Few things fire up the Wired2fish staff like unearthing new fishing techniques that help you catch more fish. We connected with bass fishing phenom Cody Huff to break down his advanced jigging method for target casting nomadic deep water bass during the winter months on highland reservoirs.
FEATURED TACKLE
GLIDING JIGS
- Rapala Jigging Rap, size – W9 (7/8 oz.) Buy at Omnia Fishing Buy at FishUSA
- Rapala Flat Jig (discontinued)
ELECTRONICS
- FISH FINDER – Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 102sv, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- FORWARD-FACING SONAR – Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- TROLLING MOTOR – Garmin Force Trolling Motor, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
Cody’s deepwater precision strike tactic focuses on using forward-facing sonar to locate schools of shad and feeding bass. His baits of choice are a heavy Rapala Flat Jig (1-3/16 oz.) or W9 Rapala Jigging Rap (7/8 oz.), which fall extremely fast and accurately. Both attributes are musts for getting the lure into the small strike window of a moving fish. Both baits also excel for power fishing walleyes, although how the bait is fished varies.
As Huff states, these bass behave like stripers. They don’t relate to cover, and they don’t stay in one place — in turn, you need to constantly move, scanning and pitching baits on them fast and accurately. He explains what to look for and how to read on Garmin LiveScope to achieve accurate casting distance and direction. He also hits on the biggest mistake he sees anglers making with forward-facing sonar and how to correct the problem.
While jigging cadence can be important, it’s influenced most by water temperature and the size of the bass school. Huff expands on this in the video, then details his go-to rod, reel, and line setup for maximum efficiency. Chance is good that you already have what you need in your arsenal.
ROD SETUP
- ROD – Johnny Morris Signature Series Rod, 6’8” medium, Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- REEL – Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Casting Reel, 6.8:1, Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LINE – Bass Pro Shops XPS KVD Signature Series 100% Fluorocarbon, 12-pound, Buy at Bass Pro Shops
