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.

Fishing Roosevelt Lake is a little slow this time of year. Mostly due to the fresh water flows from Tonto Creek and the Salt River but all this fresh water will pay in dividends this spring.

The Crappie Bite is OK

The crappie have moved into the main body of the lake but can easily be tracked down. The schools will look like upside down triangles on your graphs.

You can also find crappie hanging out under brush and fallen trees. They love wood.

zooplankton – Animals (mostly microscopic) that drift freely in the water column.

year class – Fish of a given species that were all spawned in the same year or at the same time.

Westy Worm – A brand name of plastic worm with a leadhead that has two exposed hooks already rigged.

weed line – Abrupt edge of an aquatic weed-bed caused by a change in depth, bottom type, or other factor.

flat – In fishing, a shallow section of water where game fish feed or spawn.

fishery – A term used for a lake, river or stream where people can catch fish, or even a particular kind of fish, such as a bass or trout fishery.

electro-fishing, electro-fish, electro-shocking – A term used to describe using electrical current to temporarily stun fish, typically during fish surveys.

edge – The borders created by a change in the structure or vegetation in a lake. Examples are edges of tree lines, weed lines, and the edges of a drop-off.