Entry 153-4

Denny Brauer on November Bassing

Why November is a Prime Month for Jig Fishing

Editor’s Note: Denny Brauer has been fishing in professional bass tournaments since 1980. A twelve-time winner in Bassmasters tournaments, Brauer was named Angler of the Year in 1987 and holds the money winnings record on the Bassmasters’ circuit. Brauer also won the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 1998 and is the first angler to be featured on the Wheaties cereal box.

Question: Do you use a jig during the month of November?

Brauer: Absolutely. However, I fish the jig in a different way in November than I do at other times of the year. At this time of year, I prefer to use a white jig. It’s good to think about where the shad will be during the month of November - higher in the water column. I seldom catch bass on the brush tops. On the lakes in the Ozarks, there are a lot of boat docks, and the bass are suspended under these floating docks.

There are days when the bass don’t want to see the flash of spinner baits, nor do they want to hear the noise of buzzbaits. On those particular days, I fish a jig about 2 feet under the water and normally catch a ton of fish. Remember, white is the color the bass want to see. When I fish a white jig under floating boat docks, I’m presenting a bait that the bass want to eat. I keep the rod tip at the 10:00 or 11:00 position. Then, I pump the bait, instead of using a speedy retrieve by pumping the rod tip as I slowly reel.

Question: Do you using a trailer hook on the back of the jig?

Brauer: Yes, I use Strike King’s Denny Brauer Chunk, because it’s designed for the jig. I use the white-pearl color if I’m fishing a swimming jig. I always use a trailer hook that matches the skirt. If I fish with a dark jig, I’ll use a dark trailer hook. When I fish white jigs, I use a white or a pearl-colored trailer hook.

Question: You said you hold your rod tip at a 10:00 or an 11:00 position. When the bass strike the bait, how are you able to set the hook?

Brauer: Depending on where my rod tip is, I have one of two courses of action I use to set the hook. If I make the jig swim, I continue to bring the rod tip up and set the hook. If I bring my rod tip down, I hit the bass hard by jerking back and then setting the hook. In certain situations, I’ll drop my rod tip to get a solid hook set. If I lower my rod tip, crank my reel and then set the hook, I’ll catch more bass than if I will if I try to set the hook when my rod tip is in the 11:00 position.

Denny Brauer on November Bassing

Why November is a Prime Month for Jig Fishing

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