"This time of year you typically have two different types of fish," Larry Nixon says, "channel fish and shallow-water fish. A lot of times in the mid-United States to the South, fish have a tendency to get real close to channels this time of year. That means big creeks that flow into rivers, or the old river channel itself. I like to take a 1/2-ounce jig and 4-inch Power Worm – a jig and eel is what I call it – and fish those breaklines for bigger-quality fish in the late fall and early winter."

Most of the time these jig-and-eel fish relate to areas "that have a definite bottom change," he says. Examples are "a sandbar or a ditch that meets the old river channel – what we call holding areas, the areas where fish move up to feed. I like areas that protrude out on the creek channels. They're standout areas, but a map might not show them. You'll have to find them with your electronics.

"You'll see a little 'stickout.' Anytime you have that on the main channel, usually that will be a good place to catch them.

"But it all depends on the terrain of the lake," he notes. "If you have timber, stumps and rocks, fish the bottom structure. If don't have it, you have to follow the bait, and you'll probably fish with a jigging spoon or Little George- type lures."

How To Fish It

When Nixon finds a spot he likes, he usually stays "pretty close to the structure – maybe 30 feet away maximum," he says. He casts the jig and eel out, and lets it fall into the zone where he thinks the fish are. "Then you crawl through there or hop it off the bottom.

"You're definitely fishing small spot," he notes. "Usually the strike zone or feeding area is fairly small. Twenty feet by 20 feet is a big spot, and sometimes it's only 1-2 stumps off the edge of a breakline."

Because he's only fishing small areas, he typically spends no more than 30 minutes fishing them. "If I can't make them bite on the jig or a crankbait, I might jig a spoon a minute, and then I'm gone. But I might want to return later in the day. You really don't know what timeframe is best in deepwater spots. It can be noon or early morning. You just have to go back until you get the timing down."

The Rig

He likes a 1/2-ounce jig tipped with a 4-inch Berkley Power Worm or Pulse Worm (ring worm). "They seem to like that ring worm-type tail in the fall," he says, noting: "They like a little bit more erratic of a fall and a more streamlined bait than a bulky chunk."

His favorite colors are black on black, a black/blue jig with a black/blue worm, and brown or green-pumpkin for both. He fishes the jig and eel on a 6' 6" Fenwick Techna AV medium-heavy rod and "fairly stiff, low-stretch line" (17-20- pound Vanish) on a 6:1 Torno reel.

Notable

> You can fish a jig and eel in fall "as long as the water doesn't get too muddy," Nixon says. "Visibility is a factor because if it's real muddy, you can't catch deep fish worth a hoot. You need some water clarity."

> He says it works on all species of bass, but is a bigger-fish bait. Other techniques – like Carolina rigs – will work better for numbers.