Jigging for Goggle eye.

Getting Jiggy with it

I am not a professional fisherman I am just normal southern boy who was raised by a single mother. I learned to fish by fishing with friends and going out there on my own.

I recently received a 12 foot jig pole as my 5 year award from Turner Industries. It is a B’n’M Sam Heaton Super Sensitive Crappie pole. When I picked this pole out I figured 12’ is a very long pole. After a few trips using it I don’t think 12’ is long enough I may get a 16’ or 20’ pole. I often find myself bending over trying to reach just a little further.  I came home one day with a sore back I had the boat anchored just a little bit out of my 12’ reach and I was bending over trying to get closer to where the sac-a-lait where hitting the surface chasing them minnows next to a cypress tree.

I have been jigging for goggle-eye or warmouths as some people like to call them.  I made a few trips out to Blind River and I have been learning where the goggle-eyes are and what color jigs they like. One thing I will say about this river is water depth matters a lot. We have done much better when the water was higher. When we have to duck down to get under the railroad tracks and water is flowing out the small cuts in the woods it makes for a better day fishing.

When the water is higher there is more cover I can fish, more cypress stumps and knees available. Some of the knees are setting in mud when the water drops . I am looking for a stump or cypress tree that is out in the water away from the bank. I troll up in my small boat and drop a jig right next to the tree. With a 12’ pole and 4-5’ of line hanging down I can drop a jig right down next to the tree without casting. I start about a foot down and if they don’t bite immediately I give it a little wiggle just a gently shake of the rod tip will have that jig dancing. Normal water depth I have been catching them in is 2’ or less.  I may drop it down to the bottom and pick it up a few inches and wham! Goggle-eye normally bite hard, all I do to set the hook is pull back the rod a little. I don’t real them in I just pick the rod tip up and that pulls them closer to the boat. Lift them up and take them hook the off. We normally catch a few from each tree or stump. One tip is that if you bump the tree or get snagged up they will return pretty quick.

My wife always says I catch more fish than her and we use the same jigs. She is casting hers out under a cork. If nothing bites she has to reel it in and cast again. Meanwhile I am just lifting my rod tip up and dropping it down around the next cypress knee or slowly swimming it around the tree. I am covering way more ground jigging then she is casting. Not to mention I can lower the rod and now I am fishing deeper.

Here is my set up B’n’M Sam Heaton Super Sensitive Crappie pole, Mr Crappie spincast reel which I will never buy again. Pink and white 2” fat grub on a 1/32 oz jig head. Will switch colors and bodies around until I find what they are biting on the best. Black and chartreuse crappie magnet split tale, and blue and white tube has been there favorite lately. Crickets and worms will also work.

Ice chest tip.

I will add a bag of ice and then fill it up about half way with water. This ice slurry mix will keep the fish colder and straight. So when I get home to clean them they are not all curled up when we scale them. This also gets all sides of the fish cold.