Bass on Metal: Jigging Lazers for Deep Water Bass

Big-water bass have adopted different habits from those in the natural riverine environment. Where stream-dwelling bass are regularly found in only a couple of metres of water, lake bass often mass at great depth. Depths beyond about seven metres rule out traditional diving plugs, so anglers use sinking lures that get down quickly. Metal jigs have proven ideal, and none is more effective than the small Lazers. The 25 and 35 gram Lazers are superb for jigging bass in deep water lakes.

Step one: find the school

Unlike fishing the shallows, you can’t simply toss lures at snags, rocks or weed beds when fishing the depths. Use a quality sounder to search suitable depths along the sunken stream channels. Most lakes hold schools of bass in similar areas, usually suspended six to nine metres below the surface in water at least ten metres deep. In large lakes like Somerset, Wivenhoe and Glenbawn the fish sometimes suspend at the same depth over very deep water, up to thirty metres.

Step two: drop a Lazer and hang on

Heavy, fast sinking jigs like the Lazer are best fished on plug gear. Overhead reels make the descent easier to control than a fixed spool reel. Bass will often hit a Lazer on the drop, so keep the lure under control while it falls: thumbing the spool to slightly slow the sink rate keeps everything tight so any touch is felt. If you feel a hit on the drop, lock your thumb on the spool and engage the gears. You then know the Lazer is at the same depth as the fish.

Anglers new to freshwater jigging often work their lures far too hard. You aren’t chasing kingfish in fifty fathoms, so there is no need for huge, fast arcs. Moderate upward sweeps that lift the lure about 80 to 90cm give it plenty of movement. Dropping the rod tip too fast on the down stroke causes slack line, missed strikes and fouled hooks.

In some areas it pays to stop the Lazer regularly on the way down. The pause often triggers strikes when a continuous descent is ignored, perhaps because following fish get a chance to line up, or because the lure looks tired and vulnerable. Once a fish is hooked it often triggers others in the school, and the school may follow a drifting boat for as long as it stays in deep enough water.

Tackle and colours

Personal favourites are the 25 and 35 gram models, in any colour as long as it is green. Fish them on medium plug gear: a fairly stiff rod between 1.65 and 2.1m with a matching overhead reel. Light braided lines of around 8 to 12lb give unsurpassed contact with the Lazer regardless of depth.

There is no better lure for jigging Aussie bass than the Aussie made Lazer.