Entry 242-1

How I Would Have Fished the 2008 Bassmaster Classic with James Niggemeyer

Part 1: Fishing Rainy, Cold Weather

Question: James, this year’s Bassmaster Classic in Greenville, South Carolina, presented all types of fishing situations that most anglers will encounter. Let’s talk about how you would have fished the Classic on the first day with rainy, cold weather and a cold front moving into the area.

Niggemeyer: Remember that the bass were on a pre-spawn pattern and moving up into the spawning areas. So, I would have done what the other contestants did and fished reaction-type lures in shallow water. I would have fished a Strike King Series 5 crankbait and a Red Eye Shad, because these two lures are good when the bass are in that in-between mode of going on the beds in shallow water and moving from their deep-water winter homes.

Also, these two baits get reaction strikes. I also would have tried the Wild Shiner jerkbait because when that cold front moved in, it caused the fish to slow down. I’d also fish the Shadalicious, Strike King’s new hollow swim bait. The water next to the shore was muddy, but out on the points, there was still clear water. I’d know that if the bass could see the Shadalicious, they’d attack it.

Question: Some of the fish were caught in 40-foot-deep water. If you had to fish that deep, what lure would you use?

Niggemeyer: I’ll fish Strike King’s Football Jig, which is one of the most-efficient tools to fish in deep water. I’ll drag it around in that 40 feet of water much like I will a Carolina rig, searching for sweet spots, like ditches and rock piles.

Question: Because the weather was cloudy, rainy and cold, what color would you probably have chosen?

Niggemeyer: When I’m fishing that deep in those conditions, I like green-pumpkin or the peanut-butter-and-jelly colors.

Question: What color is peanut-butter-and-jelly?

Niggemeyer: It’s a cinnamon brown with purple in it. This color has caught on and become a really-hot color, especially in clear and deep water, where it really shows up well.

Question: We had a few contestants fishing a jigging spoon in the 2008 Classic. Alton Jones, who won the tournament, found his fish on a jigging spoon and then caught them on jigs. At this year’s Bassmaster Classic, Strike King introduced its first jigging spoon called the Sexy Spoon. When do you use a bait like a spoon?

Niggemeyer: I use the Sexy Spoon anytime I want to fish deep water and get a reaction strike. Strike King’s Sexy Spoon will be good for late winter and hot summer fishing, and anytime you find bass deep. With the new electronics we have now, more anglers are finding bass deeper. This Sexy Spoon will be just what they need to reach those deep bass.

Question: Why did Strike King put the Sexy Shad color on its spoon?

Niggemeyer: We believe it’s the most shad-like color Strike King makes, and it best mimics the shad in the lake.

Question: When else will you fish a jig using this tactic?

Niggemeyer: Anytime I’m graphing shad, and the fish stop hitting the Football Jig, I’ll try the Sexy Spoon. Or, the first time I pull up on a spot and see shad and bass, I may try and catch a few quick bass on the spoon before I start fishing the Football Jig.

Next: Changing Tactics with Changing Weather

Contents:

• Part 1: Fishing Rainy, Cold Weather
• Part 2: Changing Tactics with Changing Weather
• Part 3: Adjust Your Fishing Every Day
• Part 4: When to Hold ‘Em and When to Fold ‘Em
• Part 5: The New Shadalicious