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Outdoors

Put a cork in it

Add surface appeal to jigs with a popping cork on the line, which keeps the lure off the bottom and draws a lot of attention.

By DAVID A. BROWN
Published March 19, 2005

Can't decide if you want to work your bait near the surface or attract fish on the bottom?

How about something that can do both. A jig-and-cork rig, a combination of two of the most popular methods of fishing, enables anglers to cover a lot of terrority and attract fish from any depth.

Jigging is probably the most popular inshore method, but it lacks the excitement of working a bait on the surface and often leads to hang-ups on rocks and other structure.

Soaking a shrimp or other live bait is also popular, but fish holding deep are often immune to this tactic.

That's where the jig-and-cork comes into play. The rig allows anglers to work a jig over bottom, such as lush grass beds favored by trout and redfish, without hanging up on every cast. And with the a cork that adds weight, greater casting distance is possible, which is a big help on clear days when spooky fish won't let a boat or angler approach without spooking.

Most tackle shops carry rigs made of floats and beads set on a wire with swivels at each end. If you make your own rig, attach a cork above your jig at a height that lets the lure swim a few inches above any bottom structure. You might need to tweak the depth a few times, but adjustments are easy, as you simply slide the cork up or down the main line.

To work a jig-and-cork rig, cast as far as you can, let the lure settle then retrieve with about the same action as you would with a regular jig. Just give it a little more pull to make the cork turn parallel to the water's surface and chug with each tug. Popping corks with concave faces are made for this, but most any style of float will work.

If you use a cork with positioning pegs, remove the top peg and the cork will make a bigger slurping sound when tugged.

Any way you do it, a cork's commotion mimics the sound of a feeding predator and usually attracts the interest of other fish. After you attract attention with the cork, the jig's fluttering appearance simulates a wounded baitfish, and nothing rings the dinner bell like an easy meal.

You can pause your retrieve and let the jig fall. Wiggling in the current, the jig appears even more vulnerable to predators. This is especially effective after a fish gets away, as other predators will gobble a meal coughed up by a schoolmate.

The suspending-bait technique helps in cooler weather or any time you have a light bite. By hovering your lure in the strike zone and barely hopping it along every few seconds, you often entice an otherwise lethargic fish into expending a little energy to nab a meal that isn't moving away too quickly.

The cork tells you when you have a take, but clear water can work against you in this application, as your quarry gets a good look at the bait.

You'll do well fishing the jig-and-cork in transitional areas where different bottom types meet. Examples include grass beds with sandy potholes and deep dropoffs adjacent to oyster bars.

Medium-action spinning gear with 8- to 12-pound monofilament line handles this kind of fishing nicely.

To boost the attraction, try adding rattle inserts to the jig tails or soft-plastic jerk baits. Scented plastics also increase the appeal.

You also can increase the attraction with two jigs below the cork. Store-bought options exist, but you can make your own by running a piece of fluorocarbon leader through one side of a barrel swivel, then tying a simple overhand knot with the tag ends cut at 12 and 24 inches. Attach 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jigs to each, and tie your main line to the other side of the swivel.

[Last modified March 19, 2005, 01:01:18]