Snag frustration can come in large doses when river fishing
There isn't a single angler who enjoys giving up terminal tackle and crankbaits to the underwater demons of a river.
From the McHenry Dam all the way down to the Illinois River, the Fox River sits and waits for us to execute our battle plans. And it's not an easy battle to win due to all the snags in the river, but at least the long wait is over and any moment the platoons of early birds will once again ply their craft in the current.
A couple of people in particular have helped me learn to cope with the problems of river snags.
It's been over 40 years since I last saw Josh Miller in northern Indiana. Miller was a few years older than me but far more experienced in the ways of dealing with fast river current. He staked out a stretch of the St. Joe River as his base of operation between Elkhart and Osceola.
A week didn't pass without Josh showing up at my doorstep with a handful of photos depicting him and a massive stringers of fish. He laughed when I told him I always limited out on old logs and pieces of boulders.
Miller's secrets were the homemade, weedless jigs he put together in his basement. Like countless other anglers, Josh hated to fall prey to the jaws of doom on his beloved river.
So here we are, ready to bust loose for more angling adventures on local waters, and in light of the urges and the need to break free of winter's yoke, I will pass along some sage advice from Greg Bohn.
As many of you know, Bohn is a crafty, northern Wisconsin guide and tackle designer who occasionally gets together with angling guru Ron Lindner.
Some years ago they put a new spin on weedless, rock-free fishing by designing the No-Snagg terminal tackle for Lindy-Little Joe. The rest has become history.
In their bag of tricks lies the ultra-effective No-Snagg jig, which is exactly what the doctor ordered for fishing many rivers.
Adorned with pliable, wire hook guards, the various styles of this jig can be used by walleye, bass, catfish and pike fishermen who cruise rivers loaded with submerged trees and rock-strewn bottoms.
An early-season favorite offering for walleyes on the Fox is a jig tipped with a medium-sized minnow. But because the river itself is not as clear as other streams, I've learned it's a good idea to use a brightly colored jig head, something with luminescence.
The Fuzz-E-Grub jig in Techni-Glow colors is a very good tool to use on the Fox. My first, go-to choice, though, is the No-Snagg Timb'r Jig with the weed guard.
I would also think about using a fluorocarbon leader ahead of your regular line in case you discover the fish are a tad spooked by what you're throwing down into the morass of rock and other debris.
Look for sections of river that have eddys, or whirlpools, and start your search on the very outside of these pools. The water there tends to be more still.
And in this kind of search mission, you will likely be able to use a one-eighth ounce jig for vertical jigging. If you find the jig does not get down to the bottom, switch over to a three-eighths ounce or something heavier like half- or even three-quarters ounce.
Some anglers have never mastered vertical jigging, but it's fairly easy. Make contact with the bottom and keep your line perpendicular to the surface. You'll see the line twitch first before you feel a strike.
Good luck.
Mike Jackson can be reached via e-mail at angler@mikejacksonoutdoors.com, and you can catch his radio program 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM.