Jigging a spoon for black sea bass may not load the boat quite as quickly as dropping a standard top-and-bottom rig with baited hooks, but it does often result in catching significantly larger fish. So if you’re looking to catch a real knot-head, grab those jigging spoons and remember...
- Rig it up with a top hook, only. This will allow you to ping the spoon right off the structure while keeping snags to a minimum. Add a lower hook, and you’ll likely get fouled in a matter of seconds.
- After bouncing the jig off the bottom or structure a few times, if you don’t get hit take two cranks on the reel and try jigging a bit higher in the water column. Sometimes the bass hold surprisingly far up over the reef or wreck. Still no hits? Lower the jig halfway back down, then tap bottom again, then raise it back up, etc., until you locate the depth the fish are holding at.
- If the bait anglers aboard are catching and you are not, sweeten up the jig by adding a slice of squid to the hook. Is that cheating? Well, maybe so — but if it works who cares?!
You say you love fishing for sea bass, and you want more in-depth tricks and tips? Not a problem. Check out:
Bass 'N Blue: Sea Bass and Blueline Tilefish