Product Preview: Cabin Fever Lures Venom Flipping Jigs! | flipping jigs

It's been in the works for a while now, but I think we're in the final stages of getting our Cabin Fever Lures Venom Flipping Jigs ready for sale!

The Venom Flipping Jigs will feature Mustad Ultrapoint hooks, our SF Skirts (80 strands of premium silicone), and skirt collars that will accept rattles! They will only be available in 11 colors, but we're hoping to eventually expand the colors available.

Skirts Bonus Part 3 of 2: Lumaflex | Skirt material

Lumaflex. Not too many people have heard of it yet, and I just recently learned about it.

Lumaflez is the newest skirt material on the market, and is supposed to have quite a few advantages over living rubber and silicone. This supposedly has the color potentials of silicone while having a livelier action like living rubber.

According to the Living Rubber Company, lumaflex is safe for both fresh and saltwater fishing. It has a "glowing" appearance due to high light reflection. They also claim it will absorb scents and attractants and that it won't melt together (or other things) in your hot tackle box or boat.

Lumaflex is; however, a lot more expensive so I don't think you'll seeing it hit the mainstrean fishing market soon, but there are a few custom lure companies that do offer it.

Cabin Fever Lures Website Gets a Photo Upgrade! | Photo upgrade

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, I agree. That's why the site got a whole photo upgrade! These all new photos give the site a more professional feel, and they display the jigs a whole lot better. It's almost like you're looking at them in person!

Go check it out and let me know what you think here on the blog!

Skirts Part 2 of 2: Fullness | 80 strand skirts

Another major question about skirts is how full should a skirt be. Like the material, this also depends on the conditions you're fishing.

Now, lets say you estimate you'll need 50-75 feet of rope to tie something together. You go to the store and they have sell rope in 50 foot and 100 foot increments. You're not going to buy the 50ft rope and hope its enough. You'd buy the 100ft rope and just not use it all.

I prefer to take the same approach with my skirts. I'd rather have a skirt that is fuller than I normally need incase I do need a full skirt. If I don't need a full skirt, I simply trim some of the strands off and then I have a thinner skirt. It is for this reason that all Cabin Fever Lures jigs come with our super full 80 strand skirts.

I use a jig with a full skirt if I want to slow down the jig's fall. A full skirt increases furface area and increases drag, which slows the jig. I also use a full skirt when I want a bigger profile. If I'm fishing muddy water, I want a big profile on my jigs, so I'll use the full 80 strand skirt.

I normally trim the skirt down when I want the jig to fall faster, or when I want a smaller profile. In the winter, since the bass aren't as likely to grab a jig on the fall, I prefer a thinner skirt so my jigs looks smaller and easier to catch once it is on the bottom.

So next time you're buying jigs, make sure you don't buy a jig that will limit you're possibilities to catch fish and get one with a nice, full skirt!

Skirts Part 1 of 2: Material | silicone skirts

When it comes to jgs, buzzbaits, spinnerbait, etc. there is always the question of which skirt material is the best. Now, for jigs there is only two choices in my opinion: Silicone and Rubber.

Silicone: Most of the jigs on the market, including the Cabin Fever Lures jigs, have silicone skirts. The main reason I like silicone skirts is because of the wide variety of colors. Silicone colors can be from black to natural greens and browns, to white or even bright chartreuse. Silicone can even mix colors and include flakes like plastic worms.

Rubber: Or sometimes called Living Rubber, is normally round. It comes in very limited and basic colors, but can outperform silicone when it comes to action in the water. Living Rubber "breathes" underwater and flares out much better than silicone. Sometimes this can be good, sometimes it can be bad. I like living rubber for jigs that I'm going to work slow in the winter or spring because the rubber breathes and moves slightly, even while the lure is sitting still.

There are advantages to both Silicone skirts and Living Rubber skirts, and when to use which really depends on the conditions and the fish's mood.

Targeting Bass Through the Ice | Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon

Here, with winter taking hold, the ice is starting to form on some of the smaller ponds and reserviors around here. this means the end of open water fishing till spring.

For me, that means when I go fishing, it's ice fishing. While I normally don't ice fish for bass, but target more delicious fish like yellow perch, I do occasionally see a bass swim by the underwater camera.

When I see one, or sometimes more, I grab my rod with Northland's Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon on it. I drop it down and let it sit for a few seconds then raise it up about 4-6 inches and let it fall back down so it rattles. I repeat this 5-6 more times then let it rest. Then I shake it again. I've caught a few winter bass this way, so next you're out ice fishing and spot some bass, give these spoons a try.

Cabin Fever Lures and Maximum Exposure | football jigs

We recently got our Cabin Fever Lures Football Jigs on Bassfishin.com's Maximum Exposure section.

There are high quality pictures, a short description, and a link to our site there.

Kevin, the owner of the site, does an awesome job with the pictures. A big thanks to Kevin!

So check them out and let us know what you think.

Why Buy Custom Lures? | Custom bass jigs

I was recently asked if custom lures were better than brand name lures, and if so, why.

For me, quality is a big issue. While custom bass jigs may cost you more than store bought ones, they will most likely be of better quality.

Another reason is just as the name says: Custom. With a lot of custom lure companies, you can order custom lures. Say you just can't find the color you want on their site. Some companies will make that color for you.

The last, and I think one of the most important reasons now days, is to support small businesses and American made lures. Look at almost any store bought lure and you'll most likely find Made in Japan, China, etc. or Assembled in Mexico, etc.

Cabin Fever Lures has a New Logo | New Logo

Cabin Fever Lures has a new logo. The new logo can be found at the top of our blog, and our website's homepage.

Go check it out and leave us your feedback by commenting on this post.

Thanks

Cabin Fever Lures Preview | custom flipping jig

I've had some questions lately about Cabin Fever Lures expanding, so I though I'd let everyone in on what we've got planned for the end of this year.

The first thing we're working on is a cutsom flipping jig. These will feature Mustad Ultrapoint hooks, our Super-Stuffed 80 strand silicone skirts, and a skirt collar that will hold rattles!

The second thing we're working on is a slew of new colors, including upgrading most of our Craw colors and adding in some whole new color schemes like Junebug, Pumpkin, and Goby.

There is a third thing we're working on, but as of right now, it's still under wraps. So keep watching the Cabin Fever Lures website, our forum, and our blog for more info on these updates and other news.

Jigs and the Drop-Shot | drop-shot

Now, you may be asking yourself, "What does a jig have to do with the drop-shot?!"

Well, even though the jig and the drop-shot don't seem like they'd go together, they can. And here's how: use a jig of your choosing as the weight on your drop-shot jig.

Now, I especially like this technique during early spring, or winter months if you live where you can fish in the winter. I do this a lot when I'd normally just tie on a hair jig. Instead, I rig up the drop-shot, and tie on a small hair jig (probably 1/16 - 1/8 oz) about 12-15" before the hook. For a bait on the drop-shot, I use a small 4" straight tail worm (but you can use whatever you have confidence in on the drop-shot)

The previous scenario is probably where I use this the most, but you can apply this with other kinds of jigs, with different drop-shot baits, and during other times of the year.

Selecting the Right Jig Trailer | jig trailers

There are tons of different options when it comes to jig trailers. You can buy anything from chunks, to craws, to double tail grubs. I prefer to match my trailer type and size to the conditions I'm fishing.

First off, I use a trailer 99% of the time. In cold water or when fish are in a negative mood, I try to choose something that doesn't have a lot of action to it and/or something with a small profice. Smaller chunks trailers are good for this, as are double tail grubs. I also like to use double tail grubs on football jigs.

For warmer water, I prefer a craw imitation trailer. I'll use anything from a small trailer with craw-like appendages to full 4" soft plastic craws. When choosing a trailer, it's important to remember that the size affects the fall rate of your jig, so if you want a faster fall, use a smaller trailer.

Choosing the Right Line for Jigging (3 of 3) | custom hair jigs

Now that I've covered the basics, here's a couple that most people don't think of.

Shaky Head Jigs - 8-10lb fluorocarbon. I prefer fluorocarbon for it's sensitivity and near invisibility.

Hair Jigs - 6-10lb fluorocarbon. Custom hair jigs are one of my favorite cold water lures. Since they're fished when fish are lethargic (winter and early spring), you need a line that's not going to spook the fish, and fluorocarbon is the ticket.
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Choosing the Right Line for Jigging (2 of 3) | custom flipping jig

Here's a couple more of my line recommendations for jigging:

Flipping Jigs - 15-20lb fluorocarbon or 30-65lb braid. In most conditions, braid is my choice of line, but if the water is extremely clear and the cover isn't thick, I'll go to fluorocarbon. Remember this the next time you tie on your favorite custom flipping jig!

Swim Jigs - 12-20lb fluorocarbon. Choose your strength of line by the thickness of the cover you'll be swimming jigs in. 15lb test is a good all around choice.

Choosing the Right Line for Jigging (1 of 3) | custom football jigs

A lot of people wonder what's the best kind of line to use for fishing with jigs. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to that question because of all the different kinds of jigs. In this and upcoming blogs, I'll share my line recommendations for different types of jigs.

Football Jigs - 12-15lb Fluorocarbon. An FC line is my personal choice for custom football jigs because of its sensitivity and abraision resistance. I also like it because it is nearly invisible to fish, which helps since football jigs are fished in open water most of the time. The abraision resistance helps since football jigs are fished around rocks often too.

Jigs and Hooks | mustad ultra point hooks

When it comes to hooks, I tend to use three different brands.

For all my soft plastics rigging and things, I use Gamakatsu or Owner, depending on what I'm doing since I think each brand has hooks better suited to different applications.

But for my jigs, I always use Mustad ultra point hooks. Mustad's jig hooks are great because they are a heavy wire hook, yet they are still razor sharp!

Flipping and Pitching (3 of 3) | flipping and pitching

Pitching can cover more water than flipping, but it is still a short range technique.

Here's how. Let enough line out so that your bait is about at your reel when you hold you rod up. Grab it in your non-casting hand. point you rod down, and as you swing it up, let go of the jig so it swings out. You can let the jig take line out as it travels forward. If you're using a baitcasting reel, be sure do keep your thumb on the spool so is doesn't overrun. Just like flipping, practice until you can get you bait to enter the water where you want it, and without making a splash.

Flipping and pitching are great short range techinuqes that can help you place your bait stealthily and accurately where the fish are.

Flipping and Pitching (2 of 3) | weedless jig

For those of you who don't know how to flip, lets go over it. Flipping is an accurate way to place your bait, but unfortunaly, its distance is very limited.

First, tie on your weedless jig or t-rigged soft plastic. Let out a rod length, or a rod and a half worth of line. Grab your line between the reel and the first guide. Pull up the line with your non-casting arm. Swing your bait underhand to gain momentum and as the lure travels out, bring the line in your hand closer to the rod. You should end with the line back in its original position.

Practice this until you can place the lure where you want it without making a splash.

Flipping and Pitching (1 of 3) | flipping jigs

Fishing in the weeds can be difficult and downright frustrating, which is why many anglers choose to fish somewhere else, but it can also produce good numbers of largemouth bass (and big ones!). While fishing in heavy weed cover you can eliminate some lures choices.

I've found the best way to fish weeds is flipping and pitching. Two of my favorites baits for this are t-rigged soft plastic craws or creature baits with heavy bullet weights (3/8-1 oz) pegged in front of them and flipping jigs. Flipping jigs are great for fishing weedy cover since they feature a streamline head shape and a weedguard to keep the jig from hanging up in the weeds.

Fishing Jigs on Ledges | football jigs

While they may not be great for heavy cover, football jigs, shine when it comes to fishing ledges. Their wide head shape gives stability while reducing the chance of getting hung up on rocks. With a craw trailer, these make the perfect baits for fishing ledges.

So if your lake has lots of ledges, give football jigs a try.

Jigs, Great for Catching Summer Bass | custom bass jigs

If you're looking to catch some bass this summer, consider fishing with a jig. While there numerous types of jigs, colors, trailers, etc. you only need a couple to catch fish.

A standard flipping jig will cover a lot of your jig fishing situations. I recommend having at least a 3/8oz and a 1/2oz jig in a couple colors including Black & Blue, Green Pumpkin, and Craw patterns.

Using custom bass jigs is a great way to land yourself a huge bass this season!