A good portion of bass feeding activity takes place on or near the bottom; crawfish and all sorts of baitfish make use of the lower water column for cover, shade, cool water and feeding opportunities. A jig and swimbait are two lure categories that produce big-time results in this zone.
TACKLE USED:
- Megabass DARK SLEEPER Swimbait
- Megabass USA Destroyer Javelin Casting Rod, F5-75X
- Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon Line, 15lb
California native Chris Zaldain has taken to fishing swimbaits like jigs. Baits like the Megabass Dark Sleeper bridge both lure categories, allowing for straight swimming retrieves, hopping jig maneuvers or a combination of both. The heavy weight-forward head and concealed dorsal hook allow the Dark Sleeper to efficiently comb mixed-cover bottom areas. The hook maintains an upright position and slides cleanly through grass without fouling.
Consider this tactic for flipping and pitching applications in shallow water on out into deeper water bottom swimming and jigging. The body profile closely resembles round goby, sculpin and darter minnows and even crawfish when it’s dragged and hopped along the bottom.
