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Cooch's Jig Fishing Theory
By Andy "Cooch" Cuccia

September/October 1999

When I first began tournament bass fishing (it’s been a while) I was a crankster. I tossed a blade every now and then with some wormin’ tossed in at odd times, but I, was a crankster. Then, I joined my first club in 1982 with the intention of using the club as a school. I wanted to learn the finer points of bass fishing. I figured that after four years I would know if I had the necessary talent to compete at the next level. The first two years I did okay, caught some fish, an occasional big one and managed to make the top 15. My third year was much better, I was really beginning to figure out how to catch bass with a crankbait and I finished second in the points-race.

I’d never won a tournament, but was always in the top ten and always caught my limit. But I began to notice a trend. All the guys who beat me at these tournaments were fishing jigs. I wasn't good with the jig so I stuck with the crankbait. In my fourth year I won it all, top dog for the year. I had yet to win my first tournament.

In that fourth year I really began paying attention to the jig fisherman in our club and we had some good ones. Art Roland, Greg Hinman, Alfredo Bass, Manny Garcia, Steve Creason and a host of others. So I spent time with these guys and picked their brains in the process. Then, at a club meeting, Art brought a guy named Dee Thomas in for a discussion. I knew who he was and frankly, was in awe to be in his presence. But ole’ Cooch, even back then, was a little like that kid with Mean Joe Green in the soda commercial; I had an attitude.

Thomas began telling fishing stories but they were not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to learn the innermost secrets of "The Man", Dee Thomas. So I began to interrupt with questions and he cordially obliged by answering them. The rest of the guys in the club soon became annoyed as it became an Andy and Dee jig-flippin’ chat. Dee Thomas commented that he wasn’t too concerned or worried about giving out all of his "secret" info; he didn’t feel we could retain it. He figured that no matter how much he told us, he would always be able to kick our butts out on the water. He said, "When you’ve got the money Son, come on, I'm ready to bank it." That day at the club meeting it sunk in. I wanted to beat Dee Thomas and the only way to beat him was to beat him at his own game. I had to learn it as well as, if not better than, he did. Today, I owe a lot of my style and knowledge to Mr. Thomas. He may not know it but he was my mentor.

Thanks to Dee, I became a jig fisherman in 1986. I fished three more years in that club, taking angler of the year in two of the three. I then moved from Concord, CA to Pittsburgh, CA and began fishing the Cal-Delta religiously. I trapped crawdads at every lake I went to, took them home and put them in a tank, along with some bass fry that I had rescued from a dried-up creek. I was going to learn about those ‘dads and bass.

Bryan Henningfeld and I started the Contra Costa Bass Club in 1991. Since that day, I have been preaching this system for fishing jigs. A couple of years back, I had Denis Lee address the club about the crawdad/bass relationship. It was one of the most informative presentations that I have ever seen on the subject but there are few who really get it. Most don't have the patience necessary to learn. I, along with many others, have learned that to be consistent in tournaments, you must know how to fish a jig. So, here's my spiel.

My fish tank, complete with ‘dads and bass, became my new classroom. I studied those two aquatic creatures for two years. I had to see, first hand, the life cycles of the crawdad. I learned the two key factors that I apply to bass fishing today, bass love crawdads and crawdads hate bass! A bass will chomp a craw anytime, anyplace and under any circumstance, even if it already has two in its mouth. It's an amazing thing to watch and it's a very important part of fishing a jig.

A jig has no built in action. It is up to the angler to make the jig look like a distressed craw. It is the distressed craw that catches the attention of the bass. I never, in two years of tank study, saw a craw just sit in one place and wait for a bass to come get him. Craws seem to know when a bass or other predator detects them. When they’ve been targeted, they get a move on. They will either raise those big old claws in defense, moving back slowly, or make short 6-12 inch bursts of movement while looking for a hole. I think this explains why so many strikes occur immediately after you dislodge a jig that was stuck in the rocks. That old bass sees it drop into a crack then sits in waiting. The moment you pull it free, WHAM! He eats it. With this in mind, I always shake, shake, shake my jig in an effort to free it from a snag. The odds are good it'll trigger a strike when it comes popping out.

I experimented with the different trailers available in an effort to imitate those craw movements. I found it best to use a kid’s wading pool. They are shallow, yet big enough to allow swimming the jig. I then began to practice every day with a different trailer, attempting to get the various craw movements built into my presentations. I fell in love with the way a big, fat piece of pork resembled the craw in his defensive mode. I personally like the Strike King pork, both Sr. and Jr. They have longer, fatter tails that seem more buoyant than other pork I’ve tried.

My favorite presentation is what I call the Short Hop Claw Wave. This technique triggers strikes, period. I use it when flippin’, pitchin’ or casting jigs. More often than not, I will get a strike on the fall. If not, I induce the Claw Wave. This is best accomplished while using pork, yet can also be used effectively with twin tail grubs or craws. Basically, you need a trailer that has big, floating arms. You must be in tune with the bait while inducing the wave. I use a 6'6" medium heavy graphite trigger-stick with 15 to 25-pound Big Game line.

The key is to get that jig to hop straight up off the bottom just enough to get the pork trailer waving, flapping, and kicking up all kinds of dust. Looks just like a craw scootin’ back and trying to dig a hole. Keep your line tight and just use short "pops" of the wrist. I will vary the hops until I find the variation of the wave that will trigger more strikes. Sometimes, I want that jig to move as little as 1/8-inch up to 1-inch, 6-inches, or more. I just let the fish tell me what they want that day. I never dead stick a jig (that's for the finesse worm folks) and rarely just drag it.

One other presentation that I use is the swimming jig. This I do while using the Yamamoto grubs. Again, it's the trailer action that triggers the strikes. I use this method from spring to early fall when the bass are most aggressive. I make long pitches to structure, expecting a strike on the initial fall. The instant it hits the bottom, I raise the rod tip to get the jig up and moving. I pull the jig a foot or more and then ease it back to the bottom. This is an extremely effective technique for spawning fish and around the tules on the Cal-Delta and Clear Lake. It is also the technique I use when fishing the deeper weed lines, late summer through early fall. I swim that jig-n-grub at about a 45-degree angle, right down the weed line.

A variation of the swimming jig is the yo-yo presentation, also with the grub trailer. I use it mostly when flippin’ and I key on matted tules, Hyacinth, floating debris or any other cover that creates a mat or roof above the fish. I will send the jig through an opening, ever so quietly, and let it hit the bottom. I then begin to yo-yo it, up and down. It's kind of like working a spoon, only you’re in much shallower water. You want to lift it about a foot or two (depending on the depth) and let it free-fall back to the bottom. Most often, strikes will come on the fall and be very violent. Other times, when you go to lift and yo-yo, the fish may already be under your boat. Set the hook!

When fishing a jig most strikes are violent. You feel a distinct "thunk" (thunk is a very scientific jig fishing term-Ed). You need to set on the first "thunk". A second thunk is generally a sign the bass has spit it out. Most thunks are those strikes that occur when a bass sees the craw and just eats it. I mean, they just run up on it and crush it.

Many times you will get the infamous pressure bite. Clear Lake and Cal-Delta bass are notorious for this. These are generally bigger fish that methodically approach your jig and simply inhale it. You never feel a thing. The ability to detect these bites comes with practice and the constant use of a jig. If, when lifting the bait, your jig seems stuck or won't move, SET THE HOOK! Hook sets are still free. I've gotten to the point that I sometimes amaze even myself. At times I’m so in tune with that jig that I instinctively set the hook and the fish is just there. No indication of a bite what so ever, it just "seemed" that the jig was not doing what it was supposed to do and I set the hook.

Books, videos and other fisherman will tell you to slam those fish when flippin’ or fishing a jig. I don't believe in that concept. My hooks are very sharp straight out of the box, and I use a very short pop or sweep of the rod to set the hook. The thing I do to improve my hook set and subsequent penetration is to trim the weed guard. Now, most folks think that trimming the weed guard means to make it shorter. Not the case, this actually makes the weed guard stiffer. I use only the fiber weed guards (don't like wire) and by trimming the weed guard I mean to cut off about half of the strands altogether. Say your weed guard consists of 20 strands, I trim 10-12 of them off. This allows enough guard to avoid most snags while allowing much easier hook penetration, especially on those bites you don't detect. Most bass will hook themselves on my trimmed jigs.

Most of my fishing is done with one style jig. It's a 3/8-ounce, Arkie flippin’ jig, sporting an Owner hook, fiber weed guard and tied with round rubber. The 3/8-ounce weight is very versatile, covering nearly all conditions. The Arkie head has a balanced weight distribution and falls quite evenly. I think it moves around cover and structure in a more natural fashion and the round rubber can't be beat, the floatation and buoyancy is amazing. While resting idle, this rubber will literally float and come alive. To illustrate this, when I put one of my jigs in a jar of water, the rubber floats into a ball. This really adds to the attractive action of the Claw Wave. Most other skirts made of rubber or silicone seem to just limply lie there.

I also use a 1/4-ounce, smallmouth jig. This is a smaller profile jig with a light wire hook, no weed guard and is made with frog-hair rubber, which is specially treated. I think it’s great for lakes with smallmouth bass and spots. It also works on the toads at Clear Lake, especially in the springtime. This is my bed fishing bait in the spring. My last choice is the 1/2-ounce, Arkie Rattlin’ jig. I always choose black, round rubber and I use it when the water is very cold and muddy or at night. All my jigs are specially made by R&B Tackle. I also recommend, and like, the new Weapon, round-rubber rattle jigs, if you can find them. I also like the Bobby D's jigs sold at the Hook, Line & Sinker in Oakley, CA.

In general, the best rule of thumb is to match the hatch, in this case the crawdad. Their coloration will vary depending on the location of the lake you are fishing and the season. Here in California, there are two primary and two secondary colors that work to represent the crawdads we have: brown & black-primary, red & blue-secondary. These colors may vary somewhat depending on the time of year and the surrounding habitat of the crawdad. The craw is somewhat an aquatic chameleon and can change its color to match its environment.

For instance, brown is the most common color of all craws throughout the year, yet this brown may take on a somewhat dull greenish hue or molten green, as some say. Most often, craws that inhabit muddy and weed-infested areas will take on this appearance, or certainly after molting, when they shed their shells. Craws that inhabit rocky areas, such as the rocky levees in the Cal-Delta and the thick tule-infested areas at Clear Lake, tend to take on the darker black hue. This is due to the many dark, hidden, shaded pockets and root systems in which they hide. Black & brown are the two base, or primary colors.

The two secondary colors are generally highlights you see on the craw's outer shell. The red is the most predominant of these secondary colors and appears on the claws and small bumps found all over the craw’s shell. Depending on time of year, they may appear in lighter shades, taking on an almost orange hue. The blue hue tends to be more of a turquoise or powder blue color and can be found throughout the craw’s outer shell. This is quite common in the craw strain found in the Sacramento River, from beyond Rio Vista to Redding. I have also seen an entirely powder blue craw that habitats New Melones Lake. They used to sell craws this color at Delta Bait and Tackle. Looks just like the big red/black craw you’d use in the main Cal-Delta system, only powder blue.

So, with this basic approach I use only two colors of jigs to simplify my fishing. With all the choices available today, you could have a special bait box for each individual lake you fish. But, that’s too confusing so I stick to brown and black, the two base colors. To further simplify, I use only two sizes. The 3/8-ounce Arkie for pitchin’, flippin’ and for heavy cover and the 1/4-ounce smallmouth jig for lakes that are devoid of heavy cover or habitat. I fish this lighter jig on spinning gear.

It is my choice of a trailer that allows me to vary the color/contrast of the jig to match the hatch. It is also my choice of a trailer that helps control the rate of fall, a change that may be required to trigger a strike. Keep in mind that a jig has no built in action. Therefore, it is up to the angler to add action to the bait. Again, your choice of the various trailers allows you to change and vary the action of the bait.

I use one basic rule to determine if I use pork or plastic as my jig trailer. If the water temp is 69 degrees and below I use pork, above that, it’s plastic. I use two basic pork colors: black/blue or olive-green/watermelon. I use these on the brown jig, depending on water clarity. If it's clear, I go with the more subtle olive-green and will use the black/blue if the water is stained. For muddy water I use a black jig with the olive-green pork. In either case, the combinations I use provide a color contrast between pork and jig. I use an Uncle Josh "101 spin frog" on the 1/4-ounce jig, generally black/blue or straight purple.

Also, when using pork, I always use a 3/4-inch piece of plastic grub, threaded onto the hook shank ahead of the pork chunk. This keeps the chunk away from the hook and barb. The pork chunk is always floating on the bend of the hook this way, preventing it from getting in the way of a solid hook set. I purchase the Yamamoto grubs and just tear off the tail and split the grub body in half. I use a grub that has both red and green flake in it. This adds an additional contrast to the jig, possibly matching color hues and adding some flash with the flake. Using the grub also adds some additional body and buoyancy to the jig.

I use BoHawg (Strike King) pork. I will use both the Sr. and Jr., depending on the size of the bait in the body of water that I am fishing. I also use the watermelon Bo-Liz on black jigs. I do this in late winter and early spring if the water is really cold and muddy. This is generally the only time I use rattles and a 1/2-ounce jig. I want a big, noisy, color contrasting bait that the bass can find easily.

When the water temp is above 69 degrees, it is time for plastic. I get a little faster fall with plastic trailers. Single and twin tail grubs, wing bats, frog chunks, Brush Hawgs, Gitzits, lizards and craws all provide some additional action over and above that of pork and will trigger strikes from the active bass. Generally, as the temp climbs the bass will become more aggressive and willing to chase its prey. I swim a jig more when using plastic.

When using plastic, I stick to the darker colors. I like purple with blue, black, red or green flake. When using a lizard, I only use a black one with red flake. When using craws, I like to stick with a pumpkin/watermelon seed, more of a natural coloration. Yamamoto plastics are my choice when using grubs. All other plastics I have poured by C&O Plastics.

I am a firm believer that the jig is a reaction bait. It also just happens to be the favorite meal for the bass. Match that favorite meal, drop it on their nose and the bass will eat it, instinctively. It is a known fact that jigs consistently catch larger fish. Just take a look at the last 25 years of Bassmaster Tournament results. I did and I figured if it was the big boy’s choice, I ought to be using it. You should learn and refine this technique too. Oh, and by the way, Thanks a Million, Dee!

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