Learning how to Fish Lake George: Hair Jig
Honestly, last year was my first year fishing a hair jig - ever. And without a doubt it was probably one of the biggest surprises of 2018. We caught not only big fish, but we caught numbers of them (all caught and released!). I’m going to give you everything I’ve got in how, where, and when I fished these baits:
VMC Marabou Dominator Jig 1/4 oz (Brown). By far, this was our best color and size of hair jig.
Rod/Reel/Line/Leader: I bought a couple of Daiwa Tatula 7’6” Hair Jig rods designed by Seth Feider. They are a bit on the pricey side, but truly an incredible tool for hair jigging. Paired with a Okuma Helios reel and 8-10lb Gamma Torque Braid with a 8’ Gamma Edge fluorocarbon leader and you have yourself one deadly outfit.
Presentation: I fished the hair jig with a lot of finesse. I didn’t do any ripping of baits. I would cast, let the bait fall to the bottom, and slowly “swim” it back to the boat. I liked fishing it in 20-50 fow on off shore humps.
The bite: I wanted to include a little about the bite because it was often ultra subtle. I know this might sound weird - but I would categorize a bite as anything that seemed out of the ordinary. It was almost a sixth sense - a little less weight in the jig, something breathed on it, a bluegill bite - all got a hook set. And often after that I was fighting a 3-4lber.
I’ve already started to fish these hair jigs on inside edges with cold water temps and am super impressed with the results - big crappies and largemouth. Soon I’m going to try them for walleyes. This is a technique you’re going to want to add to your arsenal. My only request as I’m hooking you up with info is that you catch and release as much as possible. Especially on Lake George, a 3-4lber is a special fish. Together we can make Lake George a trophy fishery! If you have questions or would like me to write on other topics, leave a comment. Thanks!