BEMIDJI, Minn. – You’d better be hot if you’re going to be called “Fire-Ball,” and that’s exactly how a new jig – now available – from Northland is coming across. Meet the Weedless Fire-Ball and Weedless Stand-Up Fire-Ball Jigs, specialized versions of the perennial favorite Fire-Ball Jig that solve the problem of delivering bait in the weeds without fouling.
Fire-Ball fans will instantly recognize the unique shape of these round and stand-up style jigs, which are patterned after the all-time money-winning lure on the PWT® and FLW® Pro Walleye Tours. Anglers will also quickly realize the fish-catching implications of a small addition – a double wire titanium weed guard arising from behind the line tie that allows these new upstarts to squirt through emerging spring and thickening summer weeds with ease. Unlike steel and plastic weed guards, Northland’s titanium version keeps its shape and better bounces off timber, too.
“We knew the Weedless Fire-Ball Jigs would take us to the next level when live bait fishing in heavy vegetation,” said Charlie Peterson, marketing coordinator for Northland Tackle. “So, we decided to put them to the test – and they passed with flying colors.”
Indeed, they did, as Charlie and his cousin, Jace Peterson, took top prize in the Knights of Columbus Walleye Tournament on Lake Bemidji, earlier this month. “We always scored well using the original and Stand-Up Fire-Ball Jigs in weedy areas because they come through the salad pretty well,” he explained, “but once we got hold of these new weedless versions, we were able to present baits into even thicker cabbage and reach schools of fish in 6- to 12-foot depths that we might not have challenged before. The new Weedless Fire-Ball Jigs played a crucial role in our success.”
For those who have long recognized the catching power of traditional Fire-Ball Jigs, fear not. The new weedless versions carry all the features you’ve come to depend on when targeting walleyes, sauger, perch and other predators. Their short-shank Fire-Ball design produces a compact live bait presentation that’s ideal for vertical jigging with a minnow, leech, or half a nightcrawler, while a Trailer Hitch at the base of the jig head allows easy attachment of a Northland Sting’r hook to stick short strikers.
“A smooth and gentle retrieve works best for pulling these jigs through weeds,” advised Peterson. “Rig up with a shiner or other baitfish, toss it out and glide it smoothly back through vegetation with your rod tip held high. You’ll feel it coming through the stalks, banging lightly off them before triggering strikes as it enters small, clear spaces. It reminds me of fishing artificial worms for bass in terms of the take and hookset. You want to stick them, but not overly hard. And hesitate just a second before setting the hook. I’ve been using the 1/8-ounce size in Glow Watermelon and Fire Tiger patterns on 6-lb. fluorocarbon line.”
Northland’s Weedless Fire-Ball and Stand-Up Fire-Ball come packaged two per card in 1/8- and ¼-ounce sizes. They retail for $4.99 and are available in eight contemporary colors: Parakeet, Sunrise, Glow Watermelon, Firetiger, Super-Glo Chartreuse, Super-Glo Lumi, UV Pink Tiger and UV Purple Tiger. Pick up a couple, head for the vegetation, and be the weedless wizard.
In 1975, a young Northwoods fishing guide named John Peterson started pouring jigs and tying tackle for his clients in a small remote cabin in northern Minnesota. The lures were innovative, made with high quality components, and most importantly, were catching fish when no other baits were working! Word spread like wildfire, the phone started ringing… and the Northland Fishing Tackle® brand was in hot demand! For 40 years now, John and the Northland® team have been designing, testing and perfecting an exclusive line of products that catch fish like no other brand on the market today. Manufactured in the heart of Minnesota’s finest fishing waters, Northland® is one of the country’s leading producers of premium quality jigs, live bait rigs, spinnerbaits and spoons for crappies, bluegills, perch, walleyes, bass, trout, northern pike and muskies.
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