05-22-2019, 12:27 PM
In the Winter, when open water is limited, and everyone who doesn't drill holes in the ice, flocks to the rivers with thier flyrod, I switch over from my fly rod to my ultralight spinning and jigs just as you describe. My theory is these waters: Provo, Weber, Blacksmith, Logan, ext get pounded with Nymphs, and flys, cause it works and its a hoot, but I want to toss them an option when its get crowded and the waters are low.
I have had some great days doing this. My goto happens to be small size curly tails as I like the action, but will use tubes and have had great action on hair jigs. I will often jig, like i was ice fishing, around rocks and bank cutouts and get a hidden brown to charge out for the take down as well as work the holes and eddies as you describe.
Often I get "short" bites this way, that wont hook up. To improve my odds, if this occurs, I will trim back the curly tail or skirt. Ya I know that limits action of the jig, but it can help short bite syndrome.
Last suggestion, if you ARE NOT in an artificial lure only zone, tip with a worm or meal worm. Your catch rate will go up quickly.
I posted a rather poor quality video about this on YouTube this winter for some friends who did not believe it would work. It does.
Oddly enough, even though fishing Whitefish rich areas this way, I have yet to hook up with one while stream jigging. I am sure others have, but I, so far, have only got trout with this stream method. Seems whities and me only meet when tossing small nymphs.
Keep at it, you will find it fun and successful and another tool to use for those browns.
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I have had some great days doing this. My goto happens to be small size curly tails as I like the action, but will use tubes and have had great action on hair jigs. I will often jig, like i was ice fishing, around rocks and bank cutouts and get a hidden brown to charge out for the take down as well as work the holes and eddies as you describe.
Often I get "short" bites this way, that wont hook up. To improve my odds, if this occurs, I will trim back the curly tail or skirt. Ya I know that limits action of the jig, but it can help short bite syndrome.
Last suggestion, if you ARE NOT in an artificial lure only zone, tip with a worm or meal worm. Your catch rate will go up quickly.
I posted a rather poor quality video about this on YouTube this winter for some friends who did not believe it would work. It does.
Oddly enough, even though fishing Whitefish rich areas this way, I have yet to hook up with one while stream jigging. I am sure others have, but I, so far, have only got trout with this stream method. Seems whities and me only meet when tossing small nymphs.
Keep at it, you will find it fun and successful and another tool to use for those browns.
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