Tell us a little about yourself outside of fishing (family, other hobbies, job)
First, it is an absolute honor to be the 2K Outstanding Member of the Month. 2K Jigs is a household name in our family and I consider the entire 2K team family as well. I currently reside in central Indiana married to an amazing, supportive wife raising our three children. As a family we enjoy camping. One of our goals is to visit as many national parks with our kids before they find out traveling with mom and dad isn’t cool anymore. The one thing outside of fishing that I do enjoy is working on my house. Whether it’s remodeling a room, landscaping or tending to my property, I really enjoy the process and results.
What tournaments circuits or club tournaments do you fish?
I currently fish with a Indiana BASS club ‘Premier Anglers’. Our club fishes 6 regular season tournaments along with the Indiana BASS State Team Qualifier and a season ending Classic. I also fish other various weekend opens.
What technique is your biggest strength as well as your biggest weakness on the water?
My biggest strength is finesse fishing and being able to catch fish on highly pressured lakes. Indiana has some of the highest pressured lakes so being able to target those fish are key to be successful. My biggest weakness would be throwing deep diving crankbaits and being able to target specific depths with them.
How long have you been with 2k?
I’ve been with 2K Jigs since 2015. During a trip to Lake St. Clair, I was introduced to 2K Jigs in a local tackle shop and I haven’t looked back.
If you could only fish 1 2k product for the rest of your life which would you pick and why?
If I could only have 1 2K product, hands down would be a 5/16oz Wrecking Ball rubber in pumpkin/purple. It’s considered a finesse jig but it can be casted, flipped and pitched to any kind of cover. The round ball head helps come over hard cover such as rocks and timber but a hefty weed guard helps it from not getting caught up in vegetation. The 4/0 mustad is ultra sharp right out of the package and I never have to worry about it failing. The biggest reason, and this goes for nearly all of our jigs is the hand-tied copper wire. I can catch multiple fish on one jig and not worry about the skirt coming down or off. That ultimately equates to more casts and more time in the water that could make the difference of catching that one extra fish to fill a limit.
What makes 2K Jigs better than other jigs in your opinion?
While I can say 2K Jigs are better because of the quality, craftsmanship, attention to detail, the one I always land on is the innovation and ingenuity that goes behind the design of every product. No detail is overlooked during the design process. Where things really begin to shine is the fact that every jig is touched by the owner and will not leave if it doesn’t pass his ruthless quality standards.
How has working for 2K made you a better promoter in the fishing industry?
The team at 2K Jigs is family. As with any family, they will always look out for one another but also hold you accountable for your responsibilities. We have the best, hardworking, down to earth individuals that are leading the company. They bring a wealth of industry knowledge and insight that is second to none. The ability to learn and grow from that knowledge has driven my ability to become a better promoter for others. Each one of us on the team has a drive for competition. We have fun contests each year that help all of us become better at promoting, learning the product better, and growing closer as a team.
In conclusion, what would you say to an angler that has yet to use 2k Jigs.
What are you waiting for?! Each year anglers spend hundreds of dollars on the “latest and greatest” lure. The jig is one of the most money making lures of all time. Why not use the best? With 2K Jigs you are buying a quality, handmade product that is made in the USA. With weekly deals, sales and free shipping on all orders over $60, there isn’t much to lose.
The original Powerlock jig has been a staple for me since I first discovered it. It’s just a round ball jighead with a 60 degree flat eye 3/0 medium wire Mustad hook. Simple right? Well, the real magic and calling card of the jighead is the screwlock keeper. It’s hard to quantify how much money and time that small feature has saved me. It is definitely something I never want to be without anymore. Once you secure your plastic on there, your bait stays up on the head and lasts way longer. No more having to superglue your bait on or wasting time digging for another one after each bite. Speaking of plastics, the list of them you can use on it are about endless. The finesse swimbait between 3-4 inches is the hallmark bait for me used on it with spinning gear. The round ball head works well in harmony with a number of swimbaits that give the jig a unique body roll critical to trigger extra bites. Followed closely by darters, hula grubs, small craws and creatures, menace grubs, and other finesse baits I fish on the bottom. Available in 1/8, 3/16, ¼, and 5/16 sizes both 4 packs and 15 packs.
For longer than he probably cared to hear it, I clamored to the owner of 2K Jigs to make a beefed up version of the Powerlock able to be thrown on baitcasting gear. My fantasy became reality last year and Dan introduced the Powerlock HD. It too boasts a screwlock bait keeper, but the hook is a much beefier 4/0 60 degree heavy wire Mustad hook. Strong enough to be thrown on heavy fluorocarbon or even braid and not lose its integrity. Molded 3D eyes were also added in the redesigned flat sides with eye cavities. This is a feature I really love! Designed and tested for swimbaits, the round face and flat sides keep the jig and swimbait unstable by not cutting water. Therefore, it will body roll and wobble with
most high quality swimbaits; something I find very important in swimbait fishing. Just like the OG Powerlock, it also thrives on the bottom. Any number of craws and creatures work well on it and can essentially be fished like a jig without a skirt to give the fish a different look when pressured or the water is colder. I have also found it to be useful for bed fishing. A lot of times it’s nice to have that
heavy exposed hook you can pitch on a stout rod and do a little swinging when they are really biting. It can be a more efficient way to get an already tired bed guarder in the boat quickly and not exhaust the fish. We put the HD version of the Powerlock through the ringer in 2019 and now it has become an extremely important tool for me. Available in 3/8 and ½ oz sizes both painted (shad and ayu) or unpainted. Painted options available in 2 packs. Unpainted options available in 3, 12, or 24 packs.
If the Powerlock HD is the best swimbait head we have ever used, naturally it would make the best underspin too! And in typical 2K fashion, corners were not cut. All the same features of the Powerlock HD plus literally the highest quality components we could find were gathered and tested and now we have the Powerlock HD Spin available. Spro swivels and Hildebrandt blades were ultimately settled on because they are top of the line in both durability and longevity. I can’t say enough about how pleased I am with the way it came out! I was fortunate enough to test it before its release and I was thrilled with the results. We ran it through the smallmouth torture chamber in Michigan and it handled its business remarkably. You won’t find a nicer one with better components out there. Available in 3 hand painted colors in both 3/8 and ½ oz.
Why stop there? Well, 2K didn’t. They turned both the Powerlock HD and HD Spin into a bladed jig, a swim jig, and everything in between! Basically, you have a skirted option in 8 skirt colors handtied with copper wire built on the same platform as the other two HD’s with or without a blade on the front. Any variation of a Powerlock HD with an underspin, blade, or skirt or a mix of all 3 (appropriately named the Chaos) is available on the 2K Jigs website.
The versatility, money savings, time savings, and ridiculous amount of options available make the Powerlock family of jigs hands down the greatest piece of terminal tackle I have ever used and one I will never be without again. It has been an integral part of our tournament game plan and we have been fortunate to win a lot of money using the Powerlock. Give some a try and I bet you’ll quickly find the same confidence I have in them!
https://www.2kjigs.com/collections/new-powerlock-hd-product-line
Dave Hoeker
]]>It is difficult for most people to wake up before it’s light on a weekend, even if they are going fishing. Now, try this, buy a plane ticket to another city and justify getting up in the dark to watch someone drive their boat away from the dock and go fish for the day while you walk back to you’re hotel room to have breakfast. Ask an Angler who follows professional fishing and they won’t flinch when faced with this dilemma if they know they are attending the Bassmaster Classic.
The Bassmaster Classic has been called the biggest tournament in bass fishing. Winning it has turned hometown anglers into world-wide celebrities. I was lucky enough to attend this year in Knoxville, Tennessee. The first two days I woke up early, with my cousins, to walk from our hotel to the Tennessee River to watch the anglers take off. We arrived almost two hours early on Friday and Saturday and were among almost 6,000 fans, a record attendance, who watched the anglers head out for the day.
A typical day at the Bassmaster Classic consisted of getting up early to be able to see our favorite anglers head out for the day, followed by heading to the convention center to check out the latest equipment and sales and then getting to the University of Tennessee’s campus arena two to three hours early to watch weigh-in at 4:00pm. Everywhere you went, you could find someone to talk with about fishing and signs for “The Classic” were everywhere! Our hotel was centrally located and we walked about four or five miles a day.
Highlights of the trip included hearing our favorite anglers’ names introduced before take off, listening to Dave Mercer interview fishermen on stage during weigh-in, seeing the latest trucks and boats and attending the expo. where we met professional anglers. It was exciting to meeting legendary anglers at breakfast, in the hotel lobby, at dinner, and at the booths of our favorite fishing companies. People who don’t follow tournament angling won’t understand what it’s like to run into Roland Martin in a hotel lobby, and meet anglers like Jordan Lee, Greg Hackney, Jason Christie, Brent Ehrler, Ish Monroe, and Gary Klein in the same day.
The Bassmaster Classic was an experience that I will remember forever. Trying to explain why it was so great won’t do it justice. Just know, that if you love fishing, attending the Classic will be an experience that you won’t forget. I won’t forget it and my experience was made even better by watching Ott Defoe win on his home waters!
Matthew Christians
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Now let’s go over some ideas for sanity when the inevitable does happen.
Ice and snow: Ice fishing just isn’t my game. I’ve tried it. I suck at it and I just can’t get fired up drilling
holes and yanking panfish up. I have some friends who are phenomenal ice fisherman and I give them
credit for mastering any kind of fishing. But it’s just not my style. However, I do make a conscious effort
to just get outside. It does wonders for my mood and well-being. My son is absolutely fascinated with
plowing snow. So that has been a joy loading him up on my UTV, pushing snow around, and sledding
down our big piles. I recommend doing anything you can to spend some time outdoors every week. Just
go outside and try and enjoy whatever you can.
Tackle Prep: I am an absolute dork when it comes to tackle storage and organization. Every off-season I
come up with a new way to store a particular style of baits for the upcoming year. Whether a new storage item hits the market, I see a new idea in a video online, or I come up with it myself, my system is
constantly evolving to be more efficient. This year’s projects have been revamping terminal tackle
storage and a downsized co-angler system for hopping in partner’s boats.
Over the winters, I have slowly built myself a happy place out in my barn next to the boat. It makes it
easy to load and swap out tackle in the boat to only carry what I need that day. My bass cave is a place
where I can go through literally all of my equipment to maintain and retool for next spring. I go over
every reel on the workbench to clean, lube, and strip old line. Check rods for damaged guides, replace
treble hooks, and do inventory. I will make lists of anything I am low on, need to replace, or new tackle I
want to try. Let’s be honest, opening a box of new tackle is really fun, you all know that! So treat yo self,
you’ve earned it after surviving the arctic deep freeze. I also will make a pile of stuff to sell or give away.
There is typically an opportunity for a local swap meet each winter and if not I will post online for sale
and ship it out. Winter is the time to knock all this stuff out and regroup. Get prepared and organized.
Now is the time!
You can do this. We can do this. Serenity now! Fishing will be back and it will be awesome again. In the
meantime, breathe deep. Watch all the fishing available to us now days on TV and online. Trust me,
there’s a lot of it. With all of the live coverage of 3 pro tours, there’s more than ever. There is always
more to learn. Go to fishing and outdoor mega shows and buy some more tackle. Hit the spring open
house sales that local tackle stores put on and buy some more tackle. And lastly, if you happen see me
out in public during the heart of winter, remember to approach with caution and keep a safe distance.
Speak slowly and carefully at first, but quickly bring up fishing and we will try and get through this
together!
Dave Hoeker
.....Morning, a foggy haze looms, dawn cracking through the east Texas pines. Windows down, making our way down a winding dirt road. Toledo Bend reservoir, early 80's. As tough it was yesterday the memory remains. A small child, hurrying his grandfather “think they'll bite today pawpaw?”, a smile and a promising look “maybe so son, maybe so”. A 15ft aluminum v-bottom, no motor, no trolling motor. Just a single paddle, an anxious child, and a man passing on a tradition. Slowly we ease into the water, pressing our way into a tree filled and secluded cove. Motionless sits the water, shad flicker, birds are waking. A fish jumps in the distance…….the cast. A much anticipated point, Zebco 33, pistol grip rod, and a old Smithwick carrot top. Twitch…….twitch……the glorious strike, almost in itself, worth the whole trip.
The first real memory I have of fishing and also the moment I knew I’d do it forever whether it be for fun or otherwise. Like most I’ve been in a boat since I was probably 4 or 5. Yet this moment is the memory that I will never lose. Tournament wins, loses, regionals and state qualifiers made - all great but nothing like that day. That moment that you realize “this is it”.
So simple yet so complex - and trying. A sport of failure. Why would anyone want to chase these fish in holes of grandeur? For failure is certain, the greats all failed, and still fail. Yet they will be at the ramp every morning smiling waiting for that one moment where everything falls in place.
Humble pie served daily…
It’s a mental game between you and 5 little fish. No one can stop you, no referees, no timeouts. No one can block your shots - you won’t get plowed over at the starting line by a 300 pound lineman. It’s you against the lake, against the fish, against yourself. Mentally demanding, constantly thinking and rethinking. Did I make the right decision? Should I have started somewhere else? Am I using the right bait? It taxes the mind, you can’t second guess yourself ever. Your instincts will almost always tell you what to do, but you have to listen. Your mind is a trickster, so follow your instincts, let experience guide you.
Physically, no one can hurt you during competition. However it’s physical. Rough water,70+mph sometimes hour or more runs at a time. Aches and pains are imminent. Standing for 6 to 8 hours in one small area, making the same motions over and over. Cold, wind, blistering sun, rain, these are all things you battle.
These are all things that are against you. You ask “why would you do that?” Because we have to, it’s in our DNA, the longing to hoist the trophy. To be great at something is a deep rooted desire in all people, few ever achieve it, some never try. When I’m gone, I’’ll have gone out still trying I’m sure.
Competition is a driver for me. I love it - to test yourself is always a battle. You win some, you lose some. Learn to lose to be a better winner. Loss will happen, not because you didn’t try, or you're not as good as someone else. Not everyone wins, and you don’t have to “win” to be a winner. Case in point, take Kevin Van Dam, arguably the best angler on the planet. Has fished well over 300 tournaments, 22 elite series wins…….22…that’s roughly a 7% average. That means 93% of the time he lost. It happens to the best of them. Learn from it, take it on the chin, smile, shake hands, congratulate. At the end of the day, it’s fun and you're chasing a dream.
The Dream
They're all different. Just don’t give up on them. You have them for a reason, strive to reach them. The chase is rewarding within itself. Enjoy the journey, the trials, the errors, the victories, the defeats. The long hours, no one can make the journey for you. I chase mine so that my daughter will know what it’s like, to fail and be O.K. and to keep trying. She will never see me give up. So fight for yours, whatever the reasons. Fight on, remember if you fail you still did better then those who never tried, or were afraid of failing.
GO FAST…………DO WORK………..CHASE DREAMS……….GET PAID
2KJIGS!!
Let’s start with the workhorse of your rig, the trailer. Probably the most neglected part of your rig. Let’s start with the tires, ensure that they have proper air pressure, you can find the rating on the sidewall of your tires. Proper tire inflation ensures the tires wear properly and increases towing ease, which helps with gas mileage. Give your tires a close look to make sure they are not dry rotted. Don’t forget the spare tire! Check it as well and also make sure you have the proper size lug wrench for your trailer wheel lug nuts.
While we are in the area of the tires, let’s look at the trailer hubs next. If your trailer has buddy bearings, this may be a good time to think about re-packing the wheel bearings with the proper grease. If you have the oil filled hubs, make sure they have the proper amount of oil in them.
Let’s move to the front of the trailer and look at the winch strap. Unhook it from the boat and pull it out to make sure it isn’t frayed or dry rotted. This strap and the back trailer straps are all that keeps your boat secure while traveling down the road. While up front check the coupler to make sure it is working properly. A little shot of oil on the hinges and a little dab of grease inside the coupler will help with getting your trailer on and off your Tow ball.
Next, check your life vests to make sure they are in good working order. If you have the Auto Inflatable vests, check the co2 cartridge to make sure it is still good. Check your Fire Extinguisher to make sure it is in good working order. Check your states requirements for all Safety items required to have in your vessel while on the water.
Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of the rig. Check the water level in your Batteries. Check all your battery connections for corrosion and if they have loosened over the past season. Make sure you have a full charge on your batteries before heading out to your favorite fishing hole. There’s nothing worse than a dead battery out on the lake!
Check your bilge pumps for proper operation. A faulty pump can turn a great day on the water into an emergency in a matter of minutes. The live well pumps should be checked as well. Fish Care is our responsibility to ensure we leave resources for our children and grandchildren.
The next thing I do is remove my prop on the big motor and trolling motor. I do this for a couple of reasons, first to look for fishing line that may have gotten wrapped up behind the props. This will cause the seals to wear prematurely and lead to motor failure. The second thing I am looking for is damage to the props. I am looking for nicks, dings, bent or cracked blades. Nicks and dings will cause your prop to not be as efficient as it could be. Inspect the bolts for the motor mounts and steering rack on your big motor to ensure they are tight. Most motors have grease ports that will need the grease replenished. This keeps those moving parts from premature wearing.
Finally, check your running lights for proper operation. Most tournament directors will not let you leave at blast off until your lights are in proper working order. These are just a few of the things I check on my Tournament rig before taking that first trip of the year to the water. A little preventive maintenance will go a long way to ensure you are ready to have a successful day on the water.
A swim jig accounts for a ton of the larger bass I catch every year. It’s a bait, much like a standard jig, that is known for and has proven to be a big fish bait. Rarely do I ever catch bass on it that are short of the legal limit and typically it’s a bass that is going to spend the rest of the tournament in the livewell and make a trip to the scales. For that reason, swimming a jig will always be something I lean on for not only a solid limit, but also looking for that kicker fish we all need.
I used to have to either swim a jig with a head design that had no business swimming, or was simply constructed of subpar components that I couldn’t trust when money was at stake. However, those days are long gone now that 2K jigs has come out with every swim jig style needed to fish from Florida to Michigan and everywhere in between. The beauty of these jigs is the craftsmanship. Offered in living rubber, reptile rubber and silicone skirts that are hand tied with copper wire. No more getting caught with your pants down or having a cheap rubber band fail.
The Deposit is my go to day in and day out. Here in West Michigan we are blessed with an abundance of lakes and rivers with not only emergent vegetation but also lush weedbeds of milfoil, coontail, and cabbage. The Deposit has the perfect head design for sliding through grass and getting to where our bass love to reside. My favorite way to rig the Deposit is with a swimbait trailer. More often than not I use a Keitech 3.8 in a color that matches the jig color. Here in our lakes their number one meal is a bluegill. 2K has multiple different head and skirt colors that mimic a bluegill perfectly. When I am in really heavy cover I turn to the Deposit’s big brother, the Deposit HD. Heavy duty features abound on this jig with the 6/0 HD hook, heavy weedguard, and screwlock bait keeper. It was designed for and literally tested in the gnarly cover of Lake Okeechobee. I’m a braid guy when it comes to grass. If I can get away with braided line, I am using it. I typically throw the deposit on a 7’-7’6” 4 power fast action rod with a high speed reel like 7.1:1.
Another unique jig that I spend a lot of time with is the Freak. Its wide and flat head make it glide and dart erratically. I generally fish it in more sparse cover than I do the deposit so its action can be utilized. Sharp twitches and sweeps of the rod send this jig dancing all over and will trigger reaction strikes from a bass that has no intention of eating. Another underutilized technique with this jig is skipping boat docks. That big flat head is awesome for getting way under there. The trailer I use 100 percent of the time on this jig is a beaver. The flat sides match the flat head design and aid in the gliding and skipping.
Two newcomers to the swim jig lineup this year are the NX3 and the Submission. I am looking forward to trying these out this season and already have plenty of ideas on where to use them. The Submission has a plumper head which has quite the wobble and will also deflect well off hard cover like stumps and rocks. It will be fun to throw in places that I normally bounce square bill crankbaits off of. The NX3 is the deep water and ledge fishing special. Offered in ¾ and 1oz I suspect guys that fish the Tennessee river and other ledge lakes will have a lot of fun with this jig. I have a few deep spots that are on my list to try with this jig as well this summer.
The bottom line is bass eat a lot of bluegills, shad, perch, crappie, and alewives. A swim jig is a tremendous imitation of those baitfish and 2K offers colors to match them all. I have caught them on a swim jig in water temperatures in the mid 40’s and up. From one foot of water to twenty five. I think it’s probably even more versatile than I give it credit for. With all of these different sizes, colors, and styles, I guarantee there’s one to fit your situation. 2K Jigs truly is the home of the swim jig! Give it a try this summer.
It’s been scientifically proven that excessive swearing is a sign of intelligence – well listen the [expletive deleted] up because so is throwing a big [expletive deleted] jig in the spring.
It’s no secret a jig works year round, with differing styles of baits producing better during different periods – but it’s easy to forget about during the pre-spawn period when the fish are moving shallow and hangry. While everyone is focused on throwing hard baits like a jerk bait or lipless cranks, you may be tempted to try a living rubber jig – the pros have shown us how effective they can be in numerous Bassmaster Classics over the last 10 years – and you'd be on the right track - but let's up the ante a bit with a football jig.
Yeah, that’s right – the big dog likes to eat in the spring too. 3/4oz? yup. 1oz ? Sure that too! You’re probably thinking “why the [expletive deleted] would I be dragging deep structure with a football jig in the spring?” Well, you’re not. I haven’t got to that part yet. Maybe you should have left your impetus, devil-may-care attitude at the door. If, at this point, you’ve sufficiently checked yourself and found that you are indeed not wrecked, then by all means read the rest of the article before jumping to any more conclusions. [Expletive Deleted].
If we’re back on track now, I’ll proceed….
WHY
I throw a football head pretty much everywhere in the spring. Weeds are usually sparse or nonexistent – so you can use it in 2’ of water just as easily as 20’.
It has a big profile – fish are looking for a meal, not a snack, so yeah, there’s that. Also, the big girls are out, so put something in front of them that’s worth their effort. It also falls straight down and falls fast. This is important – you want a fast vertical fall as you’re trying to elicit a reaction bite or at least get the fish’s attention. Fish can be anywhere in the water column this time of year. You can also shake the jig in place easily to impart a little action while keeping the bait in 1 spot on days the fish aren't moving fast.
WHEN & WHERE
Early in the season when temps are in the low 50s, I start on the nearest steep break adjacent to wintering areas - especially deep breaks between flats or spawning areas. As the fish progress and water warms, I look for any kind of weeds or structure further up the flat or on top of the break. On a warming day when the water is still cold, you can find fish in these shallow areas also.
HOW
When fishing a break, I prefer to make short pitches or casts to the top of the break. Let the jig fall on a slack line, give a few shakes, wait, give it a big hop (i.e. stroke it – stop it, sinner). If nothing bites, I’ll give it a short drag or few more shakes and then repeat. I will cast every 5-10’ or so working this way. Keep an eye on your graph – your boat will likely be over the deep edge of the break, if I’m marking fish I will throw some parallel long casts down along the base and vary between dragging and hopping the bait to see what they want. If you get bit, make sure to drop a waypoint and saturate the area. Pay attention to when you stop getting bit. Fish this time of year are often in schools and moving along the break or hunting on the flats, getting out of the school may mean they are going the opposite direction you are – turn around and catch the rest. Also pay attention to if you’re getting bit on inside or outside bends in the break or on the tips of points – you can use this find other schools doing the same thing.
THE BAIT
I use a 3/4oz Red Zone. Lakes I fish are predominately clear – so I like a brown/purple, pumpkin/purple or brown/orange. You’re favorite color will do just fine. I trim my jig skirts about ¼” below the hook. I also pull about ¼ of the strands out of the jig. I match a hand poured trailer, but anything that has a good “thumping” action will do. In cold water, I sometimes use a zoom super salty chunk – as the fish seem to like less action from the trailer when they are a bit lethargic yet.
THE SECRET SAUCE
Ok, so up until this point, you’re probably thinking “I can do this with any jig”. But, there you go, getting ahead of yourself again. Have some [expletive deleted] patience, it’s getting old and this is only like a 5 minute read, OK? Pop a few Adderall and focus.
No one throws football heads in the weeds – because they just get hung in the weeds, right? Well, in the spring – those weeds are just coming up or half dead from the winter – and they are sparse. You WANT your jig to get hung. When it does, rip it. Just like you’re fishing a lipless in the weeds. It’ll come out clean, and often times this is what will trigger a strike. And strike they will – that jig will be like the last natty light at a frat party (minus the Rohypnol). The football head will catch on even the smallest weed where other jigs will pull through clean - giving you more opportunities to snap it.
So now hopefully you get it – 1. Get their attention with a fast fall, 2. Peak their interest with a sizable meal, 3. Make them react.
That’s it. Get some Red Zones, go do work.[expletive deleted]