By Andrew Ragas
The jig is one of the most storied and historical pieces of tackle in modern day fishing. Its origins can be traced back to the early Polynesians and European anglers (Norwegians) who lived off Earth’s waters as hunter gatherers, using them as fish hunting tools. The first jigs in fishing were simply concocted from metals and rock based weights with hooks attached.
Because they’ve been used as survival tools for hundreds of years, the effectiveness of jig fishing cannot ever be questioned or placed in doubt. Centuries later, not much with this time tested tactic has changed, other than the fact the sport of fishing has been reinvented and modernized by several manufacturers who specialize in jig manufacturing.
As an avid smallmouth bass angler, I’ve learned that every jig in existence is a solution to a problem on the water. The perfect jig’s goal is to break the boundaries of environments, and crack the behavioral shells of fish. In every jig fishing situation presented before me, I’m looking for a jig that’s best for every presentation in my bag of tricks
Jigs are designed to fall fast or slow, swim horizontally or vertically, and perform with specialized manners. As thousands of jigs have been created and reinvented by manufacturers, each and every one has called for specific techniques and specialized equipment. The mantra of fishing nowadays is the more specific we make the tools of the trade, the better off we will be as all-around anglers. But what happens when it becomes too complicated? Unfortunately, it makes the game more difficult.
During an early May, 2014 outing in Wisconsin’s northwoods, the lakes were heating up by warmth with smallmouths waking up from winter slumber. As I focused on the sunlit main lake flats and rocky shoals, my power bouncing techniques with jig and Strike King Coffee Tube was getting viciously bit by giant drag-singing smallmouths. The explosive power I experienced from these fish will likely never again be replicated. Ever since that wonderful afternoon of fishing, I soon learned I only needed one specific jig to effectively catch fish like this for the remaining six months of my season. I finally found the perfect jig, at an ideal weight, complimented with my preferred hook style and baits of choice. Most of the smallmouth jigs I’ve ever used prior to Freedom Tackle Corporation’s Zodiac are now history.
The Future of Fishing
For those of you who have been following my endeavors for the past few years, you’ve likely noticed my writing to include products by a relatively new Canadian fishing tackle company that’s based in Toronto. Freedom Tackle Corp, founded in 2012 by Michael Tamburro, has been able to simplify and modernize jig fishing further, taking its angling concepts to new heights with the introduction of a universal interchangeable hook design. Having devised the system, known as “The Tamburro Twist,” to affix any type and brand of hook to the jig head, the hooks are supported by a stout 300 lb. stainless steel wire. With the hook fully, aggressive smallmouths will never get leverage to throw the hook while being played. This articulated design eliminates the chance for this happening and is a huge advantage over other jig fishing presentations. Since its introduction, Freedom Tackle Corp. has developed its entire line of products to revolve around the articulated hook concept ranging from ball heads, football and swimbait jigs, to a new spinnerbait that was released in winter 2014.
Like me and other anglers who’ve never been able to find the perfect jig to solve most of angling’s problems, Tamburro likewise struggled to find the correct jig with ideal hook size, style, and brand to best match the presentation. But then by combining his passion in fishing with his background in engineering, the solution to jig fishing was discovered.
Available in 1/16, ¼, 3/8 and ½ ounce sizes, the Zodiac is a revolutionary tool for power jigging and probing through the rocky terrain and complex lake contour inhabited by smallmouths. Utilizing an upright weight-forward head design, the jig always lands in an upright position, evading snags and inviting feeding fish. The progressive thinking behind Tamburro’s design is beautiful in its simplicity with lifelike 3D eyes, a sonic brass echo chamber, interchangeable hook features, and free range of motion.
Unlike conventional jigs that have been designed off of early prototypes from our Polynesian and European angling ancestors, Freedom Tackle’s live action hybrid jigs have been modeled by a universal angling concept: to give anglers the freedom of choice to use preferred hooks and baits at any time. The minute the Zodiac jig and plastic hits the water, it will land upright in a perfect strike position, ready for smallmouths to gobble it up. My perfect jig is the one that gets bit the most.
A Jig with Unlimited Rigging Styles
Every day on the water brings different conditions with it. Anglers are left with important rigging decisions to make, such as how to best match accordingly to the environments being fished and feeding moods of bass. Few jigs encompass different rigging types like the Zodiac does. Properties of the drop shot rig, wacky rig, shakey head, Texas rig, and football jig are all incorporated into it. What other jig by itself can perform each of these tasks? But what if special modifications are needed to be made, or you want to take creativity further in order to create and conquer?
The creativity to my perfect jig begins with hook options and bait selection. Say you’re fishing the Zodiac as a weighted wacky rig with stick bait and you sight a giant 6 pound smallmouth cruising the shallows, ambushing crayfish. Only problem is that fish isn’t responsive to the wacky worm, nor bothers to look at anything but a crayfish imitator. You have the option presented now to switch over to a more representative bait to match the forage such as a Texas rigged tube jig, all done without having to rig a different rod or retie. Being able to twist and replace baits and hooks this quickly without retying is valuable and increases your odds and reaction time to catch that fish of a lifetime. When you consider adjusting tactics on the water like this, the ability to do it sooner rather than later truly pays off.
The ability to swap out original factory hooks in favor of using a favorite brand and style is where the Zodiac wins me over. This is a concept many smallmouth bass anglers look for. While the chemically sharpened hooks available in original packaging with the jig are rightfully sharp, I modify the jig to my specifications, making it sharper and stronger to better withstand rocks and snags, by swapping out factory hooks in favor of preferred brands such as OWNER, Eagle Claw, and LazerTrokar. I then take further steps, matching hook type and size according to the soft plastics smallmouths want.
Throughout the year I found a system of soft plastics that worked for my style of smallmouth fishing, which most of the time revolves around using crayfish imitators. Because of crayfish forage base, most of my favorite soft plastics for smallmouths are bottom presentations, best executed by jigs or bottom oriented rigs such as the Texas and Carolina rig. Like the jigs being fished with them, smallmouth plastics have experienced a boom themselves, but despite how technical some brands and styles have become, I prefer to keep my presentations simple with the time-tested favorites.
Tube jigs work in all types of smallmouth water, but certain tubes work better than others. For instance, the Strike King Coffee Tube accounted for more 20-plus inch smallmouths for me than any other bait in 2014. Luckily, I acquired several bags of my favorite colors (Magic Goby and Crazy Craw) in bulk prior to spring. Rigged on the ¼ oz. Zodiac with a LazerTrokar 2/0 EWG, this bait combination caught fish from May through October. No other specific bait or rigging combination caught more smallmouth bass in 2014 than this one. Perhaps it’s in the presentation, bait choice, or merely the angler knowing how to fish the entire package. Whatever the reasons that made this rig work as well as it did remain a mystery.
Meanwhile, small creature baits are strong secondary options. There are times when smallmouths prefer plastics to be more identical to crayfish. In these scenarios creature baits with appendages give smallmouths a better representation than tubes. Rigged on the ¼ oz. Zodiac also with a LazerTrokar EWG, 5 inch Chompers Skirted Twintails are a favorite in most scenarios, as are other craw imitating plastics such as YUM’s Craw Papi and Dragin Baits Skirted Grub and Critter Craw.
Although the Zodiac is only available in three basic color schemes, the bait in use has far greater precedence than head color. When it comes to fishing soft plastics for smallmouths, jig color is often a non-factor as it’s going to get beat up and chipped on the rocks and hard bottom environments these fish dwell in. With my style of power bottom smallmouth fishing, thank goodness the Zodiac is snag-proof.
The telegraphic sensation of a biting smallmouth that just clamped its powerful jaws down onto my bait is unexplainable. There isn’t a better presentation than using plastics and single hooks on a jig. Whether fishing the Zodiac with a livebait hook, an extra wide-gap, or standard worm hook, feeling the pull is special. Bass fishing has never been made to be so creative like this. Easy to tie, simple to mix and match, snag-proof and with a high hooking percentage, the perfect jig has been found.
