Entry 292-1

My Five Best Techniques for Catching Bass with Luke Estel of Illinois

Part 1: Bet on the Jig

Question: Luke, what’s your favorite bass-fishing tactic and why?

Estel: I like to fish the black-and-blue-colored 3/8-ounce Strike King Premier Pro-Model Jig because it’s a year-round bait. In the early spring, when I’m fishing down the bank, I’ll pitch it along the shoreline against stumps, along rocky banks and around any type of shallow cover I find. As the spawn gets closer, and the bass start going to the beds, I’ll switch from a black-and-blue-colored jig to a white-colored jig. I can pitch a jig into the beds and shake it to make the bass bite. After the spawn, I’ll move out to deeper water and drag a 1/2- to a 3/4-ounce jig on the bottom. I prefer to use a Denny Brauer Chunk on the back of my jig, either black or blue, depending on the color of the jig.

In the fall of the year, I’ll swim the jig around trees and over grass. I’ve found white to be a productive color for a swimming jig at this time of year. I prefer jig fishing more than any other type of fishing because I can fish the jig all year, it’s appropriate for a wide variety of fishing styles, and I can fish it around structure and cover. I’ll change the weight and the color of the jig I’m fishing, depending on the time of year, and where the bass are in their seasonal migration pattern. Too, the jig is an any-water any-place type of jig. You can fish a jig in water the color of a Hershey’s bar or gin-clear water, in New York or south Florida, and around grass, wood or rocks. In every tournament I fish, I’ll have a Strike King jig tied onto a rod.

Question: What rod, reel and line combination will you use to fish the jig?

Estel: I like a 7-foot, 6-inch All-Star Rod flipping stick with 20-pound-test fluorocarbon line and a 6.3:1 PFlueger President reel. If I’m fishing in heavy grass mats, I’ll fish with 50- to 60-pound-test braided line. You can’t beat a Strike King jig for bass fishing.

Next: You’ve Gotta Love a Spit-n-King

Contents:

• Part 1: Bet on the Jig
• Part 2: You’ve Gotta Love a Spit-n-King
• Part 3: Strike King’s Series 5 or Series 6 - It's All Cranking
• Part 4: The Anaconda for Action
• Part 5: The Rage Toad for Me