Arizona Lake Fishing

After a long summer and hundreds of anglers throwing in spinners, the bass get wise and a jig could be just enough to land that big one. Swimming a jig takes a little fineness and technique to get the presentation just right for a strike but after reading this post you’ll be casting it in like a pro.

The key to swimming a jig for a big bite is all about presentation and how to attract a bite. You want to pay attention to color, the bite (if you’re getting any), your retrieval speed and most importantly setting the hook.

Jig Swimming Tips: Pay attention to the bite.

1. If the bass is inhaling the jig, make no adjustments and keep hauling them in.
2. If they seem to be just nipping at the end of the jig, make a change with your trailer. It’s possible you could be getting the wrong action from your jig.
3. If they are following your jig but not striking, make a complete change in color. If you’re using a dark jig, switch to a bright color with a flash.

Jig Swimming Tips: Pay attention to presentation.

1. Hold your rod tip at about 10 o’clock.
2. Vary your speeds by dropping and ripping through cover.
3. Be sure to set the hook properly. Once you feel that bass on your line give it a good rip back and set the hook before he even knows what hit him. Make it one smooth motion.

Spinners can be used to catch bass in just about any weather or water temp or time of year. Tournaments can be won fishing a spinner. They’re a great lure for spring and fall when the bass are feeding heavily as well as in winter when the water is cold. You can also fish them in the warmer waters of summer and just buzz them by the fish to entice them to bite.

It’s a good idea to keep several spinners in your box and keep spare blades and skirts on hand so you can test the waters and see what’s biting. But the go-to spinner in my box is always a 3/8th ounce spinnerbait with a #5 willowleaf and #3 Colorado blade. Have one of each in gold and silver. A chartreuse and white skirt and a 3″ white curly tail trailer.

Spinners in Warm Water

Warm water, at and above 60 degrees, means fast retrievals. When the water is warm, run the bait just under the surface fairly quickly until the blade just brakes the water. Then slow down and let the skirt flare.

When the water is warmer, and the feeding is slower, speed up your retrieval and try for reaction strikes by buzzing it right by the bass and letting it brake the water’s surface.

Spinners in Cool Waters

Cool waters, bellow 60 degrees, you want to slow it down. Use a heavier spinner, around 1/2 once. Get heavier and slower as the water gets colder. The added weight will allow you to fish deeper and slower.

Tips for Using Spinners

1. The clearness of the water will tell how quickly to run your lure. In clearer waters you can run it fairly fast but slow it down in murky waters.
2. Try bigger blades. Up to a #7 blade has caught fish and was a popular method a few years ago and still catches fish.
3. Try different colors of skirts and trailers if the fish aren’t biting.
4. Attach the lure with a clip and swivel to allow for quick and easy changing.

Spinners are one of my favorite lures. They are easy to use, easy to fish and you almost never lose a fish on one. The big hook seems to keep them on the hook effectively.

Time to Assess Your Tackle Box

It’s that time of year again. Time to go through all you tackle, chuck the bad and keep the good. You just can’t head out to the water and not know what you have and what you are going to use.

One thing to keep in mind is that as the pre-spawn grows closer there are some baits that offer advantages over the others. For example, crank baits. Fall fishing with cranks are far different from pre-spawn fishing with crank baits in the spring. In the fall, the crank is used to match the size of the baitfish, but in pre-spawn the size makes no difference.

It’s All About the Action

During the pre-spawn, all you need to focus on is the action. Flat-sided crank baits are the masters of action at short distances and are ideal for the pre-spawn season. With a flat-sided crank, you get immediate movement upon entering the waster which is needed during the spring spawn.

Advantages of Flat-Sided Crank Baits

• immediate action to catch the fish
• More movement over other baits especially round crank baits
• Allows more precision and accuracy with your cast
• Less likely to be effected by the current

It’s a good idea to always tie on a split ring, swivel or clip in front of your lure. This will help improve the action of the lure and lessen the time it takes to change out lures. It also works best for any lure that needs to move at the end of your line such as crank baits, spinner baits and top waters.

If you’re like me, I’m sure you’re wondering which one is better for certain situations. I’ve had experiences where I almost lost a catch or a lure because the clip came open. But we continue to use that clip or split ring because we like the convenience of the quick switch of the lure that a clip or split ring allows.

Which one is best for what?

Use Swivels:

• On flukes or other soft jerk baits
• On rigs like the Carolina rig
• Use on a light line – 10 pounds or less
• Do not use on baits. Try a loop knot instead

Use Snaps:

• On a light line – 10 pounds or less – with crankbaits
• On spoons with a light line
• When you need more movement
• When you need to change out lures fast
• Use on baits

Use a Split Ring:

• On all topwater plugs
• On all crankbaits
• On all spoons
• Use on baits

Whatever your choice, use a method that works for you and that won’t lose a fish! Also keep a little bag of each in your tackle box just in case you need them.

Z-ray – A brand name of heavy spoon typically used in trout fishing.

weedless – A description of a lure designed to be fished in heavy cover with a minimum amount of snagging. Various strategies are often employed to make a lure weedless.

topwater – The technique of using topwater lures for catching fish, especially bass at the water’s surface. Topwater lures are floating hard baits or plugs that create some degree of surface disturbance during the retrieve, typically mimicking struggling or wounded baitfish on the surface.

tight-action plug – A lure with short, rapid side-to-side movement. Typically used when fish are more active in spring, summer and fall.

tail-spinners – Compact, lead-bodied lures with one or two spinner blades attached to the tail and a treble hook suspended from the body.

swimming lures – Sinking-type artificial baits designed to resemble a swimming baitfish. Such plus vibrate or wobble during retrieve and some have built-in rattles. Also called lipless crankbaits.