In fall, Eakins and other mini-jig specialists use the bait for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. For big Ozark spots, Eakins may work the jig on the bottom in 35 feet of water, catching spots holding beneath a floating dock. For a finesse approach, he tries to carefully place the lure in key spots, then lets it settle with minimal movement, followed by a few twitches or a series of short hops. If there are no takers within 15 or 20 seconds, he reels in and pitches again.
PJ's Lures, another Missouri company, offers the Lil Jig, a finesse model with a cut collar and a more angular head to probe brush. The Lil Jig is available in 1/8-, 1/4-, and 5/16-ounce sizes, with a 1/0 or 2/0 Mustad Needle Point hook. Alabama bass pro Terry Tucker favors these downsize jigs for most jig applications from the spawn through fall. For heavier duty, PJ's offers the Super Brush Lil Jig, available in 1/4-, 5/16-, and 7/16-ounce models.
Meanwhile, Terminator's jig line has been enhanced with the Finesse Jig, a downsized version weighing just 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 ounce. Its Mustad light-wire hook ensures easy hookups, while Terminator's Titanium Weedguard holds plastic trailers neatly in place. Terminator's 3/16-ounce Tiny-T Jig also has won acclaim, along with numerous tournaments. Like the Eakins Jig, it has a turned eye, recessed in the head to smoothly pass through brush. Falcon Lures, known for their big grass jigs, also has entered the finesse market with the Falcon Finesse Jig. This fall, look for Uncle Josh's finesse model and the Booyah Jig series from PRADCO. These baits are deadly in fall, for probing fallen trees and stumps and where thinning grass beds allow you to pitch into pockets, let the jig settle, and give fish a chance to investigate and bite.
If you haven't tried these little jigs, we think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
2. JIGGIN' GRASS
By late summer and into fall, many lakes and reservoirs look like they need a mow--grass to the top, whether northern or Eurasian milfoil, hydrilla, or coontail. You know it holds fish, but the sheer extent of the vegetation and its stringy character make it a challenge to efficiently fish.
Louisiana jig maker Wayne Falcon lends a perspective on fishing dense grass. "To fish hydrilla and other dense weeds, nothing works like a jig," he says. "The density of a big jig, and we're talking 3/4 ounce at the minimum, punches down through the canopy. Then the tapered nose of a good grass jig allows you to pull it back up through the grass without hanging weeds. Efficiency is the name of the game, and you should be ready to immediately make another short pitch."
His Falcon Flipping Jig and Rattling Flipping Jig have a slim-profile head and 60-degree eye to penetrate weed stalks without catching. And they're backed by a big Gamakatsu hook to haul up a big bass.
To understand grass fishing, fish as though there were no grass above the structure. Bass still relate to stumps, ditches, rocks, creek channels, points, and other features. If you're familiar with the water, you may know where they lie. Otherwise, you have to tune your flasher or LCR to read through the grass.
