Has anyone used this reel for jigging? I would lik

[royboy]

I had the TRQ300 and it is a great reel for general use, but as Chris said it's not a dedicated Jigging reel. I started jigging with it, and then upgraded to the Gorillas which are designed for Vertical Jigging and are truly monsters. They are dedicated top-end Jigging reels and are available locally.

Cheers, RB

 

[benniejordaan]

Thanks RB,

I am considering a reel that also has a high gear ratio.
The way I see it, compare a gear ratio of say 4.5:1 and 6.2:1. Theoretically you have to work 37% harder with the lower gear ratio. Take that over a days fishing and that's a lot of extra work.
It would be fine if I was fishing exotic fishing grounds where you go vas on every down, but realistically we fish grounds that produce a few fish on a trip... if we lucky.
Chris made a good point... weight is also an issue which I hadn't considered because I primarily use grinders. I want to start using heavier jigs, 400-500 grams, hence the overhead because I can't afford an appropriate grinder.

I googled that Saltiga Z30 and Z40... you right... very pricey!

All that said, what would constitutes a "dedicated" jigging reel?

Impoting a reel isn't an issue. I import tons of stuff.

Any advice welcome. I'd like to make an informed decision.

 

[FREE THE FIGHTER]

Tiz a high ratio surf type  Saltiga lik the ones we see on TV up at 6:1 I think Bennie - the Z40, SA30,40,50,30T, all between 4 and 5 to 1 and jigging reels. Z40 a JDM. None of which sold in SA outlets I beleive.

Since read you next post - the gear ratio issue exactly the same as riding up a hill on a bicycle - the lower the gear the easier it is and you can go for longer periods. Most accomplished jiggers on good jigging reels can jig all day for days on the trot with 300gram jigs on the right tackle. With 400-500 gram jigs you will have to be down at 4 to 4.5 to 1 else you gonna take serious flak I think.

Short rods, low ratio reels with long handles - Ocea Jigger 4000P,Saltiga Z40, Jigging Master PE4/5, Alutecnos Gorilla 12C for me are the business. Saltiga Z40 even with the drag upgrade not up with the others drag wise but very comfy to jig with. Gorilla 12C with the ergo handle is superb.

 

 

 

[crackerkid]

Hi there Bennie i have been following your thread with much interest.I use an accurate boss magnum as one of my jigging reels and it has a 6:1 gear ratio and i can say i battle to speed jig jigs heaver than 250grams because the ratio is to fast so what im trying to say a reel with a slower ratio will be less taxing on you seeing that you want to use heavy jigs.I am noy aware of any true conventional jigging reels with a ratio higher than 5:1.Buy a grinder and you wont look back.Just somthing else i dont think putting 32pounds of drag on a beastmaster would be a good thing ive seen to many xh speedmasters break on a lot less drag and not due to high sticking.

 

[benniejordaan]

crackerkid wrote:

Hi there Bennie i have been following your thread with much interest.I use an accurate boss magnum as one of my jigging reels and it has a 6:1 gear ratio and i can say i battle to speed jig jigs heaver than 250grams because the ratio is to fast so what im trying to say a reel with a slower ratio will be less taxing on you seeing that you want to use heavy jigs.I am noy aware of any true conventional jigging reels with a ratio higher than 5:1.Buy a grinder and you wont look back.Just somthing else i dont think putting 32pounds of drag on a beastmaster would be a good thing ive seen to many xh speedmasters break on a lot less drag and not due to high sticking.

Good points there

I must agree with you... I have the Poseidon. The Poseidon seems a better rod by far. It is much stronger IMO.

Thanks.

 

[benniejordaan]

FREE THE FIGHTER wrote:

Tiz a high ratio surf type  Saltiga lik the ones we see on TV up at 6:1 I think Bennie - the Z40, SA30,40,50,30T, all between 4 and 5 to 1 and jigging reels. Z40 a JDM. None of which sold in SA outlets I beleive.

Since read you next post - the gear ratio issue exactly the same as riding up a hill on a bicycle - the lower the gear the easier it is and you can go for longer periods. Most accomplished jiggers on good jigging reels can jig all day for days on the trot with 300gram jigs on the right tackle. With 400-500 gram jigs you will have to be down at 4 to 4.5 to 1 else you gonna take serious flak I think.

Short rods, low ratio reels with long handles - Ocea Jigger 4000P,Saltiga Z40, Jigging Master PE4/5, Alutecnos Gorilla 12C for me are the business. Saltiga Z40 even with the drag upgrade not up with the others drag wise but very comfy to jig with. Gorilla 12C with the ergo handle is superb.

 

 

Cool thanks. That makes sense.

 

[AndriesH]

Some interesting comments and a good learning school:
1/ Increased reel speed per handle turn means increased effort.
2/ Less reel speed per turn means more torque transfer, for less effort.

This surely means an offset between the speed at which the jig is retrieved and the amount of effort the fisherman puts in?
How does the jig speed in the water affect hookups?

 

[FREE THE FIGHTER]

In my view Andries it varies - sometimes fast sometimes slow. To me jig action is the important thing. I mechanical jig and generally not  that fast. I have fished on boats with guys who go flat out with high gear ratio reels but just dont get as many pulls. And they sweat a whole lot more !

If you familiar with a Zara spook for bass fishing on the surface  - similar story - that side to side walk the dog action gets the fish excited. Jig doing the same thing up through the water column when mechanical jigging.

But yes sometimes speed does help but nothing that a low gear ratio reel cant acheive IMO.

 

[benniejordaan]

Andries,
I am by no means an expert, however there is a variety of jigging methods only limited by your emagination. Sometimes the fish are lazy and want a slow moving jig and sometimes they want some action to entice a reaction strike. The reason I say a fast retrieve is: regardles of what method you use, you still "wind" 30% less. Primarily 150-250gram jigs is pritty much what I have been using on our shallower reefs and I do agree that if jigging with a 400-500gram jig it might be worth while having a lower gear ratio.

The area you are jigging plays a vital rol as well. If you go to bassas you can chuck your left shoe at fish and they will eat it. If like me you fishing Durban, Mtunzini Shelly with the odd moz trip... There are fewer fish to be had and they just arn't as hungry. In that situation you are probably looking for a reaction bite.

My 2c worth!

 

[AndriesH]

benniejordaan wrote:

The area you are jigging plays a vital rol as well. If you go to bassas you can chuck your left shoe at fish and they will eat it. If like me you fishing Durban, Mtunzini Shelly with the odd moz trip... There are fewer fish to be had and they just arn't as hungry. In that situation you are probably looking for a reaction bite.

My 2c worth!

That would be just about all I have left after selling everything to get to Bassas.


It looks to me your options are either the Alutecnos Gorilla 12C or the Omoto Zorro 200II

http://www.fishing-tackle.com.tw/product1-2.html
http://www.alutecnos.it/page.php?sid=9c9bece4228177e1c6fb2925478a2817&pageid=PROPG002

The Zorro is a two speed model( 6.2 to 1 and 3.1 to 1)
The Gorilla 12C is singel speed (4.4 to 1).

 

[AndriesH]

@ Free TF.

Thanks for your reply on retrieve speeds.
Carefull we do not confuse popping, casting poppers and spoons and retrieving fast over the surface, with jigging.
At jigging, you can also manipulate the retrieve speed and action via the action and motion of the rod.

 

[dugongboy]

Rory mundy wrote:

im getting to upgrade my penn 555s that i use on my trapsticks as they battle with the big x raps at fast trawl

Rory, just be careful, it can be a bit of a catch22, you may need to up the bs of the line as the drag spike can be too high when the fish strikes and you end up getting broken off??!!

This has happened to me and we worked out that you will need about 40-50lb line which is a bit of an overkill for a cuda rod/trapstick.(I use 20lb and sometimes 25lb)

We often run one or two Halco deep divers/Yozuri bonitas under our billfish spread for wahoo and at 8kts we have to run them on 30's or 50's to avoid breakoff's.

 

[royboy]

Hi Bennie, and the drag on these reels going from 40lbs upwards with no binding at freespool. Drags must be smooth as well. Makes it way more fun (including with the Bank Manager) when you start matching the reel characterisitics with a rod that can handle these high drags, and still maintain the action that make it a good jigging weapon......... and with blanks that are significantly thinner than your pinkie finger at the butt section, the credit card starts to melt. 

 

[benniejordaan]

royboy wrote:

Hi Bennie, and the drag on these reels going from 40lbs upwards with no binding at freespool. Drags must be smooth as well. Makes it way more fun (including with the Bank Manager) when you start matching the reel characterisitics with a rod that can handle these high drags, and still maintain the action that make it a good jigging weapon......... and with blanks that are significantly thinner than your pinkie finger at the butt section, the credit card starts to melt. 

Howzit RB,
I've got those IM6, IM 7 (The ones I have the most trust in) and IM 12 rods coming. The IM 12 blank is 12mm diameter at the butt. Very curious to see what they are like. An IM 12 blank will have and extreemly fast action. Unfortunately that makes them brittle too, so I don't think they are for the average angler. I've got them in 20Lb drag rating, 30Lb rating and a few in 40Lb rating. Suppose I'll strap my new reel on these for a good test run. Another reason I need a decent reel... a proper lashing!

 

[ChrisW]

benniejordaan wrote:

I am looking for something specifically for jigging!
Considering weight, power, speed, line capacity I really think the Saltiga is the business.

Bennie can you share with us the water depth, size of target fish, preferred line strenght.  With this data I can determine the size reel and rod to suit.  


 

 

[benniejordaan]

Hi Chris,
One of the main species I will be targetting will be yellow tail in about 80m of water. Not very big but off the wrecks we need to pull them out of the structure. I want to use 80 Lb line class.

 

[royboy]

Hi Bennie - is there any particular reason why you have not looked at the Jigstars? The JSR350 and JSR450 are exactly what you should look at. There are serious fish being boated in double quick time on them. They fall into the "Best of Breed" class......as I am sure guys like FTF, Fedu and many others will tell you

 

[benniejordaan]

royboy wrote:

Hi Bennie - is there any particular reason why you have not looked at the Jigstars? The JSR350 and JSR450 are exactly what you should look at. There are serious fish being boated in double quick time on them. They fall into the "Best of Breed" class......as I am sure guys like FTF, Fedu and many others will tell you

I have 25 rods in different variations from a factory in SE Asia on it's way to me that I will be trying out. Rods that they have produced various versions of for other brands but usually "customed" for the client. I.e. different guide/positions or grip and/or placing etc. Basically testing the blanks from basic carbons, high carbons right through to what the say is an IM-12 blank. One particular rod has a rated drag of 44Lb.

 

[royboy]

Shot Bennie, with that range or rods to test that means loads of time on the boat (you lucky chap)and please keep us posted on how they perform.

 

[benniejordaan]

royboy wrote:

Shot Bennie, with that range or rods to test that means loads of time on the boat (you lucky chap)and please keep us posted on how they perform.

Ya, I can't wait it's gonna be a ton of fun...

Oooops it broke... No prob we get another.. Hehe!