Jigs

Jigs are my favorite all around bait, and especially when I target rock structures in the column. Thrown with soft plastic baits in various profiles, the jig is incredibly versatile. I use a light jig to hop up and over rocky points, and I also love dragging a big heavy jig to shake things up. 

Grubs

Fishing a standup jig with a double tail grub during post-spawn produces fish around gravel banks. Hop it, drag and shake it on the bottom or slowly lift and drop it to find big baits. It is also an effective finesse-style baits to fish on beds when I want to pick a fish or two off occasionally. 

Crankbaits

Medium diving crankbaits bounced around rocks in crawfish colors are magic in the spring and late fall. Focus your casts around chunk rock banks or roll a crankbait through banks with a chunk rock and pea gravel blend to pick up more fish.

Texas Rigged Craws

I’ve found that it’s all about the profile when it comes to fishing rocks. T-rigging a soft plastic craw body in the spring or late fall can produce fish bulking and looking for an easy protein meal. Use the Texas rig in the spring to agitate the bass into eating, then switch to a shaky head or drop shot when fish go deeper. Both methods work well when you need to get deep. I use a shaky head when hopping rock structures, but switch to a drop shot when bass get really deep. Suspend the bait just above the rock structures and let the technique work its magic.

Hopefully these tips help you bag a giant on your next trip out. Be sure not to overlook rock structures, and you may find yourself hooked into a monster!