Every winter our rivers and the fish that reside in them go through many changes. We cannot predict the weather and water levels. However the predictable thing is that the walleye, musky and bass will be on the move. The transition to wintering pools and movement from there to suitable spawning habitat. During these migrations the need for energy is critical to the development of eggs and the necessary fuel to undergo the rigors of spawn itself. Winter fishing is the jig fisherman's time and many of the largest fish of the year of all three species come during this time.
The art of jigging few master. There is more to it than just slowly bouncing the jig over the bottom. The jig must be manipulated to appear alive to the fish. I enjoy fishing jigs because it is fishing in a true form. The way fish want to see the retrieve will change through out the season. The skilled will pick up on these subtleties.
First we can all be better jig fisherman by understanding some basic principles. The diameter of your line used will affect many things. The friction of both water and air against heavier line will affect the action of the lure and your ability to stay in touch with your lure. You can effectively fish a lighter jig with lighter line. Many times the fish will prefer to see the jig falling slowly this can best be done with lighter heads and line weights.
This gets us into presentation. If the fish want to see the jig falling then the more times you can make it fall during a retrieve the better. When the jig is allowed to fall to the bottom it is then retrieved with short hops by raising the rod tip or squeezing the rod. During real cold water temps it may be necessary to fish extremely slow. The jig stays on or near the bottom for the duration of the retrieve. Basically the size and speed of the hop is varied to determine which is best. The fish will decide. I remember one night in particular. The best jig man I know and I were out braving the cold and after two hours had nothing to show. I thought that maybe the fish needed enticed to bite. I made my cast and waited for it to make contact the bottom. I then ripped the bait hard and fast like I would a jerk bait. I was thrilled by a take on the third rip. The next cast was rewarded on the second rip. I told my friend what I had done and for the next 45 minutes we had constant action.
The last retrieve is what we call swimming. This is a slow steady retrieve, ticking the ledges and rocks from time to time. This is a very effective retrieve for walleye even in very cold temps.
The good jig fisherman is concentrating on his lures every move. When it hits a rock, he knows it's a rock. Many times after plucking my jig off a rock I am rewarded with a strike. A jig jumping off the bottom imitates a fleeing bait fish or crayfish effectively. The takes vary from a good pluck of the line to just added weight but sometimes and the hardest to detect is the lack of weight or resistance. This happens when the fish takes coming towards you. The only way I know too detect this take consistently is to fish with a closed face reel. By holding your index finger in front of the reel while you cup the reel itself in your rod hand the line travels over your finger allowing you to feel this take. I can't get that sensitivity with an open face reel. The bait caster is an alternative but an unnecessary one and at a cost. The retrieve rates are also faster than what I like for this type of fishing. I like simplicity. Much of the fishing done by the serious walleye fisherman is done in the dark as well. This is entirely all feel and you need every advantage for slow winter jig fishing.
I have heard nymph fisherman say that they must fish nymphs for weeks on end before they develop the feel. I believe that the jig fisherman is the same. I know a few old boys on the river and believe me, experience is hard to beat. . One last thought, keep track of where you find fish along with the current water level and cfs. I hope you find the enjoyment in winter jig fishing as I have.
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