The lead head jig is by far the most versatile lure a fisherman can employee to catch fish. A plastic grub impaled on a ninety-degree bend hook covered with lead searches the water from top to bottom. Whether suspended under a cork, swam at a given depth, or hopped off the bottom, the jig is a highly productive lure for fishing, especially deep-water structures.

What makes the perfect depth? Usually two factors make depth an important ingredient to finding fish: structure and cover. Humps, ledges, and drop offs are examples of structure. Whether the change in depth is gradual or steep, areas with depth changes hold fish. Bridge pylons, trees, and rocks are examples of cover. Finding the structure changes or cover rich areas will help the angler find fish. If you can find these two elements together, using a jig may be the best lure to search the target area for bass.

Bridges that cross the lake are a prime example of cover. The pylons provide protection from current, a place to ambush prey, and shade from the summer sun. These often over looked areas hold fish. Look for old roadbeds, creek channels, and other structure under or near the bridge. These locations are often great places to find fish.

Other than live bait, the jig is a productive way to fish key deep-water areas. First, you can vary the weight of the head to match the current or other conditions of the area. If the current is strong, a heavy head in the half-ounce range will cut the current and reach the strike zone. Second, soft plastics like Berkley PowerBait® or Yum Samurai Shad® come in various colors. Matching the hatch, coordinating the color to water conditions, and changing the rate of fall of the lure are some common uses for soft plastic tails. Finally, a weed less jig eases through the cover easily since it has only one hook.

Fishing deep requires no special equipment.  A 6’6” medium action rod with a reel spooled with 12 # test line can cast, work, and retrieve the lure. Simply add your favorite color plastic and you are ready to fish. The retrieve has one basic rule. If you are not on the bottom, you are not fishing. Whether you fish humps, bridges, or ledges, if the bait does not make contact with the bottom, make a change to your presentation. This may include casting up current, increasing the weight of the head, down sizing the tail, or other ideas to get the bait down. Swimming the jig off the bottom is another technique that produces strikes. However, bottom contact is as a rule more productive and an easier technique to learn. Keep the lure as close to the structure or cover as possible when fishing deep water.

When the water depth is between ten and fifteen feet, a 3/8-ounce jig is a good starting point. Add any 3-inch grub or trailer and cast around any deep-water structure in the lake. If the current or depth is great and it takes time to reach the bottom, switch to a ½ ounce head. Change the size of the head and plastic grub to match the rate of fall and water depth you are fishing. After a half hour of casting exercise, I may try another color, change head size, or switch trailer size. Take into account water clarity, time of day, and bait in the area, depth, and structure when selecting a trailer and matching head.

Do not make color selection difficult. Four basic types of bait will cover most fishing needs: natural, light, dark, and wild. Natural describes colors that resemble shad, minnows, crawfish, or other bait in the area. Usually baits with black backs and clear or white sides match shad or other baitfish. Light and dark colors are for matching the water clarity. A light color may be a clear plastic with sparkles, which works well in clear water. A dark color is black or dark green. Fish see the profile of the bait better in muddy water when the bait is dark. Wild-colored baits are so ugly you give it to your brother-in-law as a Christmas gift. Certain times, wild colors like pink and chartreuse produce fish. With a four-color set, you can fish in any water conditions found on the lake.

Detecting deep-water bites is the hardest part of the technique. Without constant contact with the bait, most strikes are barely discernible from bottom bouncing. With practice comes the skill required to catch fish holding in water depths of twelve feet or more. Unlike strikes from topwater baits or spinnerbaits, jig bites are light, mushy feeling hits. It takes time to determine what is a strike and what is the bottom or structure.

The versatility of a lead jig is unmatched by any lure on the market. It will produce fish from top to bottom. Learning how to catch fish with a jig in deep water is a challenge. This challenge is worth taking head on.

Jeff Bruhl is a member of the Louisiana Outdoors Writer Association, pro angler, and a pharmacist. His website, www.marshbass.com, covers freshwater fishing across Louisiana and the gulf coast. Each Saturday morning between 5-7 am CST, a bass fishing report can be heard on the Outdoors with Don Dubuc Radio Show (www.dontheoutdoorsguy.com) on 870 AM from the New Orleans station. Jeff has made numerous television and radio appearances on shows like Paradise Louisiana, The Big Fish, and ABC26.com. From tips on youtube.com to weekly reports on his website, his articles and reports provide tips and tactics for bass anglers in the sportsman paradise. Jeff’s sponsors include Abu Garcia, Xpoint hooks, Bud Light, Louisiana Fish Fry Products, Power Pole, Stanley Jigs and Spinnerbaits, Skeeter, Dockside Marine, Rat-L-Trap, and Berkley. For more information about fishing in Louisiana, drop Jeff an email at jeff@marshbass.com.