Entry 157-2

How to Catch January Bass with Randy Dearman

Let the Jig and Pig Root the Grass

Editor’s Note: Randy Dearman, avid fishermen and professional angler, of Onalaska, Texas, has fished professionally for 20 years. He works as part of Strike King’s Pro Fishing Team and has competed in seven Bassmasters Classics.

I really love fishing jigs in January. The jig is a big-bass bait and also my favorite cold-front bait. When warm fronts roll in this month, you can fish fast and cover a lot of water with a spinner bait. But we also, as we all know, have cold fronts coming in this month, and when those cold fronts hit, you just can’t beat a jig for bass-fishing success.

When that cold front hits, the bass will go to heavy cover. One of my favorite types of structures to fish during a cold front is water hyacinth. Water hyacinths hold heat. Therefore after a cold front, the bass will often get under those water hyacinths to warm up. To punch through those floating water hyacinths, you need a big jig like a 1-ounce one to get behind those water hyacinths. I think one of the most-overlooked big-bass patterns for the pre-spawn is fishing under water hyacinth patches.

I’m often asked what’s my favorite color of jig to fish and I’ll be honest. Black and blue are colors hard to beat. The new Denny Brauer chunk that Strike King produces is my favorite to put on the back of the jig, and I match the color of the big chunk to the color of the jig. In dirty water, I’ll fish a dark jig. In clear water, I’ll probably be fishing a watermelon jig or a light brown.

When I fish that big jig into those water hyacinths, I’ll use my rod tip to stay in contact with my jig as it falls. Often, especially when the weather’s cold and a sunny day occurs, the bass will be right under those water hyacinths close to the surface, sunning themselves like turtles that hang on logs. They’ll take that jig just as it punches through those hyacinths and starts to fall. If the jig makes it to the bottom, then I jump it off the bottom a couple of times with my rod tip. If I still don’t get a bite, I’ll reel the jig in and make another cast.

If I start getting the bite as the jig is falling, I try and determine at what depth the fish are taking the bait. For instance, if the jig only falls 3 or 4 feet as it punches thorough the hyacinths, and the bass takes it, after I land that bass, the next pitch I make, I’ll only let the jig fall 3 or 4 feet. Then I’ll stop the jig, and shake it or jump it at that 3- to 4-foot level. Because that’s the depth most of the strikes are coming from, that’s the segment of water on which I want to concentrate.

So, one of the most-important things to remember if you’re fishing a jig in hyacinths is try and determine at what depth the fish are taking the bait. Then you won’t have to waste a lot of time letting your jig fall all the way to the bottom. You can simply stop the jig in the depth where the fish are biting and give the jig some action. If the bass don’t bite, you can reel in and make another cast. There’s no point in letting your jig fall all the way down to 12 feet and hit the bottom, if the strikes are coming at 3 to 4 feet. Using this tactic, you can cover more hyacinth beds, fish more effectively and catch more bass.

How to Catch January Bass with Randy Dearman

Let the Jig and Pig Root the Grass

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