Glassing and stalking prey from over top can be
acutely effective.
Picture a redtail hawk, a barred owl at night, pitched atop a highline and transfixed on a
rodent below. With shoulders squared and wings ready to unfold, the prodigious
raptor stoops and dives. There’s no struggle but only a rustle in the brush as
the avian predator clutches and mounts with a meal.
In a way, ice anglers do it too. From above, through a single aperture, they
stalk, battle, and gather prey.
Hovering over your quarry certainly has its advantages.
Regrettably, though, few openwater anglers attack from directly above. Bass
anglers, specifically, might be the least prone to fish straight up and down.
The few that do, though, take the task seriously and catch fish with others
aren’t.
Down south, in creek channel and Reservoir-ville, vertical jigging spoons are
brandished during late fall, winter, and early spring, when bass – largemouth
and smallmouth – accumulate on specific structure. The Hopkins Spoon is the most
familiar version, but a few newcomers are producing flashes too. Most notable
amongst them is the Northland Tackle Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon. The showy lure marries
sight and sound with its vivid holographic finish and internal rattle chamber.
Disappointingly, too, in the northern states, vertical jigging is put to play
even less often. Yankee anglers ignore the possibility that bass could be
wallowing beneath the transom.
But such prospects are far more ordinary than you might imagine.
Bridges present the best and commonest example, too. In the spring and fall, on
both lakes and reservoirs, bass migrate from zone to zone. Oftentimes, these
travel routes pass through narrows and beneath bridges. This is especially true
in the spring when fish leave the main lake to spawn in bays, coves, harbors,
coulees, as well as backwaters off rivers.
In my experience, submerged pilings – wood or concrete – in 8 to 20 feet of
water hold the most fish. In these depths, bass adhere to the supports and
associated shoreline riprap. Because of this clinginess to structure, and
potential for snags, vertical jigging is in order. With my rod extended –
waist-high and horizontally – I release a Rapala Jigging Rap toward the bottom,
pausing and jiggling intermittently along the way. Once the bait hits – if it
arrives without first being engulfed – I initiate a sequence of 1 to 2 foot
snaps; each followed by a freefall while I closely monitoring the line for
jolts. Several snaps and falls at that depth and it’s time to reel-up and sample
another slice of the water column. It takes awhile to cover the full scale in
deep water, too, but efforts can be rewarding, as bass habitually suspend along
bridge struts.
It should be noted, too, that I mean “snaps,” the sort where bubbles fly off the
lure as it streaks through the water. My goal is to elicit strikes, provoke a
bass to challenge the bait. And all the while I’m surveying the activity on my
electronics, a Lowrance X-91 and 1040A. Running in real-time, I attentively
survey the lure and how fish respond to it, as well as if there are fish around
at all. Structure also shows up, including the pilings if you’re in tight
enough. This ability to examine the underwater world electronically is a chief
attribute of vertical jigging.
The same perpendicular snapping and falling technique used near bridges works on
main lakes too, especially with respect to deep rock piles and points. In
autumn, bass gather on such rocky ledges, particularly in depths of 12 to 20
feet where boulders outnumber stones. Bigger is better in the realm of rocks.
Vertical jigging also plays a role in the swelter of summer. When the water’s
practically boiling and the shallows are slimed, bass seek refuge in the
deepest, shadiest habitat available. Quite often, that pursuit leads them to
swimming platforms and docks. And if the manmade structures are positioned in 4
feet of water or more, each can be addressed with a Jigging Rap.
I’ve encountered swimming platforms in as deep as 12 feet of water, too. That’s
Club Med for a bass. Those fish have, at their fin-tips, cooling shade, shelter,
as well as grub in the form of panfish. The snap and freefall cadence suffices,
too. Swimming the lure around the perimeter can also be productive. But in
shallower terrain – under 6 feet – vertical motions are out and pitching is in.
Jigging Raps are designed to yo-yo and circle, but fortuitously, they’re also
equipped for concise 10 and 20 foot horizontal swims.
If you grab the right stretch of shoreline, one with a serious grade and lots of
planking, it’s possible to go from dock to dock all afternoon without firing a
single cast or cranking the outboard. It’s a ball…
River dwelling fish entertain Jigging Raps as well. Logjams and resulting
downstream eddies are notorious hideouts for bruiser smallmouth bass. I like to
position crosswise or just downstream from the eddy and lob casts into the
deeper, slower water. I’ll move right in and go vertical if it’s super-deep and
or loaded with wood. But be prepared to lose a Rap or two; these are unforgiving
environs.
On the topic of timber, let it be known that standing trees in standing water –
as are common on reservoirs – can also be tackled vertically. The outside edge
of flooded woodland is a favorite. With trolling motor engaged ever so slightly,
I’ll trace the trees while snapping and dropping. This pattern is especially
effective in the summer.
For most of my bassing exploits, the W7 Jigging Rap – 2 ¾ incher – gets the nod.
Traditional Silver is universally accepted; I’ve had favorable results with
Chrome Blue as well. But if smallies are about, go to
Silver/Florescent-Chartreuse. They’ll knock the color off of it.
I tie direct too, leaving snaps in the tackle box; although, line twist can be
minimized by factoring in a barrel-swivel about 3 feet up the line.
Line selection is specific as well. Vertical jigging demands a line that’s
abrasion resistant, strong, and yields little elasticity. 8 and 10 pound Rapala
Tough meets all the requirements.
The line is spooled on a baitcast reel and fortified by 6 ½ foot medium action
Rapala Signature Series rod; it offers good length for hooksets, a fast tip, and
ample backbone.
Unexpected guests sometimes supplement the booty while vertical jigging too.
Walleyes and crappies gleefully slurp Jigging Raps, so too do white bass,
spotted bass, and even sharp-toothed pike. The lure’s action is simply too
enticing to ignore, regardless of creed and color.
I suggest you stash a handful of Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons and Jigging Raps in the
boat this season. No doubt, an opportunity will arise when the fish are deep,
clustered, and waiting for a gift to fall from the sky.
Scott Bonnema
classicbass.com Pro Staff
Editor’s note: Scott Bonnema is a touring bass professional who fishes
tournaments and offers instructional seminars throughout the Midwest. He’s a
member of the Rapala Team, and Pro Staffs of Fuji Film,
Northland Fishing Tackle, Ranger
Boats and Mercury.
