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July Article "Football Jig Basics" #10962407 07/07/15 11:27 PM
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AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide Offline OP
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In the heat of the summer here in east Texas, trophy bass can be hard to come by with any measure of consistency. However, one technique comes to mind that has produced numerous double-digit sized bass for us during the summer months, and that is the football jig. While other techniques might put more fish in the boat, its hard to beat a football jig for quality fish.

Football jigs are popular across the country. Most of the various brands of football jigs are designed for lakes with less cover and smaller fish than what were used to here in east Texas. Many come with a light weedguard and a light wire hook. While these characteristics are great for the hookup ratio in deeper water, theyre not ideal for the size fish and cover here. That is why I choose to fish football jigs made with our bodies of water in mind.

My favorite jig is the M-Pack Lures jig. M-Pack Lures offers a fantastic flipping jig, but their football jig is the one I use most this time of year. One of the most frustrating things about jig fishing is getting hung up. The M-Pack Lures football jig has the structure guard weedguard which is very convenient when fishing heavy cover because it doesnt hang up nearly as often as other jigs.

The first thing I look at when choosing a football jig is the hook. I like a big, sharp, beefy hook because were dealing with big fish here on Lake Fork. The last thing you want is to lose a giant bass because the gap wasnt big enough or the hook straightened out. The M-Pack Lures jig features a 5/0 Gamakatsu hook which is more than enough to handle the biggest fish our lakes have to offer.

Choosing the right equipment is very important as well. I use 20lb test fluorocarbon line and a long, heavy action rod. The fluorocarbon line is a bit more sensitive than monofilament line. Youll need all the added sensitivity you can get when you get a light bite in deep water. As for the rod, I prefer a long rod so I can quickly take up slack on the hookset. When fishing the bottom in 25-30′ of water, theres going to be a significant bow in the line. A longer rod will help make up for this. The rod Im using now is 79, and I feel like it is just right.

My color selection is pretty simple. I feel like many of us put too much emphasis on subtle color variations. During the summer, I like to stay with natural colors. Shades of green pumpkin, watermelon, and brown are great choices. M-Pack Lures offers a wide variety of great summertime colors. If I had to choose only one, it would probably be mean green.

I use two types of retrieves with a football jig. If the fish are on or near the bottom I simply drag the jig back slowly. I feel like the rocks and roots along the bottom impart plenty of action, so I rarely do much with my rod other than a slow, steady crawl. The other retrieve I use is a stroking retrieve. Stroking a jig is ideal when fish are suspended a few feet off the bottom, or when its necessary to trigger a reaction bite. When stroking a jig, I snap the rod upwards on semi-slack line. I repeat this all the way back to the boat. The structure guard on the M-Pack Lures jig comes in handy here because it allows you to fish the jig much more aggressively through cover without burying the hook in timber. Ill usually try both retrieves when fishing an area.

There are some days when you can load the boat with good numbers of quality fish on a football jig. However, to me its a tool for bigger fish. Theres always at least one rigged up on my deck during the summer months. Hopefully this will give you some ideas that will help you put a few more big bass in the boat this summer.

Moritz Chevrolet - 9101 Camp Bowie W Blvd, Fort Worth, TX - Monte Coon (817) 696-2003
Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10962643 07/08/15 01:42 AM
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Thanks for sharing Mr. Grills; another great article full of great fish tips.


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Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10962648 07/08/15 01:45 AM
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Great read!!

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10963044 07/08/15 11:30 AM
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Thanks for sharing.


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Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: Rudy Lackey] #10963050 07/08/15 11:39 AM
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Thanks, very informative.

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10963385 07/08/15 02:49 PM
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You have a PM

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10963428 07/08/15 03:08 PM
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I have been bass fishing since I was a kid. I am now 33 and I have still never caught a bass on a jig. My pb 8.04 came on a chatterbait on lake lewisville. I have some m pack jigs and I've thrown them into so nasty brush piles and they don't get hung up. What color and trailer combo do you like to use?
I've throw pb jelly and black blue with rage craw, paca chunk, hyper freak as a trailer and I've still never gotten a bite. I've throw a tx rig brush hog in similar areas and caught fish. I am guessing I am doing something wrong. Rather it's presentation or the jig/trailer color combo
Idk

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10964372 07/08/15 09:32 PM
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Good read. Thanks, Andrew! Reminds me of those pigs we caught a few weeks ago on that M Pack Jig. Can't believe how they chocked it!!!!

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: scott82] #10964845 07/09/15 01:53 AM
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Originally Posted By: scott82
I have been bass fishing since I was a kid. I am now 33 and I have still never caught a bass on a jig. My pb 8.04 came on a chatterbait on lake lewisville. I have some m pack jigs and I've thrown them into so nasty brush piles and they don't get hung up. What color and trailer combo do you like to use?
I've throw pb jelly and black blue with rage craw, paca chunk, hyper freak as a trailer and I've still never gotten a bite. I've throw a tx rig brush hog in similar areas and caught fish. I am guessing I am doing something wrong. Rather it's presentation or the jig/trailer color combo
Idk



Interesting you say that, my jig bite has been tough for me yet up here in Massachusetts where I am now I have caught tons of fish on a jig.


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Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10965303 07/09/15 12:10 PM
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OK you got me hooked. I just bought several M-Pack football jigs. Really like the skirt colors on those M-Pack jigs. Can't wait to get my hands on them. Hoping they are as hang up free as advertised....gonna put them to the test real soon!

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: scott82] #10965427 07/09/15 01:07 PM
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Originally Posted By: scott82
I have been bass fishing since I was a kid. I am now 33 and I have still never caught a bass on a jig. My pb 8.04 came on a chatterbait on lake lewisville. I have some m pack jigs and I've thrown them into so nasty brush piles and they don't get hung up. What color and trailer combo do you like to use?
I've throw pb jelly and black blue with rage craw, paca chunk, hyper freak as a trailer and I've still never gotten a bite. I've throw a tx rig brush hog in similar areas and caught fish. I am guessing I am doing something wrong. Rather it's presentation or the jig/trailer color combo
Idk
They take alot of time to learn the jig bite is different and varys and alot of attention required especially if stroking the jig. The way I learned was went fishing for a couple days and all I took was jigs.

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10965443 07/09/15 01:14 PM
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Great article Andrew

If you want to stick a pig throw a jig is what I think of in the dog days of summer.


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Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10965597 07/09/15 02:15 PM
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I smash the smallmouth on Belton with 1/2oz bl/blu FB jigs with a twin tail grub! Absolutely insane bite all night long.

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #10995418 07/23/15 01:35 PM
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I ordered some of the M-Pack football jigs a few weeks back. Never had much luck with football jigs but was willing to keep trying. I found fish on a long 8-10 foot deep lake point that runs about 100 yards out into the main lake then drops off into about 15-18 foot of water...perfect. Started out looking for the bite by throwing one of my threadfin pattern deep cranks across the point. Almost where the point drops into deep water the bass started attacking my crankbait every few casts...that went on for about an 1/2 hour...then nothing? The bite stopped almost as quickly as it started. Tried using a Carolina rig but no bite. What to do...leave or try something else? Pulled out the M-Pack football jigs in 3/4 ounce mean green and added a green glittered natural craw. The results speak for themselves:


The bass were holding in laydowns along the sides of the point just before it fell off into deep water. I'm not sure how many bass were caught on the M-Pack jig...lots. Seriously, I just flat got tired and quit. Overall the jig performed perfectly. The structure guard is awsome!!! Not one hangup. The structure band got lost after several fish...thinkin' I got rattled and dropped it somewhere in the bottom of the boat. Anyway, I cut a plastic worm into segments and used them to replace the missing structure band and kept catching bass...probably not the best solution but it worked OK. The hooks on this jig are great...pulled in two blue cat, one in the 7-8 lb. range (no pics...this is the bass fishing forum isn't it?). After landing the big cat I had to sharpen the hook tip just a little. The powder coating took a beating but never peeled off...very impressed by that...and the skirt never lost its shape. Outstanding product..gotta get a few backup M-Pack football jigs...since I'm gonna be using them a lot more in the future. texas A+++ productthumb

Re: July Article "Football Jig Basics" [Re: AndrewG - Lake Fork Guide] #11000887 07/26/15 05:21 AM
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Like Swindle says two colors a brown one and a black one. And with anything else you have to build confidence.


Matthew 4:19

And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
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