Member
Hey Wakina... I have heard that year after year the jig bite can be a blast. I have never done it before and am willing to give it a try. Any info on this would be great as in what kind/size/color jigs to use. I took a charter out that way some 20 years ago and pretty much got ripped off. Never caught a fish and the captain told us to just be patient that they're here. Haha!!! I've heard that one before. Anyhow... any info would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Senior Member
Originally Posted by EYEFISH4FOOD
The jig weights that are used most often would be 5/8 oz 3/4 oz and 1 oz. Colors that are most often the best are black, John Deere Green and purple and not in any particular order, so you should try them all. I most generally start with the 3/4 oz black jig. Those colors should get you started, they are all proven fish catchers. You can add more colors as you gain more experience. All jigs are hair jigs and all have stingers. I can recommend the jigs at Dreamcatcher Tackle, Dave ties his own and they are excellent. Use the lighter jigs on calm days and then increase size as drift speed increases. If at anytime you have trouble pounding the bottom with the 1 oz jig then you are moving to fast.
The debate about tipping the jig with a minnow will last for ever with some for and some against. I always take some minnows along and let the fish tell us what they want. If you go as a group have some tip with a minnow and some not. It is my thought that it is better to have them (minnows) along and not need them than to need them and not have them along.
Any drift speed over 1.5 mph should be slowed down with a drift sock or sea anchor or trolling bag. Sometimes it pays to have a variety of sizes along so you will be more able to adjust your speed. On calm days with little or no drift you may have to move some and set back up until you find active fish, you don't actually have to be drifting to catch fish but drifting helps you locate fish as the boat is always moving.
The fish are most often felt when you pick the jig up off the bottom they very seldom hit it and run but are just there as an added weight to your jig. So be ready to set the hook. If using braid a sharp upward flick of the wrist will be sufficient to hook up. Mono will take just a little more arm movement as the mono will stretch. I hope this helps you and if you have more questions just PM me and I will try to help.
Good luck
wakina
Wakina
23 foot Pro Line
HDS 5X Sonar
HDS 5M GPS
Navonics chip, model #DMSD/649P+
Platinum Plus Lake Erie and Lake St Clair Marine.
Raymarine Dragonfly7 Sonar-Downvision-GPS combo with chirp technology.
Navonics Hotmaps Premium East chip
Senior Member
Very good read..... I found it very informative! Thank you for posting.
Senior Member
Yes, Smallmouth Bass create a "nest" on the bottom and stay on the nest to protect the eggs after they are laid, and sometimes even for a time after the eggs hatch. Whenever the bass is absent the eggs are vulnerable to predation. When the round gobies invaded the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie, they became a top predator of fish eggs. They will even eat the eggs of other gobies (male gobies also protect the eggs, which are usually laid under a rock or similar surface). If a Smallmouth Bass nest is left unattended for any length of time the gobies can quickly eat all the eggs, as many as a hundred gobies at one time descending on the nest. While scuba diving in Lake Erie I have seen Smallmouth Bass protecting their eggs, numerous gobies ringing the outside area of the nest, just waiting for a change to dart in and get some eggs. The time a Bass is off the nest when being caught, even if catch and release immediately, is plenty of time for gobies to decimate a nest.
Junior Member
Very good information for all. Thanks to Wakina and everyone else that shares accurate info to the rest of us wanting to understand this great fisherie we have in Lake Erie.
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