It wasn’t long ago that walleye fishing was the most likely place that you’d hear the term “jig and minnow.” It denoted a bucktail jig, though a bare jig head was sometimes substituted, with a lively minnow hooked once through its lips serving as a trailer. The combination is still popular with anglers chasing marble eyes. But today, you must ask the target species because bass anglers recently have begun applying the term to something different.
For this article's sake, jig and minnow is a soft-plastic jerkbait or swimbait threaded on a jig head. Easy to cast and quick to sink, it's an efficient means for catching suspended bass being watched by forward-facing sonar in real time. But that's just the beginning of its possibilities.
Even if November doesn’t feel like full-blown winter at your favorite fishing hole, bass are preparing for frigid conditions, which slow their cold-blooded metabolism. They begin to school, sometimes in groups with as few as a handful of individuals, and head toward wintering holes, where a lack of current, deeper water, and plentiful baitfish help ensure they make it to spring. These congregations are especially pronounced when smallmouth are involved. It’s a perfect scenario for a jig and minnow. Here’s why:
- Schooled up: Bass are ganged up on relatively small spots. This lure can be presented for an extended period in one location, whether you’re fishing it horizontally or vertically.
- Small baitfish: Bass feed on small baitfish in the fall. Hatched earlier in the year, most are less than 3 inches long, a perfect match for many soft-plastic swimbaits and jerkbaits. This lure can be adapted to hunting hawgs using a jig head with a bigger hook and a longer bait.
- Natural looks: Water, even in rivers, tends to run clear in fall because of a lack of rain, reducing runoff. That allows bass to hunt more with their eyes. A jig and minnow has a natural profile, pattern, and action, giving even the most wary bass the courage to bite.
But just because there is one best lure doesn’t mean there’s only one way to fish it. Jig and minnows come in various varieties and can be served to November bass several ways. Each brings something different to the table.
Build it
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The meat of a jig and minnow is a soft-plastic lure. Dipping and diving jerkbaits with forked tails and throbbing swimbaits with kicker tails both work. Photo by Pete M. Anderson Getting the most from a lure starts with assembling the appropriate pieces. It’s no different with a jig and minnow. The meat, so to speak, of this lure is the soft-plastic bait. While you could catch with a short straight-tail worm in some situations, you’ll want a better representation of a baitfish. The best measure between 2 and 4 inches long, and is usually thicker at the head than at the tail. That creates a natural profile. Its action depends on the style you choose. Here are two of the most popular:
- Soft jerkbaits: These include Zoom’s Fluke and its pint-sized cousin, Tiny Fluke. Most sport a forked tail, which helps it dip and dart erratically like a stunned baitfish.
- Swimbaits: These sport a boot-style tail that kicks vigorously when pulled forward or allowed to sink. Keitech’s Easy Shiner or Megabass’ Spark Shad are good choices.
Once you've selected your soft-plastic lure, you'll need to rig it on a jig head. Choose heads molded with light-wire hooks, size No. 1 to 2/0, matching it to the length of your soft-plastic lure. Here are four styles you should lean on most:
- Ball: Shaped precisely like its name, this is the best all-around choice. It fishes straight back to the boat, allowing for precise presentations. It’ll handle some current and plenty of depth.
- Darter: This cone-shaped head creates an unpredictable dipping and diving action. That mimics a wounded minnow and is appealing to bass herding baitfish schools. It’s best for swimming.
- Flat: Also called aspirin heads cut through current, reaching the bottom before being washed downstream. They're the best choice for river fishing.
- Bladed: These have a propeller behind the head or a blade below, such as Blakemore's Road Runner. The added action triggers strikes under low-light conditions and in murky water.
Weight is an important consideration when selecting a jig head. It assists with casting distance and determines the sink rate of your jig and minnow. While a wide variety is available, start by packing a few within each of these weight ranges:
- 1/16 to 1/8 ounce: The lightest you’ll most likely want, these are perfect for bass swimming in shallow water, where their slow sink rate is best utilized.
- 3/16 to 1/4ounce: Jig heads in these weights will be your workhorses. They cast well and sink relatively quickly, making them useful in a range of depths.
- 3/8 to 1/2 ounce: You’ll want these only when fishing extremely deep water or current. They are also used when bass are made numb by the conditions or fishing pressure, as they will only react to a fast-sinking lure.
While many times it comes down to personal confidence, there are some simple guidelines to help when choosing a color of jig head and soft-plastic lure. When the water is clear and sky bright, lean hard into natural baitfish colors, especially a clear or tinted soft plastic filled with flake. And when the sky is overcast or water-stained, choose a darker pattern. Green pumpkin or black are two of the best for those conditions.
Present It
Once you understand why a jig and minnow is perfect for November fishing, you’ll need to present it in a way that bass will bite it. Three presentations work best, and they range from straightforward to slightly nuanced.
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Select your style of soft-plastic lure and jig head’s weight and style based on current conditions. Jerkbaits, for example, work best on vertical presentations, while swimbaits are better suited for casting and midstrolling. Photo by Pete M. Anderson Dropping
Vertical is the simplest way to fish a jig and minnow. Drop it overboard, let it sink to the bottom or depth bass are suspending, and start imparting action by shaking or jigging your rod’s tip. Sometimes bass react best to longer drops, so don’t hesitate to lift your tip above your head before dropping it as your lure sinks. It’s most often deployed in rivers, where current pushes bass into predictable places. Smallmouth, for example, will hold at the down-current end of a shoal, darting into the current from the eddy to grab baitfish washing by. And it works in wintering holes, where bass school tightly together.
Both styles of soft-plastic lures work. The trick is maintaining a semi-tight line while your offering sinks. It’s a delicate balance between giving it enough slack to sink naturally but not so much that you won’t feel a strike.
Casting
Casting a jig and minnow takes slightly more finesse. Use this approach when searching for bass, especially when the water temperature hasn’t fallen enough for them to form big schools. Swimbaits are better suited for this presentation as they are more horizontal than vertical.
While hopping along the bottom is the most popular way to work your jig and minnow when casting, this lure can also be fished further up in the water column. Using a relatively quick succession of twitches and pauses while slowly reeling in slack line will cause it to swim erratically. It’s a good option for active bass, whether smallmouth on flats or largemouth in the back of creeks.
Midstrolling
The most recent technique that utilizes a jig and minnow, and the reason this lure has gained popularity with more bass anglers, midstrolling targets suspended bass being watched in real time on forward-facing sonar. Once a bass — or several — are pinpointed, cast your lure just past them, allowing it to sink to their depth before starting your retrieve.
While the technique ensures your lure is always around bass, success requires patience. There’s more screen watching than casting involved. It also requires practice — learning to accurately judge casting distance and the time it takes for your lure to sink to the proper depth. Using a light-weight lure, around 1/8 ounce, will help you keep your offering up in the water column.
Send it
Once you’ve assembled your jig and minnow and decided how to fish it, based on current conditions, it’s time to put it into action. And while most any medium or medium-light power rod — preferably spinning but baitcasting, too — will work, choosing the best setup will make presentations easier and trips more productive, both in terms of numbers and size of bass. Here’s what to use:
- Rod: It should measure at least 7 feet and have a fast action. Together they’ll create more casting distance, getting your lure further from the boat, where bass made spooky by clear water are willing to bite. A slightly shorter rod will help keep your bait within electronics' sight when fishing vertically.
- Reel: Focus on two features when choosing a spinning reel. A large diameter spool, such as a 3000 size, holds the line in larger coils, reducing tangles while casting. And it should have a front drag. Its large discs slip easily, ensuring that the surging bass remains hooked.
- Line: Fill your reel with braided line, anywhere from 5- to 10-pound test. Its ultrathin diameter contributes to casting distance and allows your lure to move naturally. If you feel it’s too visible in clear water, add several feet of fluorocarbon leader of a similar pound test.
