SPONSORED CONTENT
Watching Wisconsin pro Adam Rasmussen drop a jighead minnow on a bass’ head 70 feet from the front deck of his Vexus is as impressive as watching Brett Favre drop dimes to Packers all-pro Donald Driver. But when it’s time to score in tournaments, you’re more likely to find Rasmussen slinging any lure with a skirt on it.
“I’m totally comfortable playing the forward-facing sonar game with my Humminbirds, but if you look at my recent wins and high finishes over the past couple of seasons, there’s a jig, spinnerbait, or ChatterBait involved in every one of them,” Rasmussen says.
His recent success is indeed impressive. He won the 2023 Bassmaster Open on Wheeler largely with a ChatterBait, won the B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier at Eufaula, Alabama, dragging a jig, and nearly won the 2024 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake with a spinnerbait and jig combo around shallow brushpiles.
Big Bass Like Jigs
“We all know big bass like to eat a big meal, and jigs offer that profile, but they also offer us a ton of versatility. Whether you’re dragging it on a hard bottom, skipping it around a dock, or pitching it to visible habitat, a jig gives you the chance to get better-than-average bites,” says the Vexus pro.
He says there’s never been a time when fishing throughout the South on largemouth-dominated fisheries that he didn’t have a jig on the front deck. He also emphasizes simplicity, noting that only two colors are necessary: black-blue or brown, and that a 1/2-ounce version is his pick 80% of the time.
Get Erratic with the ‘Chatter Chicken’
“Whether you’re casting it around the shad spawn or reeling it a little slower over rock piles or vegetation, make sure you ‘pop’ the rod tip or alter your retrieve erratically from time to time to generate more bites with a ChatterBait,” he emphasizes.
He chooses a 1/2-ounce ChatterBait JackHammer most days and pairs it with a slender-tailed CrushCity FreeLoader trailer.
Can’t Count Out the Crescent Wrench
If ever there was an all-season versatile tool like a mechanic’s crescent wrench for bass fishing, it’s the time-proven spinnerbait. In early and mid-spring, prior to the shad spawn, Rasmussen loves to throw one with a single thumper blade.
“This spinnerbait with a single #5 Colorado blade is really the lure that nearly won me the 2024 Classic on Grand. I caught one that weighed nearly 6 pounds on Day 1, and that set the tone for the event. I used it all three days around brushpiles in 6 to 12 feet of water,” Rasmussen reflects.
“We all know the greatest tool we have as anglers is confidence, and these three lures provide me with plenty of confidence. It just seems like any time I do really well on a largemouth fishery, there’s a skirt involved,” concludes the straight-shooting pro from Packerland.
