# Jigs for ice off



## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

Hey guys, I was wondering I have some jigs with rattles on them and am wanting to use them.if I am using jigs in the really cold water should I take my rattles off? Would anyone be willing to DM me and help me out about learning about some of the lakes around here meaning lakes like alum creek Hoover,buckeye.can't find much besides older maps.I have not had good luck in cold water. Anything helps. Thanks


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Every jig I throw has rattles. If I want to go quiet, I'll change to a Texas rigged craw or tube. To me, a jig is all about getting attention. Even finesse jigs. The most important part of jigs in cold water is to slow down. And I mean painstakingly slow! Like 3-5 minutes per retrieve. I do a lot of shaking the jig in place followed by a 5-10 second pause. Keep your line fairly tight on the pause. A lot of the bites will come while it's just sitting on the bottom. You'll just feel a "tick" or "thump", and if you're lucky, they'll slowly start swimming off with it. It's slow fishing at ice out normally. But you're liable to catch some real big ones. (I have little to no experience on the lakes mentioned, so someone else will have to help out there)


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

Thanks bad bub!


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

A lot of the pros say that rattles help in cold water, and it makes sense that they would. If the bass didn't see the bait on the fall, the sound would help them find it. Cold water creatures don't move as quickly when the water is cold.

Personally I only use a rattle on a jig if fishing the bait in cover. One nice thing about a jig with a rattle on it is that they're usually positioned behind the head of the jig and lay right beside the hook's shank. The position of the rattle comes in handy for keeping pork trailers from sliding down the shank of the hook. Back in the day before rattles I used to break off pieces of Berkley Power Worms and thread them on the shank of the hook to keep the pork chunk from sliding down the hook shank. I always figured the Power Bait added a little flavor to the jig and bass would hold it longer. 

One thing I do when water is really cold like ice off and very early spring is I fish light jigs. Rarely do I fish a jig as heavy as even 3/8 oz. Usually I'm fishing 3/16 or 1/4 oz jigs. I want the slowest fall I can get when water is cold. It makes it tougher to stay in contact with your jig when dragging it on the bottom, but I'll sacrifice feeling the bottom for the slower fall. 

I will fish a 3/8 or higher if I want to fish the jig in cover though. You need that added weight to make sure your jig gets inside the cover. Too light of a jig and it won't have enough weight pull your line along with it.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

Bassbme said:


> One thing I do when water is really cold like ice off and very early spring is I fish light jigs. Rarely do I fish a jig as heavy as even 3/8 oz. Usually I'm fishing 3/16 or 1/4 oz jigs. I want the slowest fall I can get when water is cold. It makes it tougher to stay in contact with your jig when dragging it on the bottom, but I'll sacrifice feeling the bottom for the slower fall.


Would a "zero gravity" jig work best for this scenario? I recently got one in a mystery tackle box, and was wondering what situation it would work best for.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

claytonhaske said:


> Would a "zero gravity" jig work best for this scenario? I recently got one in a mystery tackle box, and was wondering what situation it would work best for.


I like them post cold front, around deep floating docks.... (shhh...)


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

claytonhaske said:


> Would a "zero gravity" jig work best for this scenario? I recently got one in a mystery tackle box, and was wondering what situation it would work best for.


Too be honest, I had never heard of a "Zero Gravity Jig" until you mentioned it. I'm wondering how "new" they're presenting this bait concept to be? Maybe 20 years ago I remember something similar, if not the same thing. It was a jig head made of a polymer, and I just looked up the Zero Gravity Jig, and it looks to be built on the same principle. And yes, I'd imagine it would work great. 

It would definitely present a profile that the fish probably haven't seen. After all ... most of the slow falling baits have a baitfish profile. I can see it's going to be something I have to order when I place my next order with Tackle Warehouse.

Thanks Clayton


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Bassbme said:


> Too be honest, I had never heard of a "Zero Gravity Jig" until you mentioned it. I'm wondering how "new" they're presenting this bait concept to be? Maybe 20 years ago I remember something similar, if not the same thing. It was a jig head made of a polymer, and I just looked up the Zero Gravity Jig, and it looks to be built on the same principle. And yes, I'd imagine it would work great.
> 
> It would definitely present a profile that the fish probably haven't seen. After all ... most of the slow falling baits have a baitfish profile. I can see it's going to be something I have to order when I place my next order with Tackle Warehouse.
> 
> Thanks Clayton


Yep. They've been around for a long time, but evidently it's hard to sell a jig that barely wants to sink. Most of the guys I know that have tried them use them as a swim jig. It takes some patients to let it go to the bottom. Most times, it doesn't have too though.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Any of you fellas ever throw a "hula jig"? It's just a hula grub on a jig head. Absolutely a killer for keeper bass!
Here's a pic of it rigged.
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608010397127082138&pid=15.1&w=147&h=115&p=0


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

NCbassattack said:


> Any of you fellas ever throw a "hula jig"? It's just a hula grub on a jig head. Absolutely a killer for keeper bass!
> Here's a pic of it rigged.
> https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608010397127082138&pid=15.1&w=147&h=115&p=0



I have on a state park lake fishing a rock point I didint catch one bass under 3lbs!


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

jake222 said:


> I have on a state park lake fishing a rock point I didint catch one bass under 3lbs!


Great bait. Won us a tournament at Kerr Lake in 2000. We had two 23 pound limits over the two day event, ten fish. My tourney partner got big fish on day one, six four.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

NCbassattack said:


> Any of you fellas ever throw a "hula jig"? It's just a hula grub on a jig head. Absolutely a killer for keeper bass!
> Here's a pic of it rigged.
> https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608010397127082138&pid=15.1&w=147&h=115&p=0


I use the chompers skirted grub on a football head. Great bait! Smallmouth freaking love them too!


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

I think when it comes to big fish on jigs its getting in the mats and catching them. Does anyone agree this only applies to summer and spring and early fall. Just my opinion.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

jake222 said:


> I think when it comes to big fish on jigs its getting in the mats and catching them. Does anyone agree this only applies to summer and spring and early fall. Just my opinion.


It depends on the lake. Dragging a football jig in deep water is a great way to catch big bass.


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

Bassbme said:


> It depends on the lake. Dragging a football jig in deep water is a great way to catch big bass.



I just drag a football head jig do you guys give them some pops and shake them a little bit?


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

I give it a bit of a hop, drag it a bit, hop it again. Similar to Texas rigging a worm, but lifting the jig off the bottom when you hop it.


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

NCbassattack said:


> I give it a bit of a hop, drag it a bit, hop it again. Similar to Texas rigging a worm, but lifting the jig off the bottom when you hop it.



What's the difference between lifting it and just makeing it bounce. Is it more slow?


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

To hop it, just lift the rod tip and lightly snap it to you. That creates the hopping motion.
It makes it look more like an escaping crayfish rather than just bouncing it in place.


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

Thanks for answering all my questions guys! Been a big help!


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