07-11-2004, 08:53 PM
Gary Roach: Deep jig for those walleyes
Gary Roach, Special to the Star Tribune
July 7, 2004
The July 4th weekend has passed, which constitutes a transition for many walleye anglers. The fish are in a summer pattern now and everyone switches to their favorite technique.
Without a doubt, most of the walleye anglers are thinking deep when July rolls around. That means they are running deep-diving crankbaits and heavy bottom-bouncers with spinners. These are great techniques if the walleyes are spread out, but what if the fish are tightly grouped on a point or small rock pile? Then you have to think about a jig.
I know the rule is that you use a jig and minnow in the spring and switch to live-bait rigs, crankbaits and spinners in the summer and fall. But a versatile angler makes a decision regarding technique after discovering what position the fish are in, and it's a good idea to do some deep jigging.
If there wasn't some credibility to deep jigging, then there wouldn't be any reason to make those half-ounce jigs, now would there?
So, let's go do some jigging in July, when the walleyes are deep and everyone else is back-trolling all over the place.
You tie on a half-ounce jig because the walleyes you see on the sonar are in 28 feet of water and you want a little more weight to get the jig down. And your jig and jumbo leech might look pretty big to you, but keep in mind that it looks like an appetizer considering the size of the forage the walleye are eating right now.
If the fish are two feet off the bottom, drop a half-ounce jig holding a leech all the way to the bottom and bring it up two feet, jigging as you go.
The bite can be subtle. All you feel is a slight bit of resistance. Just snap the rod tip straight up until you feel the weight of the fish. You might look a little strange jigging around all those trollers, but hey, who cares when you are catching fish?
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Gary Roach, Special to the Star Tribune
July 7, 2004
The July 4th weekend has passed, which constitutes a transition for many walleye anglers. The fish are in a summer pattern now and everyone switches to their favorite technique.
Without a doubt, most of the walleye anglers are thinking deep when July rolls around. That means they are running deep-diving crankbaits and heavy bottom-bouncers with spinners. These are great techniques if the walleyes are spread out, but what if the fish are tightly grouped on a point or small rock pile? Then you have to think about a jig.
I know the rule is that you use a jig and minnow in the spring and switch to live-bait rigs, crankbaits and spinners in the summer and fall. But a versatile angler makes a decision regarding technique after discovering what position the fish are in, and it's a good idea to do some deep jigging.
If there wasn't some credibility to deep jigging, then there wouldn't be any reason to make those half-ounce jigs, now would there?
So, let's go do some jigging in July, when the walleyes are deep and everyone else is back-trolling all over the place.
You tie on a half-ounce jig because the walleyes you see on the sonar are in 28 feet of water and you want a little more weight to get the jig down. And your jig and jumbo leech might look pretty big to you, but keep in mind that it looks like an appetizer considering the size of the forage the walleye are eating right now.
If the fish are two feet off the bottom, drop a half-ounce jig holding a leech all the way to the bottom and bring it up two feet, jigging as you go.
The bite can be subtle. All you feel is a slight bit of resistance. Just snap the rod tip straight up until you feel the weight of the fish. You might look a little strange jigging around all those trollers, but hey, who cares when you are catching fish?
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