DOWNSIZING BAITS AS THE WATERS COOL

[Jim Gronaw]

One thing I have noticed, season after season, is that once the water temperatures drop below 55 F the bluegills show a marked preference for smaller jigs and baits. Yesterday, 11-11-14, I had two rods rigged with small jigs...one was the Pink Shrimp Auto at 1/32 oz and a # 6 hook and the other was a 1/64th oz shad dart head with a #8 hook. Both jigs were spiked with very small worm segments and as the evening wore on the baits just got smaller as the gill wanted just a hint of bait on the jig. Both were fished on 4 lb mono with 5 ft drops below small sensitive bobbers. Worm segments were approximately 1/4 inch or slightly smaller.

The PSA caught some fish, but was clearly outfished by the SD head, likely because of it smaller size. Got just as many bites on the Auto, but missed many more fish. The bite was soft with the small plastic oval bobber just 'tilting' at times or slowly going under.

Mostly hen gills but a few males in the mix along with some pretty p-seeds. Best fish of the day was a 9.5 inch P-gill hybrid. Most fish were 8 to 9 inches, some larger.

More than likely, I will go to 100th and even 1/200th oz Trout Magnet Heads as the water temps continue to drop and tip with a couple maggots or perhaps a wax worm. And, will likely have to switch to more sensitive bobbers as well.

Yesterdays totals were 50 gills/seeds and 2 bass. Fish were stacked up against the dam face as the wind blew in heavily from the south west on this 6 acre public lake in southern PA. Five ft down, suspended over 8 ft of water.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Great idea - thought of that too!

[Jim Gronaw]

I throw anything smaller than a 32nd oz jig almost exclusively with a fixed bobber application. Simple 'float-n-fly' tactic. A longer drop, say 6 to 9 feet below the bobber, and I'll use one of several 10 to 12 ft crappie poles to maintain the fixed bobber approach.

I have experimented with slip-bobber rigs, but have had greater 'hook up' success with the fixed floats. I try to keep casts as close to me as I can and still be able to see the bobber well enough to catch a fish.

My good friend Zig on this site starts at 1/64th oz, and usually scales down from there on cold water panfish...at which he is a true exoert at, taking almost all of his fish on plastic additions rather than adding live bait for a tipping agent.

[roger keith wray]

Where's a good place to get these 1/64 an smaller jigs?

[Jim Gronaw]

Hey Keith...I get 1/80th oz round jigheads at Bass Pro from the fly shop and tie them up with my own patterns. They also have 1/64th and 1/80, 1/100th oz marabou jigs that I some times trim down to suit my personal needs for winter bluegills.

Trout Magnet has 1/100th and 1/200th oz shad dart style jig heads that are in black or bronze. Both work well on their own simply tipped with bait for winter gills here in the Mason Dixon area. Jerry's Flies, out of Bridgeport WV has a good variety of quality tied and painted micro-jigs, and I use them a lot as well. Check them out at www.JerrysFlies.com or 304-695-3292 on the horn.

[roger keith wray]

Thanks a lot, gentlemen.  Just gettin started fishing the micro stuff, been tying my own 3/32 oz bucktails for many yrs for the crappie. My two biggest Redear were caught on 1/32oz Marabou jigs from ponds, but I was tryin for crappie then. Who carries the Trout Magnets? And Jim, is that bobber you usin the 1 1/12 inch?

[dick tabbert]

Thank you for the info Roger.

[Jim Gronaw]

Google Trout Magnet or Leland Lures. The bobber is 5/8 inch in diameter...I measured it. It's a cheapo, and I can't remember where I got it, but Trout Magnet has some really small bobbers as well.

[Allen Morgan]

You can also go to chuckanddeb dot com.

[dick tabbert]

Roger most of your ice flies are smaller. I bought mine off of ebay then they have tungsten if you want to go that route much more pricey but some people swear by them I just haven't used them yet..

[dick tabbert]

Also Roger I'm sure the sporting good stores would have them.

[jim cosgrove]

how much you paying for those jim.allan has a good suggestion.chuckanddeb who i have been promoting here for years has a lot of small stuff cheap and usually have it in a couple days.i have lots of jig molds,even 1/80/ 1/100 and 100s of pounds of lead and dont mess with it much any more as i can buy poured panfish jigs for not much more than the hooks cost

[Jim Gronaw]

Trout min-magnets...1/200th oz, are $6.99 per 25, cheaper at various outdoor shows. The 1/80 to 1/32 oz nickel and gold plated round head jigs at BPS are about $3.50 per 12. I like them because they hold up well on multiple fish catches per jig. I think Jeff Abney had one of my shrimp jigs from these that took over 400 fish from a single lure, including bass, bowfin and channel cats.