When low water temperatures force largemouth bass into cold-induced torpor, they’ll hold in the deepest holes they can find and cease feeding actively.
That can make winter fishing an exercise in frustration for even the most experienced anglers.
Only a handful of techniques have even the hope of soliciting a bite, and sluggish, cold-weather bass are the very definition of finicky.
What winter bass fishermen need is a slow, finesse presentation that allows lethargic largemouth plenty of time to check it out while still generating strikes. And for that, pretty much nothing beats the Damiki rig.
“Moping” or “hanging a minnow” – whatever you call it, it’s dynamite when the water is cold.
Are you looking for a presentation that can generate strikes in the dead of winter?
Keep reading to find out more about the Damiki rig!
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Related: Best Fishing Rigs for Any Situation
What is the Damiki Rig?
The Damiki rig is a simple idea: rig a light jig head with a minnow-imitating soft bait. Then, fish it by letting it flutter to a depth just above where bass are holding in the water column, and let it just sit there.
If the bass don’t hit it, a gentle twitch of your rod tip, or even a very, very slow swim for a few feet, can trigger that strike you’re looking for.
Damiki jig heads: smaller hooks
Damiki jig heads are pretty much standard swimbait jig heads with a longer “jaw” and smaller hook sizing. Typical weights range from ¼ ounce to ½ ounce, with hook sizes running from 1/0 to 3/0 as the head gets heavier.
Standard swimbait jig heads, like those available from VMC, may work just fine. But keep in mind that you don’t really want to go lighter than ¼ ounce when selecting your jigs, as well as the corresponding hook size that’ll be delivered with that weight jig.
For instance, VMC’s ¼-ounce swimbait jig heads sport a 3/0 hook, which is larger than you want for an ideal presentation.
In short, if you can, stick with Damiki jig heads.
Damiki rig trailers: soft-plastic minnows
When they feed, winter bass are keying-in on minnows and other baitfish, and you’ll have the most success with a Damiki rig if you choose your swimbait accordingly.
Flukes are always a great option. And whether you prefer a 4-inch Z-Man Jerk Shadz or a Zoom Fluke, you get a soft bait that’s the right size and shape to simulate bait fish like shad and minnows.
And even sitting pretty darn still, that slender fluke tail will wriggle ever so slightly, sending vibrations racing through the water.
For me, that makes the Z-Man and Zoom a better option than the Berkley Gulp Minnow, just because I think that tail flutter is a bit more pronounced with those two.
A paddle-tail is also an excellent choice for a Damiki rig, and it’s very hard to beat a Z-MAN DieZel MinnowZ when you want finesse.
And tournaments are being won with the amazing Damiki Armor Shad, though it’s often out of stock through the winter. Get yours in the summer, and you’ll be ready for the cold!
How to Assemble a Damiki Rig: Get the Details Right!
As simple as a jig head and trailer are, you really want to get the details right on a Damiki rig.
Bass are going to have a long time to study a bait that’s sitting still, and you want it to look and move like the real thing. And with inevitable short strikes, you also need your Damiki rig trailer to hold like it’s glued to the jig head – literally.
The first thing you want to do is measure carefully where the hook will exit your trailer.
You want a perfectly flat presentation: no curves or kinks. Your swimbait needs to look as natural as you can make it.
And before you slide that swimbait into place, dab a bit of super glue on the keeper behind the head. That’ll stick your swimbait in place, and short strikes won’t pull your trailer down and prevent a second hit or an immediate follow-up cast.
Finally, you need to tie a good knot like the Palomar. It’s essential that you orient the knot so that the jig head and trailer float horizontally, just like a minnow. Any deviation from that flat orientation is going to alert bass that something’s not right.
Gear for Damiki Rigging
A fish finder is essential
To get the most from the Damiki rig, you need good fishing electronics with powerful forward scanning tech.
Your goal is to find a school of baitfish that bass are showing some interest in. They’ll likely be in deeper water, and the bass will almost certainly be suspended beneath the school.
You want to present your Damiki rig above those bass, near or in that schooling bait. And that means keeping a constant eye on your fish finder so you know exactly what’s going on down deep.
Spinning tackle, braid, and mono leader
Pros are fishing their Damiki rigs as a finesse presentation, using medium-power spinning rods and high-quality spinning reels to match.
My pick for a Damiki rig is the 7’1” St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass in medium/fast. It’s sensitive enough to feel a bass bump or inhale your rig, while still offering plenty of backbone for a hard hookset.
I pair this rod with a Shimano Vanford, which offers super-smooth performance and a world-class drag.
As you’d expect, tournament winners are running super-high-end tackle like the unbeatable G. Loomis NRX+. This 7’3” rod is simply the most sensitive choice you can make.
It’s that good.
And when it does come time to set the hook or wrangle a heavy bass up from the depths, it’s got more than enough backbone to get the job done.
When paired with a 3000-size Shimano Stella FK, this legendary combination is unmatched for Damiki rigging.
Most anglers will want to run braided main line, whether that’s Sufix 832 or Power Pro. Many opt for high-visibility colors, too.
10-pound braid is the most popular choice on the tournament trail for Damiki rigging, and a good length of clear mono or fluorocarbon leader is essential. I like 8-pound Stren MagnaThin as it ties easily, holds securely, and is nearly invisible to fish.
How to Fish a Damiki Rig
Damiki rigging relies heavily on fishing electronics to locate and stay on a school of baitfish. You’ll need to watch your screen constantly and follow that cluster of shad wherever they go.
Cast your Damiki rig and let it flutter down to the school, keeping it above the bass at all times.
Get your line tight, keep your rod tip low, and let the trailer do the work. You want to keep your rig still, just floating neutrally.
Bass that have never seen this presentation before will often rush to hit it, but if that doesn’t happen, give your rod the gentlest of vibrations. Don’t pump your rod tip! Just shimmy your rod to set the tail of the trailer dancing.
If a strike still doesn’t come, you can try a quick pop of your rod tip, followed by a full turn of your crank. That will cause your swimbait to dart away, imitating a scared or injured baitfish.
Then, let your rig sit absolutely still for a while and see if a bass comes to get it.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve struggled to attract strikes in the winter, you’re not alone!
But a carefully assembled Damiki rig, used in conjunction with a good fish finder, is perhaps the most effective cold-water technique for catching largemouth bass.
We hope you’ve learned something from this article today, and if you have, we’d love to hear from you!
Please leave a question or comment below.
Source: usangler.com