• Ask The Pro

    Ask the Pro: Jim Moynagh

    This week, Jim Moynagh discusses the advantages and disadvantages of pork and plastic trailers, tips for bed fishing and the perfect place to call home as a professional bass angler.

    If you are interested in participating in future columns, submit questions along with your full name and address via e-mail to askthepro@jacobsinteractive.com.

    Q & A with JIM MOYNAGH


    Q: Which is better to use with your jigs, a pork trailer or a plastic trailer? Thanks.
    - Derek White, McDonough, Ga.

    A: This comes down to a matter of personal preference because each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Pork is more durable and tougher than plastic, so it holds up better when fishing in heavy brush or skipping docks. Another advantage of pork is that it has better swimming action. In other words, it is more “lively” and provides more shimmy and movement.

    Pork’s toughness however has a disadvantage in that the pork can pivot around the hook’s shank and cover its point. This is obviously not a good thing when trying to set the hook. As a result, the bass will not be hooked properly when this seldom-occurring event does happen. Even though plastic trailers can cover the hook point as well on occasion, there’s still hope of driving the point through the soft plastic. Plastic’s biggest advantage is its versatility. With plastics, there are more colors and shapes available. Other benefits of plastic are that it keeps better over time, it is easier to organize and it is not as messy to work with. The jars and salty solutions that pork is packed in aren’t as convenient to work with.

    One of the most important points to remember is that hot weather will ruin pork. If your jig-and-pork combination is left on the deck of the boat for too long, the pork will dry out and become hard and stiff. I’ve also seen the hot summer sunshine turn pork into ooze even while it is still contained in its jar.

    So what do I use? I used to carry both types with me for a long time, but recently I’ve been making an effort to simplify my fishing and have been leaving the pork trailers at home. The versatility and convenience of plastic has gradually won me over. If you are interested, an exciting, new plastic chunk also can be found at AllTerrainTackle.com.

    Q: With the high cost of quality sunglasses, can you get by with just one pair or do you carry different color lenses for different situations?
    - Jeff Harris, Grand Blanc, Mich.

    A: I used to carry two different pairs of sunglasses that each had different colored lenses. But nowadays, I just carry one to make things simpler. In general, I’ve come to prefer one particular lens for all kinds of conditions. I just make sure the glasses I pick out are a quality product and endorsed by one of my colleagues. Solar Bat sunglasses sponsor the FLW Tour and the organization has worked closely with professional bass fishermen in designing their glasses. Their “mossyback” lens color is a favorite among several pros and it is the lens I happily used most of last year. Solar Bat also makes a goggle-like frame that obstructs sun glare from sneaking in from the sides and from behind. Personally, I like this style because I don’t find myself having to “cup” my hands around my glasses like most other styles necessitate.

    Q: I would like to know the best tactics when fishing for bedding bass. I have used soft plastics with some success and have even found that a “Bang-o-Lure” with lead wrapped around the head works well too. I throw it about 10 feet past the bed, pull it toward the center and barely twitch it. This appears to be a good method, but I'd like to add some more "secrets" to my bag of tricks when fishing for bedding bass. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    - Jeff Phipps, Navarre, Fla.

    A: The most underrated piece of equipment in my sight-fishing arsenal is my #28 anchor. This heavy anchor will lock my Ranger down even in gusty winds. It also prevents me from constantly repositioning the boat and stirring up the water.As a result, it frees me up to make as many adjustments to my lure offerings as I deem necessary. That way, 100 percent of my attention can be focused on the fish. I only pull the anchor out when dealing with a fickle fish. With aggressive bass, I don’t even worry about it.

    Q: Where would be the most ideal place to live or call home when trying to become a professional bass angler? And why?
    - Duane D. Rinkus , Amherst, N.Y.

    A: I call Carver, Minn., my home. I was born in Minnesota, raised in Minnesota and still live in Minnesota. Deidre, my wife, is also a native Minnesotan. We have ties here, family and friends. We believe Minnesota is a great place to raise our two boys, Jacob and Matt. These sorts of factors are extremely important to us. Now from purely a professional bass angling standpoint; living in Minnesota makes me unique and separates me, identity-wise, from other touring pros. That’s because in recent years there just hasn’t been a strong representation from Minnesota on the national tours. Fans have come to associate me with Minnesota. In their minds, I’m the pro from Minnesota. There hasn’t been anyone else in recent years from Minnesota to confuse me with. Consequently, I believe this association is an asset when looking to attract sponsorships. When companies are looking for representation in the Midwest from a national touring pro, they have a short list to choose from and I like to think that I’m usually on that list.

    Now, compare that to a hypothetical situation where I would move to Texas. Currently, that state has a pro bass fishermen living in nearly every town, maybe even more. I don’t know this for sure, but with all of these pros (and semi-pros) in Texas, I speculate that competition for sponsorships is fiercer than in Minnesota. The upshot is that getting noticed in Texas is probably more difficult. Of course, the disadvantage to living in Minnesota is the long travel. This costs me time and additional travel expenses. The closest FLW tournament every year is Beaver Lake, Ark., and that’s a 13-hour drive. Lake Okeechobee, Fla., is a regular stop and that’s over 30 hours of drive time! In fact, I just recently returned from the last leg home from Clewiston, Fla. It was a white-knuckle drive through freezing rain, snow and icy roads. In fact, six times I lost temporary control of my rig!

    So, yes, in the past my wife and I had discussions about moving somewhere more centrally located to cut down on drive time and travel expenses because most FLW Tour and BASS Tour events are scheduled in the Southeast. I always thought somewhere around Tennessee or northern Alabama would be a good central location. If I could, I would want to live on or near a lake in an area that has frequent stops on the national tours. Examples would be Kentucky Lake, Old Hickory, Wheeler, Pickwick and Guntersville. This way I could fish an event out of my house every so often and my family could attend. Also, I would hope to learn the lake well enough to post high finishes most every time. One other place I’ve considered is the Beaver Lake, Ark., area. It’s not as centrally located, but the FLW Tour stops there every year with one of their richest paying events.

    But there are other factors to consider such as cost of living expenses and job availability for the spouse. The cost of living is generally less in rural areas, but a decent-paying job for the spouse may be more difficult to find. There are so many factors to consider that each individual person probably could up with many different and ideal locations. And what’s right for one person could be wrong for another. If there were truly just one “best” place to live as a professional bass fisherman, then all of us pros would live there already!



    Hailing from Carver, Minn., Jim Moynagh has been an integral member of the FLW Tour since 1997. With career earnings approaching $485,000 and five top-10 finishes on the FLW Tour to his credit - including a first-place finish on Lake Minnetonka in 1997, a second-place finish on the Connecticut River in 1998 as well as a ninth-place finish on Lake Murray in 1999, a third-place finish on Lake Champlain in 2002 and a fourth-place finish on Beaver Lake in 2003 - Moynagh has clearly carved out a niche as one of the more consistent and successful anglers on the tour. Readers can find more information about Jim Moynagh at his Web site located at moynagh.com. Moynagh's sponsors include Ranger Boats, Yamaha Motors and Minn Kota trolling motors.




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