Fabulous February By: Britt Stoudenmire Fforjunkie Barry Loupe. Barry and I met over 16 years ago at the memorial service our mutual friend, Cap’n Jack West from East Tennessee, a legend and
“ abulous February” is a term coined by my good friend and fellow smallmouth contemporary in the advancement of river smallmouth fishing. We both knew instantly that we shared a common bond and fishing was going to be an avenue for a lifelong friendship. After the funeral, Barry and I kept in touch and he became a mentor to me in both fishing and life. Barry was known then, in the early stages of the river smallmouth phenomenon, as the go-to expert in fishing jig-n-pigs for river smallmouth. His home river is the North Fork of the Holston River near Saltville, VA and, at the time we met, he had taken a liking to Butch Neal’s custom tied jigs - typically dressed with a small, slender Venom chunk. While Barry’s box of lead could nearly sink a boat he usually only needed one or two jigs for a day’s work. He taught me early on that cold water meant big fish. And while anytime from November thru the end of March could be good, February was the most fabulous month for chasing big, winter smallmouth on the jig-n-pig. You see, back then, very few people were fishing for smallmouth during the winter months, and those who did, were looked upon as being absolutely crazy. People would often ask, “How in this world can you catch fish during the middle of the freezing winter?” But I loved the thought that no one else was doing it and some 16 years later it still appeals to me as much as the first day I ever hit the river in the winter. After a year of knowing Barry and discussing winter fishing regularly, I decided to attack it head on by trying to perfect my jig skills. No rain, snow, sleet, or wind could keep me off the river as I fished almost every single day almost exclusively using a jig-n-pig. Everyday when I left the river, I came home, called Barry and we discussed all the small nuances of fishing a jig. The next day I would head out a little more armed and with a little more confidence. It was a learning process but I became a better angler that winter while Barry and I were becoming better friends, too. I perfected a setup that worked best for me at the time and then have toyed with it over the years. My first setup was a G.Loomis IMX SJR723 6’ medium-heavy spinning rod with a 2500 series Sahara reel. I preferred the green Power Pro 20/6 braided line that, back then, used to fade to more of a white color which you could see very well on the water. In the beginning, I tied directly to the bait using a Palomar knot. As time progressed, I moved to a G.Loomis GLX SJR822 6’6” medium spinning rod because I like the longer length for hook sets and the softer tip for forgiveness when big fish got near the boat. I switched out reels several times and eventually settled on the Shimano Ci4+ Stradic, which I now think is the best reel ever made for smallmouth fishing. Power Pro ‘improved’ the dies in their braided line and they no longer fade meaning, I could no longer see my line on the water. So, I changed to the Hi-Vis Yellow and added in an 8’ – 10’ 12lb Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon leader to give more bounce in my presentation of the jig. As far as jigs go, I tinkered with those as well. I liked the Butch Neal jig that Barry used due to its small, sparse profile, which was perfect for smallmouth fishing. However, I found that the round head hung up often on the bottom of our rocky and ledge-filled rivers. I decided to switch to an Arky head style jig with a plastic brush weed guard that I trimmed back. I gravitated from silicon to round rubber to even purchasing a vice and tying my own jigs. Eventually, I settled on a jig I named the “Undulator Jig” that was parts of several of my favorite jigs. It included the Arky style head, typically in ¼-oz size, tied with sparse round rubber, rabbit hair, and a pinch of bucktail. It could be fished in a variety of ways imitating both a crayfish and a mad tom. It was especially effective on the pause or fall when the undulation of the rabbit hair due to the water current would trigger those hard to get winter bites. As far as fishing these baits, I learned an awful lot about how to use the jig to telegraph the bottom. And in next month’s addition, I will tackle, specifically, how to fish the jig and the tube as we move into the March pre-spawn bite where the tube will typically take the place of the jig as the go-to bait. If you decide to head out this winter, make sure to take extreme caution. Prepare accordingly, wear proper clothes, and always wear a PFD. When the water and air temps are as cold as they are in the winter, there is no room for error!
Britt Stoudenmire is co-owner of New River Outdoor Co. which features waterfront cabin rentals and guided smallmouth and musky trips on the New River in SW Virginia. For more information on their services, please contact them at 540-9217438 or visit their website at www.newriveroutdoorco.com.
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FEBRUARY 2020
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