awesome! 

So here's today's best three (3lbs 1oz, 3lbs 3oz, 4lbs 3oz)...

Good job!  I have made myself use the jig this summer also.  I don't quite have the confidence in it that you do yet.  I have had some days of great success, others not so great.  I think that is just part of it though, there are days when something else will work better.  So I guess that is why we should learn to use a variety of lures.

If you've got the patience to stay with the jig it WILL pay off at some point during the day. Good fish man!

I love a good jig bite.  The thing that helped me out the most was to dumb it completely down.  I stopped looking at a jig like it was this confusing lure to use, then I started to catch fish.  Nice catches right there.  Way to go.

Nice photo's and WTG...

Big O

www.ragetail.com

That's a winning combo their. Your larger fish is proof that you have found the deeper bite,but like everyone else, it takes discipline to stay away from the shoreline.

Great Job!

Great job man! Keep up the good work.

That's awesome. It's great to know that you stuck with it and now the work you put into it is really paying off for you.

NICE FISH!

Thanks guys!

Your larger fish is proof that you have found the deeper bite,but like everyone else, it takes discipline to stay away from the shoreline.

Absolutely. That reservoir is lined with weeds and there are a bunch of shallow bays. I used to fish them relentlessly and usually end up with maybe one or two fish, nothing big. It put me off fishing there for a long time.  But now I look at it completely differently.  There is one particular bit of shore that has a sharp drop-off that I'll fish until about 8am and get some reasonable fish. But after that I'm not getting within 50ft of the shore -- often a lot more than that -- and I am catching so many more fish.

Problem is, it seems that if you're 15ft away from the structure in this place, you get nothing. So I find it a bit of a challenge to keep along the productive areas when right out in the middle. Very rewarding when it works though.

This is only my 2nd or 3rd year of serious bass fishing so I've got a lot to learn...

I have zippy confidence in deeper water, but the jig has helped a lot this summer. That last fish has got a huge head on it! Was that BDR or Hunstman?

That last fish has got a huge head on it! Was that BDR or Hunstman?

BDR