If You Were Stuck On An Island With One Lure, What Would It Be?

I have never been a castaway, but if I ever had the misfortune of being shipwrecked and stranded on a remote island I would want one lure that would catch both freshwater and saltwater fish.

That lure would have to be a marabou jig because I have caught a wide range of freshwater fish and even some bonefish in Belize on the feathered jig. The lure is a great fish catcher because I can use it to imitate a variety of forage including minnows, shad and shrimp.

The lure is extremely versatile and can be used for multiple presentations. I can reel it in steadily and twitch my rod tip to swim the jig and entice trout into biting. The jig also triggers plenty of strikes from trout when I let it sink to the bottom and rip it up and let it fall again. I have even caught trout by hopping it off the bottom to attract the fish’s attention and then letting it sit for several seconds on the bottom. When it settles on the bottom the jig’s feathers flare out, which draws the fish to the lure and entices the trout into biting.

Letting the jig fall and drift with current is another effective way to present the lure. I have caught numerous white bass, trout and smallmouth bass in rivers with this presentation.

The marabou jig is also ideal for vertical jigging in cover such as logs, stumps and weeds. I can drop it into holes of vegetation or along the sides of logs and either let the jig sit motionless next to the target or slightly twitch it to trigger a strike from fish lurking in the cover.

A marabou jig can also be skipped across the surface to imitate a baitfish fleeing from a predator fish feeding on top of the water. Burning the marabou jig by reeling at a fast pace and then stopping the retrieve and letting the jig fall is another effective way to trigger bites.

I also enhance my marabou jigs by tipping the lure with a small minnow, worm or even a sliver of skin from a larger baitfish. This addition to the jig provides some added flash to the lure and a natural taste. When a fish inhales the jig and live bait combo it retains the bait longer and gives me more time to set the hook.