Legend of the Jordan Lee Comeback Jig
Jordan Lee is the 2017 Bassmaster Classic champion, as we head into the 2018 Bassmaster Classic, Jordan shares details on the bait he used to make his comeback to champion, the Strike King J-Lee Comeback Stand Up Football Jig. Jordan weighed in less than 9 pounds of bass on the first day of 2017 tournament, which would be fine, if he was fishing the 3 rivers in Pittsburgh or Wissota, but he was at Lake Conroe in Texas. After likely being counted out by most others, his 20+ lb. bags on day 2 & 3 certainly constituted a "comeback". He attributed that success to locating a good spot in practice and working the area the Strike King football mop jig.
Main Topics in this Mop Jig Fishing Class
- 2:00 What is the comeback jig?
- 9:05 Tips for selecting jig colors
- 11:15 Lighter can mean better
- 15:40 Jig fishing gear
- 17:30 Why fish a jig with round rubber
- 19:45 Slower is better
- 22:30 Key places to fish a mop jig
- 26:25 The bottom line
What is a Comeback Jig?
It's a mop style jig with a round rubber skirt. Jordan Lee designed the bait for dragging it offshore. He discusses why he designed it with a flat-bottomed football head jig, where he likes to fish this jig, why he selected a more light wire hook, what trailer he likes to use, what size he usually fishes and more! Does Jordan Lee prefer a lighter or heavier jig? Is this jig good for skipping docks? Do you hop or drag this jig? Green pumpkin is a great soft plastic, what color of jig does Jordan Lee use? More importantly, what color jig did Jordan Lee use to win the Bassmaster Classic?
Why Fish a Mop-Style Jig?
Jordan spends a great deal of time on this topic. There are a lot of silicone-skirted jigs on the market, and people seemingly have preferred them for decades now. Why fish this "old school" jig? What are the benefits of throwing this bulkier jig, and what seasons does it shine? One important thing to note is that, particularly in cold water, leading up to spawn and heading out of spawn, bigger bass want a big easy meal. Jordan discusses why this bait excels at putting big bass in the boat, and what weather/water conditions to look for to know it's prime to fish this jig. Usually, a silicne jig is a bait you want to work a lot. Jordan will break down why this bait can really entice bites when it's fished slow and will help you build confidence in dragging this bait across the bottom...always on the bottom. In short, do not overfish this jig!
If you're familiar with football jig fishing, you may already have an idea of where Jordan likes to fish this bait. In this video, Lee discusses where he likes to throw this lure, why it's great to fish in those areas, and the forage it's excellent at imitating. Of course, the head shape also dictates great places it can be fished effectively. He also described the area he was fishing this bait to catch his classic-winning bass.
Jordan Lee is a tournament bass angler, as are many of our students. His goal is to catch the 5 biggest bass he can on a given day. Lee has confidence that in many cases this bait is the best choice to get the five biggest bass, particularly during select seasons, like late winter through spring (pre spawn and post spawn).
Mop Jig Tackle to Use
Jordan Lee talks about the reel, rod and line he likes to use to fish a mop jig. They are: 7'2" MH or 7'4" Heavy Action Quantum Smoke Rod, Quantum Smoke S3 (7.3:1 or 8.1:1 Gear Ratio) & Seaguar AbrazX Fluorocarbon Line.
Jordan Lee Answers Student Questions
- What color trailer do you use?
- Rattles or no rattles on the jig?
- Do you hop the jig or drag it?
- What about trimming the skirt?
- Is there a difference between hand-tied and non-hand-tied jigs?
- Can you describe the weed guard you look for and how you alter it when fishing a mop-style football jig?
- Why not a tungsten weight in this football head jig?
- And more!
More Jig Fishing Videos
If you like this jig fishing seminar from Bassmaster Classic champion Jordan Lee, you might also like: Fishing the Right Jig, Football Jigs & our Bass University Live December 2017 Episode Jordan Lee on Jig Fishing.