Well fall time is here, water temps are coming down and the lake are dropping. I broke out the jig rod a little bit last weekend and had a couple bites including a 6.1lber.

In past years my money combo in the fall and winter has been the Assalt King Kobra 5/8oz with brush hog trailer. This year I'm going to use the Mad Man 4" and 5" craws a little more on my jig. This fish was on a 5/8oz King Kobra black and red with a watermelon red flake Mad Man 4" trailer. This is a really good combo at Clear Lake too. It has a nice fall rate to it and the bulkiness of the mad man seems to make it more snag resistant compared to the brush hog. Time to flip um and stick um :)

http://www.calfishing.com/images/daily_reports/10_12_03_rob_6-1.jpg

Hey Rob, why such a heavy jig?

FIT

Because I'm lazy :) ha ha. I guess the heavy jig just suits my style more because I can pitch it farther and keep a better connection with the bait. I will use a 3/8 or 1/2 sometimes but unless I'm fishing really slow, it's harder for me to feel the lighter jig, especially on 20 and 25lb test line. I would say also that only maybe 1 bite in 15 comes on the initial fall of the jig for me. Every once and a while I get that bite where you pitch in and the fish on there, but most times I get bit along the bottom. So in my mind I figure if I'm getting bit along the bottom, why not just use a heavier jig?

I also do a lot of sort of long range pitching where I pitch or sidearm the jig 50 to 80 feet. It's pretty easy to do with 5/8oz jigs but harder to control with 3/8. Seems like a lot of my bigger fish on jigs have come making long pitches and I think it has to do with that I'm not spooking the fish by getting right on top of them and trying to flip for them.

thanks for the explanation



FIT

Oh yeah! I can feel it. Coincidintely, I picked up my jig rod over the weekend and got one bite. After forgetting to set the hook, I sent the jig flying over my head any time I felt weight on the line after that. Gotta find a medium:)

you know what Denny Brauer says... "when in doubt, set the hook... swings are free." :-)

What is your favorite jig rod to use with this bait?

Dave

I use a Castaway FR76 flipping stick. Nice rod for a reasonable price (around $140) I just use a curado 200b and I mostly fish 20lb.

Rob -

The only ones I've obtained, I got from you (plus one other I think I got from an SCBBBC/Clear Lake raffle). Is there an easier source available for Assalt jigs these days, maybe somewhere on the web? I presume Mark Tyler's still on their Pro staff? Unfortunately, he didn't mention getting any of his winning BASS/Clear Lake fish on (Assalt) jigs, just tube baits in the tules & crankin' a Speed Trap. Any mention of jigs might've upped the name recognition of these quality baits!

Mark did get some of his fish on smoke/red flake skirted ringers. BASS just didn't report on it for whatever reason. There is more in depth info about his win on bassfan.com

http://www.bassfan.com/Trails_article.asp

As far as getting the jigs goes, yes I am happy to say that you can buy them online now at tacklewarehouse.com. Just follow the 'shop online' link off this page and click on jigs. They are the first ones listed (alphabetically). I know they have been hard to get in the past, and they are not in a lot of stores yet, but with free shipping at Tackle Warehouse it's same difference as buying in a store. I was just rigging some rods last night and believe me, despite the heat wave right now, it's gonna be jig time soon.

Thanks, Rob, for the quick (and as-always, informative!) response, including the website resource. I'll probably jump on there with an order real soon.

And, oh yeah: I had forgotten about that BassFan site. And as voracious an appetite as I have for more tourney info, I shouldn't have let it slip by -- and with an *Assalt* reference, no less, after my initial post! Spoke too soon, I guess... :-)

Hey, isn't it about time for another 'tuber assault' down at Coyote??? With the launch ramp being inaccessible to the 'glitter rockets,' it's probably a good time to be out there *kickin' it*! It was great back in December with all the kickboaters out there (Mike Shaw included!). Of course, that memory perhaps sticks better with me, since I had the Big Fish of the day, @ 8.9. :7


In any case, I'd say it's just about *prime time* down there these days! I might park my RV down there at the campground some weekend soon.

I'd be up for another go at it. The water's at about the same level as last year and with the gate past the campground only being open Fridays @ 5pm until Sunday @ sundown, there's NO pressure on the back end. The 1st weekend after they closed it I got locked in, back there because someone didn't read the passdowns, but now the Sr Ranger has made sure everyone knows what's up. I also want to try out my "new to me" outboard on my kick and it might be cool to hit the N. end with it from the launch ramp.