Entry 256-3
Facing the Ups and the Downs of Tournament Fishing with James Niggemeyer
Editor’s Note: Strike King believes in their fishermen and considers them all winners, regardless of how they fish in tournaments. Forgetting that professional fishermen don’t always catch fish or win tournaments is easy. Fishing success often is based on luck as much as skill. Being a professional fisherman is a tough vocation, and this week, James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, will tell us about the ups and the downs, the victories and the defeats that take place every year in an angler’s career.
Part 3: Still Learning about the Shadalicious
Question: James, have you fished the Shadalicious?
Niggemeyer: Absolutely. However, we’re still learning about this lure. Soft swim baits are relatively new in the marketplace, and most people fish them on a weighted hook in 1 to 3 feet of water. But I’ve started to use a lead-headed jig on the top of the Shadalicious, which allows the bait to go deeper. Too, with the lead-head jig, I can retrieve it at a faster pace than if I use a leaded hook.
Question: What size lead-headed jig do you use?
Niggemeyer: I fish with a 1/4- to a 3/8-ounce lead-headed jig. By being able to work the Shadalicious deeper and swim it faster, I’m giving the bait a different look than everyone else. I’m fishing the bait 3- or 4-feet deep on 14-pound-test line. Many times bass don’t want to travel to the surface to take the Shadalicious that’s only 1 or 2 feet under the surface. 
So, by getting the lure down deeper, I often can catch fish that want to eat the bait, but don’t want to come to the surface to eat it.
Question: What color Shadalicious works best for you?
Niggemeyer: I like the I-U and the green-gizzard shad. The blue-gizzard shad is also a productive color.
Question: How do you set the hook when you get a bite on the Shadalicious?
Niggemeyer: When a bass takes the bait, the fish generally will peck the bait, so you can feel a tick on the line before the bass takes the bait. I don’t set the hook when I feel a little tick on the line or see it jump. Instead, I wait for the bass to load the rod before I set the hook. I’ve learned that if you don’t let the bass load the rod before you set the hook, you’ll miss a lot of bass.
Question: What’s the tick on the line?
Niggemeyer: That first little tick is when the bass actually inhales the bait, but it hasn’t closed its mouth or turned to the right or the left. When the bass closes its mouth or turns to the right or the left, if I put pressure on the line at the same time, I’ll get a good hook set. I’ve learned that if I set the hook when I feel the bass first peck the bait, although the bass may have the bait in its mouth, it may be swimming toward me, and the bait can pop out. So, it’s better to let the bass load the rod and swim right or left before I set the hook.
Contents:
- Part 1: Fishing is a Fickle Business
- Part 2: Lessons Learned This Year
- Part 3: Still Learning about the Shadalicious
- Part 4: Excited about the Wake Shad
- Part 5: Looking Forward From Now to the Classic
