07-17-2002, 06:16 PM
My Techniques for finding and jigging Bear Lake Macks:<br><br>Let's talk about the jigging aspect first. Most times you will be jigging for fish located on the bottom of the Lake. Sometimes you will fish for suspended fish but let's stick to bottom jigging now. You will have your rod all set up with the jig tied directly to the leader and baited. Drop to the bottom. Set the tip of the rod on the water surface and take up the slack. you now know that when your tip is at water level, you jig is at the bottom. This is the first key in successful jigging. <br><br>Lift your rod a few feet to bring the jig off the bottom. When you drop the jig back down, drop the tip of the rod just a bit faster then the jig is sinking. This will create a small bit of slack in the line. You want to watch that slack at all times. After you jig that tube jig a million times, you will know exactly how it falls and where the bottom is. This is the second key to successful jigging. IF the jig stops dropping before your rod tip get to the water SET THE HOOK! A fish has picked it up on the drop and is tasting it. You want to hit him Before he feels tension from the upstroke of your next jigging action. If you're feeling the tug of every fish you get bit by,you will lose more times then not. It means you're not reading you signs correctly. Again watch for that "coil" of slack to develop on the drop. If you're doing it correctly, you will have the hook set before Mr. Mack has any idea at all.<br><br>After you hook him, by all means, DON'T DROP THE TIP OF YOUR ROD to reel in. This is by far the most common mistake beginning jig fisherman make. They make a great hook set but blow it by dropping the tip to reel and giving the fish slack. More times then not, that is enough for the fish to spit the hook and leave you hanging. Instead, keep the pressure on him as you very swiftly reel the tip down after the hook set. When you get the tip back down, SET THE HOOK AGAIN! Big macks have tough mouths for rooting up meals on the bottom. One hook set is rarely enough to drive the barb through the boney roof of their mouths. If it's a big fish, I set the hook 2 to 3 times in a fast pumping motion, always keep the pressure on the fish. <br><br>If you happen to jerk the hook out of it's mouth, drop and start jigging RIGHT AWAY. Sulk up and feel sorry for yourself later when you're off the water. If that fish is hungry enough to strike, he'll more often then not<br>come back for more. That's when the baitcaster pays for itself. you can drop back down on a fish in a fraction of a second and start jigging again before a spinning reel can pull back the bail, feed out line and get the bail back in place.<br><br><br>Got to go before I get fired. If you want more, teroy, I'll come back later and fill you in.<br><br>