Watching Wisconsin pro Adam Rasmussen drop a jig head minnow on a bass’ head 70-feet from the front deck of his Vexus is as impressive as the days of watching Brett Favre drop dimes on Packer’s all pro Donald Driver, but when it’s time to score in tournaments you’re more likely to find Rasmussen slinging any lure with a skirt on it.

“I’m totally comfortable playing the forward-facing sonar game with my Humminbirds, but if you look at my recent wins and high finishes the past couple of seasons, there’s a jig, spinnerbait or ChatterBait involved in every one of them,” says Rasmussen.

His recent success is indeed impressive. He won the 2023 Bassmaster Open on Wheeler largely with a ChatterBait, won the B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier at Eufaula, AL dragging a jig, and dang near won the 2024 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake, with a spinnerbait and jig combo around shallow brushpiles.

Bigs Like Jigs

“We all know big bass like to eat a big meal, and jigs offer that profile, but they also offer us a ton of versatility. Whether you’re dragging it on a hard bottom, skipping it around a dock, or pitching it to visible habitat, a jig gives you the chance to get better than average bites,” says the Vexus pro.

He says there’s never been a time when fishing throughout the south on largemouth dominated fisheries that he didn’t have a jig on the front deck. He also emphasizes simplicity, noting that only two colors are necessary: black-blue or brown, and that a 1/2-ounce version is his pick 80% of the time.

Get a little erratic with the ‘Chatter Chicken’

“Whether you’re casting it around the shad spawn, or reeling it a little slower over rock piles or vegetation, make sure you ‘pop’ the rod tip or alter your retrieve a little erratically from time-to-time to generate more bites with a ChatterBait,” he emphasizes.

He chooses a 1/2-ounce ChatterBait JackHammer most days and trims it with a slender-tailed CrushCity FreeLoader trailer.

Can’t count out the Crescent Wrench

If ever there was an all-seasons versatile tool like a mechanic’s crescent wrench for bass fishing, it’s the time-proven spinnerbait, and in early spring and mid-spring, prior to the shad spawn, Rasmussen loves to throw one with a single thumper blade.

“This spinnerbait with a single #5 Colorado blade is really the lure that nearly won me the 2024 Classic on Grand. I caught one that weighed nearly 6-pounds on it Day 1, and that set the tone for the event. I used it all three days around brushpiles in 6 to 12-feet of water,” reflects Rasmussen.

“We all know the greatest tool we have as anglers is confidence, and these three lures provide me with plenty of confidence. It just seems like any time I do really well on a largemouth fishery, there’s a skirt involved,” concludes the straight-shooting pro from Packer land.