Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Jig Spin for the Win!
Jig Spin for the Win!
By Keeghan Painter
As the days grow shorter, hoodies get dusted off from the back of the closet and the trusty Ugg boots come out in force, you know that can only mean one thing. Winter is coming! As a Pro Bass Angler, I for one love winter and everything that comes with it. The fresh mornings that make coffee seem so much tastier, to the nights sitting around the fire telling tall tales about ‘the one that got away. Most of all though, winter means BIG BASS!
Bass fishing in winter will always be my favourite time to target the iconic Australian bass. Not just because I get a little bit more of a sleep in before the sun comes up, although it is very welcome, but more because of the quality bass that get around our impoundments and river systems. From anywhere in June through to late August, depending on the temperature, it’s time for our bass to breed. What this means is that you will find lots of angry males schooling up, trying to find a mate, along with lots of big females full of eggs and gorging themselves on food. Although our Aussie bass are incapable of breeding in our stocked impoundments, the migratory patterns remain the same.
Now I know what you want to ask, all this talk about big bass but how can I catch them? Well let me introduce one of my favourite shallow water baits to target those BIG bass.
It’s called a Jig Spinner. Now essentially what a Jig Spinner is, is a Colorado blade, attached to a wire arm similar to a spinnerbait. However, unlike a spinnerbait, this wire and blade will attach to the eye of your jighead, rigged with your favourite ZMan soft plastic of course. When retrieved though the water this presentation will flash, vibrate and swim to stimulate a bite.
It’s really that simple, though finding that big fish may not be so. I tend to mainly favour a size 2 or 3 Jig Spinner (with the larger number signifying a larger blade), rigged on either a 1/6oz TT HeadlockZ or a 1/4oz TT DemonZ series Jighead. As for the soft plastic, you can honestly throw on anything you like, however I for one favour the ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ. The profile and colour range in this plastic is perfect for targeting our freshwater monsters.
This lure combo is not an everywhere type of lure, although I have used it in deeper schools to trigger a bite. This lure is absolutely a must for shallow water fishing. One thing to remember is that there is no such thing as too shallow. Often you will find those big fish up in less than four feet of water hunting for their next meal, which hopefully will be your lure.
Working this lure is quite simple, it is just a cast and retrieve style. Speed will vary depending on the area and the water column you are targeting, but generally as soon as that lure hits the water you will want to start a medium paced retrieve. I find a Jig Spinner most successful either on top of or along nice healthy weed beds or when burying casts in timbered, snaggy areas like brush piles or lay downs. Casting at rock walls and rolling that Jig Spinner rigged plastic parallel along them is also a very consistent way to catch good numbers of bass.
The TT Jig Spinner is without a doubt an absolute workhorse of a lure for myself, and I will have one tied on wherever I go, whether it be Tournament fishing or weekend fun, in an impoundment or river. I never leave home without them in my arsenal. It isn’t just the explosive, line peeling hit that you get when a fish charges one down, it’s also the versatility of the lure itself. Being able to mix and match colours of the blade, jighead and plastic, along with the weight of the lure, allows you to customise the presentation for any terrain, in any location.
If you have never used a TT Jig Spinner before, I would highly recommend getting one tied onto your rod asap, so that you can have a go and target the shallow water monsters that are out in force in these coming cooler months. Remember nothing is too shallow and if it looks like you may get snagged, then that is where you want to put your cast, Otherwise, you may have another campfire story about ‘the one that got away’.
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For more information on Jig Spinners or anything from the Tackle Tactics, jump over to the website and check out the entire range of gear that Tackle Tactics has to offer. Also don’t be afraid to send me a message on my social media channels in relation to any other questions that you may have.
Tight Lines Guys!
Keeghan