saugeye jigging

[Luvztaphish]

How important is pounding the bottom when jigging for saugeye ?

[slabslayer]

I don't fish saugeye that much, but I do some walleye ice fishing.  For walleye (saugeye are very similar), I like to pound the bottom to stir up dust and silt which can really call in fish.  But there's a fine line between just the right amount of pounding, and over-pounding, which is never good!  Over-pounding can blow up your hole.  The desired effect of the pounding should be to create just a little disturbance so that the fish are curious and come in.  You don't want so much silt the entire area is clouded up.  I like to crash a blade bait, lipless rattlebait (rat-l-trap or red eye shad), or a jigging rap into the bottom occasionally while working it.  But if I'm fishing a live minnow on a deadstick rod, sometimes I'll put a plummet (poor-man's depthfinder),  on a different rod and bounce it off the bottom a time or 2 so it looks like the minnow is feeding and stirring up silt.  I'll pound the bottom with positive results no matter what species I'm after, even panfish.  Sometimes it's also a great way to stir up a sluggish bite.  You see fish on the Vex, but they won't commit.  Sometimes a pound or 2 on the bottom will turn them on or get them biting again if the action has slowed.