Fishing Tips

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — The jig can be one of the most productive lures available to anglers, according to local fishing pro Jim Dill. The set-up is simple, he says, but there are a few tricks to making a jig work when fishing on the Lake.

Equipment:

• Start by choosing natural colors such as green, brown and black, with a natural-looking trailer.
• Pick a 3/8-oz or 1/2-oz jig, “a good all-around jig size,” Dill says.
• A medium to medium-heavy rod ranging from 6.5 to 7 feet in length should be paired with a high-speed reel, spooled with 12–17lb fluorocarbon line.
• “Flourocarbon line has little to no stretch, which makes it very sensitive for feeling the slightest of bites,” Dill says. “However, fluorocarbon is not recommended for spinning reels, as it tends not to sit well on the reel and will unravel when casting.”

Technique:

• Start by throwing your jig on an open bank, to get used to the feel of it as it works along the bottom. “This is the most critical part of jig fishing: you must keep constant contact and know what the jig is doing at all times,” Dill explains, adding if an angler can not feel his or her jig, a fish could grab it without the angler knowing.
• Once you get the feel of the jig, begin working it around larger rocks and through brush.
• When the moment you’ve been hoping for arrives, and a fish grabs the jig, Dill has an important pointer for making sure this one doesn’t get away. “Try to always set the hook with an upward motion so the fish is hooked in the upper part of the mouth,” he says. This makes it less likely for the fish to throw the jig.

Beyond quality equipment and good technique, Dill gives a parting word needed by everyone who throws in a line: “Good luck!”