Jig’s Snakebite Baits

JIGS “SNAKEBITE BAITS”

How did the name come to be ?

It was a warm late afternoon Sept 5^th 2005.

Jigs, (Phil Hill) went out to his garden to pick some tomatoes. The previous day, Phil had noticed quite a few tomatoes worms on the vines, and removed them and sprayed the vines accordingly to rid the tomatoes of the pests. On the way down to the garden plants, Phil remembered the worms, and that they do bite on occasion. Reaching down in, to pick a ripe tomato he had noticed, Phil felt a small prick on his left hand like a sticker or he thought a darn tomato worm. Phil, reaching in again, felt the same thing, another prick or bite. When he pulled back the vine to look, low and behold was a small rattlesnake; he had been bitten twice. Hence came the name “ JIGS SNAKEBITE BAITS” ! Since then, Phil no longer grows tomatoes or vegetables at his Don Pedro home; now just manufactures spinnerbaits, buzzbaits & jigs for Bass fishing.

SPINNERBAITS ON LAKE DON PEDRO

Now is the time to think about spinnerbaits on Lake Don Pedro in the California Motherlode.

Bass in mid to late February start to stage on Main Lake Points and creek mouths. This is a classic time to throw a ½ oz to 1-oz spinnerbait across main lake points and in the middle of creek mouths and channels.

I suggest Spinnerbaits in white, with white or silver willow, or combination of the two blades I have found to produce best this time of year and, until mid to late March. I have found fishing the spinnerbait shallow to a depth of 10 ft in the A.M. works best for me. Depths of 10 ft to 20 ft seem to work best the rest of the day. This is due to fish coming up from the depths, plus you can target the fish that have already been shallow for a few days.

I also suggest not getting into a hurry yet this time of year and not burn the bait as in the summer or fall months. Although the Bass are hungry, they can still be lethargic and pass it by. I use willow blades in size #5 for the main blade and size 3 ½ for the rear blade. On a ½ oz, you can slow roll it all day in front of Bass.

A combination of white and silver blades for me solves the issue of blades on sunny days and blades on darker cloudy or murky water days. Try it, it has worked for me for over 40 years.

Thank you

JIGS

Mark Lassagne

Mark Lassagne is a professional bass angler, outdoor writer, and publisher based in Northern California. As the founder of Bass Angler Magazine and the BAM Tournament Trail, Mark has dedicated his career to growing and promoting the sport of bass fishing, especially on the West Coast. With decades of tournament experience across the country—from MLF Toyota Series events to his own BAM Pro Tour—Mark brings a unique blend of on-the-water knowledge and industry insight. The content of his writing focuses on helping anglers of all skill levels to catch more fish, understand cutting-edge techniques, and stay connected to the latest trends in bass fishing. When he’s not behind the wheel of his Ford F-350 hauling the BAM stage, you’ll find him chasing bass in California’s best fisheries in his Bass Cat.

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