# Vertical Jigging for white bass 101



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

After taking a few clients out, along with some friends who usually catfish, to fish for white bass I have been reminded that Lake Livingston is the vertical jigging for white bass capital of the world, and that most people even though they have caught white bass have not vertical jigged for them.
So it has been a bit of a learning curve for them when I take them out, as that is the goal of our trips, at this time, to find schools of white bass that can be caught by jigging.
Vertical jigging for white bass is a fun fishing activity, it is easy for kids or beginners to learn, it results in some nice size fish that can fight hard and many people can fish from a boat at the same time. 
Usually it means you drop a jigging spoon, or slab, over the side of the boat or make a short cast and hop across the bottom or raise and lower it in a sweeping motion. Some people like to make a short cast and hop it back to the boat where they might jig it a couple of times straight down before retrieving it and starting over. While others like to jig it straight up and down over the side of the boat, or do both. Doing both will give you a good range should the school of fish move around an area. Some like to park right on top of a school and work the spoon up and down over the side of the boat. First time fishermen do not have to take half a day learning how to use the equipment, because they do not have to cast, only lower over the side.
When I jig for white bass I like to do it over the side of the boat, strait down. My usual jigging pattern is to move the jig up from the bottom less than 1’ and let it back down with a touch that lets me feel the lure descend, but not interfere with the action of the spoon falling back to the bottom. That action is very similar to a dying shad falling back after trying to swim upwards, and makes white bass crazy. Then after several jigs at that depth, if I do not get hits, I will raise it up another 1’ and jig it there for a while. And be looking at my depth finder the whole time to see what kind of action I can expect and at what depth. I will make adjustments to the depth if I consistently see fish in schools that look active above the bottom. Usually by lowering to the bottom and coming up a set amount of reel cranks, or by lifting my rod up and letting the lure fall down into the water a couple of feet, something to approximate the depth where the sonar shows activity. This alone can be a killer trick to have in your white bass jigging arsenal. 
I watch everyone who jigs for white bass and try to copy their style if they consistently catch fish when others do not, a slight variation of a sweeping jig motion that individuals put on their jigging style can make the difference between catching a couple of fish and catching a lot of fish.
For me, I like to drag the bottom with my jig, and I like a jig that is long and slightly diamond shaped. They seem to out fish slabs of other shapes for me, I also use a 1oz or 1&3/8th oz weight jig. Pictured below are several types, my favorite is the long lime green one that is 2nd from the bottom on the left. You can see the one on the bottom left has seen some action.
The ones on the right are back ups, too light for me, that why I still have them I never use them.

The style of jigging and the shape or weight of a spoon used varies between excellent fishermen considerably. I like to collect techniques from everyone I see catch fish. Good luck.
SS


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## tecohorn (Jun 16, 2009)

Excellent post..... 

We caught some jigging saturday but I still have a way's to go on the electronics side of things and more than likely jigging technique and touch..

I do have the right lures.... I caught all of mine on your favorite lure.. The skinny one with the black dot..

I can't wait to use my fish TV.... I hope it works and does not fog up like I've heard they do some times in the high heat of texas.... That way I can maybe get a look at what a school of whitebass really looks like..

Maybe find some of those hiding stripers since it does have a 60 foot cord... I could probably drop it 50 foot deep.. It has IR and seems to work well in a dark room..

Maybe see a million rusty pet spoons, hellbenders and a few anchors as well..


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## megafish (Mar 5, 2007)

Don't forget about flipping it over from one side to the other in about 29 ft. deep and feeling that machine gun feeding frenzy! I also like the Little River brand Prism Slabs Their diamond headed!I feel a fish fry going on !!!!!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Little River make that Maltese Mnnow I like, and there used to be a "Silver Dollar" spoon someone local made I believe, I do not see it anymore, but it was a striper catching lure in 1oz.
All of the hits people first feel when they lower into a school of white bass were left out of my rant I see now. That's important, but it might be 303 material, know what I mean?
Learning to hit them when they bump the spoon from below is a neat trick too.
When you lower into a big school of white bass the competition for food amoung them makes them hit everything that looks shadish. 
Megafish I went to the Hump early this year when there Millions of fish with lepul57 and his friend Thomas and I had to hand Thomas my rig so he could get the hang of it, after catching a few on it and fished with his. 
It was a stiff graphite rod and a fine reel with Power Pro line. I had too much inforamatio. And was jerking all around because I could feel all of the hits with the fine equipment. It looked like I was doing the Hee Bee Gee Bee, LOL! Thomas got the hang of it quick and we switched back, give me Big Game any day. I think I'm striper bit and have to go look for them tomorrow.


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## fishinglandman (Jun 1, 2009)

Way to go tecohorn! I can't wait to see your pics ? from your underwater WB Cam!LOL 
I may not be able to fish everyday but a pic of a WB smashing a lure would make a great screensaver.
Lee


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## OrangeS30 (Jun 21, 2009)

Great info Loy.

This man knows what he is talking about!


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## Whistling Dixie (May 24, 2009)

Shadslinger, thanks again for sharing your wealth of knowledge with all of us neophytes. I've never tried the long skinny jigs but have had good success with your backup models. I'm going to go find some long skinny ones and try them too. Thanks again,


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## tarboy55 (Jan 10, 2009)

I bought some of them long skinny ones last week at academy in humble they only had 4 bought all of them. I am looking for some jet driver or pink lady for trolling if someone know where i can get them...


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

can I add my 2 cents. I have found that tech. most useful on drop offs. depending.... i usually "bounce" the slab up a drop off, or off a drop off. I tend to like up a drop off. MAKE SURE THE JIG IS TOUCHING BOTTOM AS YOU BOUNCE IT. if your jig is not touching bottom, you may not get a bite, AND ONCE YOU FIND THE FISH, KEEP PUTTING YOUR JIG IN THAT SAME SPOT. generally if you put the jig in the same spot, you ll get the same results. and actually you can follow the fish around the boat. Many times I catch fish on one side of the boat but not the other. two feet makes a big difference. check all around before you decide to move, I have several post on here, where i was casting on one side and not getting anything and was about to move. when I decided to cast on the other side and the whites tore up the jig.
and if the fish aren't there.....the fish aren't there......time to move.

what'd you say shad? I agree with your post totally.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Yes I don't stay long if nobody gets a hit pretty soon when we anchor over a spot. I drop straight down and then if I don't get gits i fan cast a short distance and make sure all sides of the boat have been tried, if nobody gets a hit by then,...time to move.
I at times will back off a drop off and drag my jig back, in certain places that bueyescowboy described it is the best method. However I am addicted to straight down vertical jigging and try to get in a spot where that will work for me. BEC is correct about going back to the same spot until they stop hitting there, then change around where you place your jig, but don't forget to go back to the sweet spot after giving it a rest.


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Great info SS, but watching you work a jig is truly a treat,


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

i agree....go back and check that sweet spot!!! several times.... and I like the veritcal fishin best too. straight up and down...maybe moving the pole along the boat to move the jig around. depending on the water, I have been known to move my boat 5 feet to get a better spot. which is a story I tell ...had some friends with me and we weren't catching anything....so I moved my boat about 5 ft up......they laughed so hard.....oh we really moved ..they joked at me. then they throw their slab in the water....and bam...they got a bite. lets say, the joking stopped and next time...i wanted to move a little bit...they where game. if the water is smooth ...i ll move my boat quick to get a better spot...which as shad says is the vertical drop.
leave some for me


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Man those white bass impressed me today by holding that early summer pattern even in the heat. The Lump had a good bite going on, but it had to be just right, not too violent a jerk up and letting it flutter as unimpeded as possible while still being able to feel a bite was critical. 
Sometimes big schools would come by and it did not matter much how you jigged, they mauled the jigs. In between big schools if you kept it close to the bottom and lifted slow,...real slow. they would hit, but it was a quick hit, and you had to have enough snap to hit back.
One thing I have to add to 101 is that presentation is the last step when learning any new fishing style. First you have top learn how to find fish, and how to rig your tackle for them, then how position the boat, etc...
And however you like to jig when you first start you will think to yourself "was that a hit?" well when in doubt snap it up to set the hook. Any unusual thing that happens to your jig other than falling down at the same rate it has been, is a sign to snap the rod tip up and set the hook.
If your jig is not falling down when it should, hit it.
When the line goes sideways, hit it.
When you try to lift it up and it does not want to go, hit it, it might be a striper.
When you learn to hit some of them on the fall you will more than double your hook ups.
They sometimes push it up from the bottom and your line will start going slack for no reason, hit it. 
The last thing the guy who takes you out to his usual spot, that you have never been to, tells you is, "you have to do this,(and then makes it look easy) with it, to make them bite.", better watch close.
SS


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Another great post SS. Before long the lump is gonna look like the South Jetty lol. I plan on doing alot more jigging myself unless it is real hot I would rather troll and keep the boat moving and not burning up. Ill be out there this weekend. May have to check out the south end one morning.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The heat is too much, I may try some night fishing with lights like some others have mentioned here and see if they bite as well. I have never given it a real chance before but I understand that a fellow used to have a guide service that only fished at night under lights with minnows.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Good idea. I do have my setup I use at the pass for night fishing. 2 1k watt Train lamps and I can light up some water. Thought about it maybe the hump off the west side of the island.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I think around any hump there would be some action at some in the night, I know that about 3:00 AM in the summer the white bass come to the state park pier lights following the shad.
I have heard from some old time white bassers that the fish do not bite at night at the hump. They said they tried several times just knowing it would work and never did. I went out on a couple of feeble attempts at the jetty and was run off by bugs.

I know there must be a place where it is good at night. Growing up I fished Lake Arlington with my dad and we would go at night by the dam in the lake at a deep hole and lower minnows down with lanterns over the side first to the bottom and then up until we found crappie and white bass. And I know at other lakes it is done, any suggestions about where to night fish Livingston?
SS


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Back in the early 70s my aunt owned Bells Camp. We use to go up river to one of the creeks and fish all night over a cube baited hole and catch crappie all night. I can remember we had the whole bottom of the pontoon covered with minnow bags. But one thing I will never forget was a clothed dryer lookin machine on the fuel dock that you put 50 or so crappie in and it would scale them clean. Made some kind of noise lol. They never fillet fish back then. Some great memories.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Good story, fishinganimal. Back then I understand that you could pull up just about any stick up and hang a lantern over and catch barn door crappie at night. I saw one of those crappie tumblers at another lake once, I always wanted to hear it scale em, I figured it was loud.


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