Verticle Bluff Smallmouth

[Bo_G]

This spring my buddies and I fished Holston Lake in Tennessee. Water was 4 ft high and the only really consistent way to catch smallmouth I understand second hand from locals was with small 1/16 or 1/32 dressed jigs tipped with "minners". They would cast directly at the bluff sitting in about 30ft of water and let the jig/minnow pendulum back to them.

I never saw any of the jigs, and was wondering if anyone here ever fished that way. If so, what is your preferred dressing? I did overhear "sometimes purple" and "pheasant".

Just playing around, I tied these up. Even though they are crosscut bunny, I don't know why they wouldn't work.


Thanks,

Bo

 

[AtticaFish]

I fish some very thick, fat tied bucktails that way.... cast them out and let them fall, but on a tight line with the ever so slight tick of the rod. Similar to the ones posted recently here - http://www.jigcraft.com/jigcraft/showthread.php?tid=6167 - all the thick tied b.tail seems to slow the fall some, maybe just gives more resistance. The ones that have worked the best for me were in darker colors so not sure if they were mimic of bait fish or creatures to the fish.

Here is one of mine, using the b.tail hair fibers from top side of the tail where they flare more when you tie them tight. This particular tail flares so much, i can tie it in and spin on the shank an trim the collar shape afterwards. Have some new 'shroom heads painted up and awaiting to be tied for this season.

 

[Bo_G]

Thanks AF...working on building an arsenal for next year (just in case). I do appreciate it!

 

[Jig Man]

Nice jigs...

 

[smalljaw]

I never use live bait on my jigs, instead I use a small piece of plastic worm or a small craw. I make some jigs just like Attica although mine are different, I call them hairy back sculpins as I spin the deer hair around the collar but the top I have some longer hairs that when I spin the hair the longer hairs end up on the bottom of the jig. That type of jig will fall slow so you can use a 3/32 or even a 1/8oz and with a small plastic trailer it should work well.

 

[Bo_G]

Great stuff. Thanks! Did a lot of pouring today and hopefully get painting in tomorrow. This gives me more to noodle for the tying desk.

 

[Missionjigs]

This topic is by far my favorite way to fish and it produces when the surface temps are 89-90° down to 45° (typical East TN temps on "normal" years) this style of fishing is deadly when nothing else works. I fish with 1/16 and 1/8 oz. Jigs in olive/brown/orange combo the most but there is a few other colors that work when the fish wont touch that one. For summertime I have found that craft hair works best and fall and winter it's foxtail and calf tail. If the fish wont take the 1/8 oz. I swap over to the 1/16 and most times that will save the day. I use a 9' crappie rod with 2# test sometimes but most of the time I am using my Fenwick Smallmouth Elite Tech in medium action with 6# Nanofil and a 15-20' leader in 6# Seaguar Red Label. I use a long leader for the simple fact that if I get hung up I can get the fluro on the spool and never bust my main line to leader connection and I have used a leader for a couple of months and never had to re-tie. Sorry for the long post, but this is near and dear to me, and maybe it will help someone out. I tie a surgeon knot for my line connection and go through the main loop about 6 times, the jig gets a palomar knot. I target bluff walls where the channel swings into the bluff and points that have drops near the channel. All I do is cast out and let the jig pendulum back to the boat while keeping a slight bow in the line with the reel. Most times it's the 12-15' mark when you will feel that single thump in the line but I have caught them in 30-35' of water. I never use a trailer when I do this and the jig itself is about 2" long.I know some of you are thinking I'm nuts to even mention that 9' rod and 2# line but that is a ball and if you have the equipment you should try it. I have caught 4# smallmouth and 10-12# catfish and drum and never busted the line the rod absorbs all the punishment. Like I said before, sorry about the long post but you know how fisherman are when we start talking about something we love. Also the jigs I tie and use are a little more sparse than the jigs you posted, not saying your jigs wont work but if you are have'n problems getting the fish to hit those it may be something to look at and play around with. Great look'n little bunny jigs by the way.