John's Journal...

How to Catch Bass in November with Mark Davis

Day 2: How to Fish the Jig In November with Mark Davis

Editor’s Note: Bass Pro Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Arkansas, won the Bassmaster Classic in 1995 and has had five first-place finishes and 44 top-10 finishes. To help you catch fish this month, Davis shares how he catches bass in November.

Click for Larger ViewLike the crankbait (see Day 1), the jig is hard to beat this month. The bass primarily feed on crawfish, and the jig is an excellent crawfish imitation. I fish the jig on 15- to 25-pound-test line. I use a 6-1/2- to 7-foot, medium-heavy casting rod and a fast-retrieve gear-ratio rod. You can catch bass on jigs using a wide variety of tactics during the fall.

Click for Larger ViewAs I mentioned yesterday, I fish creek banks during November. After I fish down a bank with a crankbait, I come right back down that same bank with a jig. I usually catch some additional bass fishing that same bank when I fish it with the jig. Another place where the jig can really pay-off is along boat docks – especially deep boat docks. Boathouses are prime fishing locations this month, because many boat owners pull their boats out of the water at this time of the year, which leaves the boat slip open to make an easy cast into with the jig. You can fish to the center of the boat dock where that boat has sat all summer, so you have new water to fish that you haven’t been able to fish all year. Click for Larger ViewTherefore, you’ll possibly present the jig in a place and in a way that the bass haven’t seen before. When you fish a lake with boat docks and boat houses, and those home owners have pulled their boats out of the docks to be winterized, you need to fish those boat slips heavily. Another good place to fish jigs this month is on points. I like the steeper points and a point that has a bluff on the bank. I like to fish the ends of the points where the creek channels swing away from the bluff. I fish the jig from 5-feet deep to possibly as deep as 25 feet, depending on the water clarity and where I find the bass holding. Once you locate the bass on these points, you can usually find bass at that same depth on other points throughout the lake.

Click for Larger ViewSeveral colors of jigs will produce bass this month, particularly black and blue. I also like the crawfish colors, like the new BleedingBait jigs that have some pumpkin, green and red in them. I try to match my trailer to my jig. For instance, I’ll probably prefer a green-pumpkin chunk, or possibly a watermelon-colored chunk. If I fish a black-and-blue jig, then I fish a black or a black-and-blue trailer. Strike King has a red weed guard on some jigs. I believe the red weed guard enhances the jig and makes it more appealing to the bass. Red contrasts with the other colors; therefore the jig stands out and gives the appearance of an injured or bleeding crawfish or baitfish. The big thing about the red weed guard is that it gives a different look to the jig – a look the bass haven’t seen before. Anytime you can change the look of a bait and present a lure that’s different from what the bass usually see, you have a better chance at triggering a strike.

Tomorrow: Mark Davis Explains How to Spinner Bait Fish In November


Check back each day this week for more about "How to Catch Bass in November with Mark Davis "

Day 1: Crankbaits Catch November Bass
Day 2: How to Fish the Jig In November with Mark Davis
Day 3: Mark Davis Explains How to Spinner Bait Fish In November
Day 4: Why Fish Tubes in the Fall with Bass Pro Mark Davis
Day 5: Bass Pro Mark Davis Tells Us Why to Fish a Jerkbait in November

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Entry 638, Day 2