Crazy 8's

In the last two events I have fished on Kinkaid Lake, I have taken eighth place. Good or bad at least I was inside the top ten. In this last event which was the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce Tournament I had found some fish on the Ava end of the lake in dirtier water. In practice I was catching fish on a Strike King Hack Attack Jig and a KVD 1.5 crankbait, but come tournament time, it all changed. I switched over to a Tour Grade Swimming Jig while my brother slow rolled a spinnerbait. I caught 20 to 25 bass throughout the day but was only able to catch three keepers. My brother was only able to catch two fish all day on a spinnerbait. For some reason the bass were not reacting to the spinnerbait or the crankbait that day, but they were eating the swimming jig. At one point during the day I could almost call my shot. The fish were tucked under lay downs and in very shallow water. I would slowly reel the jig right down the log and the bass would come out and choke it. It is crazy how some days the fish seem to want one lure and on other days want something different. Throwing a swimming jig can take a little bit of getting used to. There is no pull on the bait like a spinnerbait. Sometimes the fish want it pumped through the water where as other times they want it reeled in slowly. I prefer using 17 pound test Vicious Fluorocarbon in dirty water. When the water is stained, line size is not a factor. I use a 6’10” fast, medium heavy Falcon Cara rod and a 6.3:1 Ardent XS1000. Swimming a jig can be deadly in the fall when the fish are chasing shad and they won’t bite the more traditional baits that time of year. Give it a try this fall. You will see what I am talking about.