Ducks forever

Both shops in Mercer have slow fall jigs. I have used other jigs with a nice profile that go through cover well but they have a real stiff hook. The hook on a slowfall will sometimes open up and pull out of a snag especially if you use heavier line . You simply bend the hook back into shape with your thumb, if you use a pliers you will lose the temper in the hook and it won't last as long.

In the last week I spent a good part of two days catching walleyes in some exceptionably snaggy wood in 5-6'. With a conventional round head jig these fish simply would have been unfishable. There are times (not often) when the fish won't take the bait on slip bobbers and want that slow moving bait being dragged across the bottom. We caught a lot of fish out of this cover with 1/16 red/chartreuse and pink/pearl. Don't know if color mattered but that is what I have and always get asked.

I use very sensitive St. Croix rods and 6 lb. mono, in shallow water you feel all the wood and sticks on the bottom. We lost a fair share of jigs to the wood but the more you fish this way the less jigs you use.

Not easy to explain, here goes: most of the time the jig rolls over the wood ,we are bringing it back dragging it across the bottom slowly. When you get stopped by the wood you put slight tension on the rod then push the rod towards the snag then quickly snap the rod upwards and pull the line forward.

The reward to this fishing is the click, snap or thump ,all words used to describe, the classic bite you feel when the walleye sucks up your light jig and minnow.