Striped bass aren’t flashy. They’re brutes, built for rough water and smash-and-grab feeding. It’s fitting that one of the most reliable striper lures is similarly unadorned, a no-frills chunk of metal that, in the month of November, accounts for more stripers than any other artificial lure.
The Ava diamond jig has remained a striped bass staple for decades. During years with strong sand-eel runs, tackle shops can barely keep them in stock. They work from boat and beach alike.
The Jig
The Ava-style jig is an elongated metal diamond fitted with a barrel swivel and a Limerick-style hook. The hook has a bent shank that, when threaded through colored surgical tubing and attached to a swivel, spins during the retrieve. The jig’s long, narrow profile is a near-perfect match for sand eels, a critical late-season forage. When stripers are pinned to the bottom and feeding on these slender baitfish, the diamond jig becomes less of an option and more of a requirement.
Green is the most popular color for the tubes, but red, yellow, and white also work, though some fishermen swear by black.
The most effective size of diamond jig varies depending on whether an angler is fishing from boat or shore, as well as water depth and current speed. The jigs have their own sizing system, due to the popular Ava mold that is widespread in diamond jig production today. The most popular among surfcasters are the A17 (about 2 ounces) and the A27 (about 3 ounces). Boat fishermen may use up to the A87 (6 ounces) for vertical jigging stripers, bluefish, or black sea bass in deeper water.
Diamond Jig Sizes
A07 – 1 ounce
A17 – 2 ounces
A27 – 3 ounces
A37 – 4 ounces
A67 – 5 ounces
A87 – 6 ounces
The Retrieve
While there is some built-in action with the spinning tube, to be most effective with this bare-bones lure, the fisherman’s input is essential to getting the bite. Most retrieves begin with letting the lure hit the bottom, steadily reeling in line and working with lifts, snaps, and pauses to make the jig rise, flash, and flutter. Many hits come on the drop, sometimes even on the initial drop.
More Than Just Stripers
Though stripers get all the fanfare, Ava diamond jigs are also classic lures for bluefish and black sea bass. They have been known to catch fluke, weakfish, and albies as well. They are versatile enough to stay tied on all day, from dawn blitzes to midday bottom jigging, and you should never be without one when sand eels are around.
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