Mike Frisch: Fishing with the bladed swim jig

Mike Frisch shares a go-to fishing setup he says consistently produces results across species: a bladed swim jig paired with a plastic trailer. He points to trips around Alexandria, Minnesota, last June, targeting shoreline flats with emerging weeds. Using long casts and a steady retrieve, he and a partner landed multiple bass, several large northern pike, and two walleyes over 20 inches after switching to a half-ounce Tungsten Thunder Cricket in green pumpkin tipped with a blade minnow. He reports similar success on Pelican Lake near Orr, Minnesota, catching largemouth and smallmouth bass with chartreuse-white and “key lime pie” patterns. He also details rod and line choices, including Lew’s rods and 20-pound fluorocarbon, emphasizing proper tuning for the bladed jig.