Too be honest, my experience with vertical jigging

[Bux]

Too be honest, my experience with vertical jigging is well...zero. But I do own a few of the metal chunks and am keen to try it out.

My problem though is that over here the shelf is 100 + km out (which makes it 90 km out of my reach) and the deepest water I've encountered is 30 m max - very sandy and flat.

Now should I get a nice reef or structure that is not so deep and want to try this jigging thing, how should I go about it. Cast it out and do a more horizontal vertical jigging (which I would actually call spinning) or is there some other alternative?

 

[neilg]

No jigging expert either, but I have jigged in 25m water, AS LONG AS THERE IS SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE, or a school of fish then you can jig !

I haven't caught anything to talk about, but in the shallower water (30m and shallower) I just use my smaller jigs.

SO GO FOR IT

 

[Bux]

Well, tried it yesterday with a pink williamson abyss 2oz jig and got a +- 400g rockcod in about 30 m of water that had some good structure. So very pleased with my first (altough small) jigged fish. Will keep at it and see how it evolves for me.

 

[Nepptune]

Bux

There is no real limit to depth with jigging, but optimally you want to be in water deeper than 20 metres, to give yourself more "jig travel".... but this by no means says you can't jig in shallower water mate....

As Neil says, you can use smaller jigs, or as you mention, cast out your jig/spoon and jig it back to the boat.... there are no hard and fast rules mate, so get out there and try it.....

Also have a look at Medai or "Slow Jigs" which are meant to be fished slower than regular jigs, and are dynamite for bottom species....
Also rty to use flat sided jigs, that will have more futter on the drop, rather than "spear" jigs which will fall faster to the bottom... the flat sides will give you more flutter and action on the drop and on your drops while jigging, which means you can fish them slower and stay in the strike zone to entice a strike....

Long skinny tailweighted jigs are called in when fishing deep water, in heavy currents, and to hit small targets.... they require more rod action to get the correct movement out of them...

Hope this helps a little...
Cheers
Nepps

 

[jcvach]

Hi bux,
in mozambique, we usually fish between 30m and 45m. anywhere u find structure or good readings on your finder will work for jigging.

we first tried the usual drifting technique with bait lines and jigged non stop until we caught something, but eventually worked out a far more succesful tactic.

we move along the reefs and structure until we get a good showing of fish, we then start jigging and usually get hit within three jigs!!

try varying your retrieve from slow and easy with smaller jerks, similar to bass fishing
to
wind like hell and jerk at the same time, almost like a epeleptic fit!!!!

 

[Bux]

Thanks for all the advise guys, appreciate it. Like everyone says "Imagine the action of the lure and what might entice a strike."

From that first fishie I caught I proved to myself that this jigging thing actually does work and I will keep at it (while the others on the boat do the chumming on the bottom for me). Who knows maybe one day soon I'll catch something worth posting a pic of.

Regards,

 

[ChrisW]

with shallower water you need to scale down the jig weight and rod to suit. Nepps suggested flat sided jigs, this is great advice as these jigs flutter slower to the sea floor. You are limited to water depth so you have to ply your techniques within that narrow water column. So light slow sinking centreweighted jigs will be required.
Bottom structure are keys to finding fish, structure = fish! Don't fish in a marine desert.

When you get set up, drop the jig over and keep it within sight. Now jerk the rod quickly and watch the jig duck and dive. Change the jerk and watch the changes in jig action. Now take this knowledge with you when you drop the jig to the bottom and jig for real.

 

[Freakazoid]

I can't say that I have done vertical jigging. But I have taken a snake and "jigged" it up and down in 15 metres of water and caught a kob. If this qualifies as jigging then I reckon you could do it in very shallow water. I would probably call it vertical spinning then rather.

Am actually going to try it this weekend again but with a proper rod, reel and some jigs I grabbed off the shelf at Fishing Specialist.

 

[Dingleberry]

Glad to hear you've had some success - I've still had none. Have you seen these fellows? Maybe they'd be worth a try in shallower water.

 

[neilg]

BTW
the commercial guys have been jigging NORMAL SPOONS (SILVER AND BRASS) using their handlines for years, mostly for cob and geelbek

 

[Bux]

Those are the most ugly beautiful squiddy lures! Maybe it's a good thing we dont have any tackle shops around here - it would be hard to choose between those and my mortgage payments.

 

[gerritp]

I jiged in 8 to 12m water at st Croix island in PE over easter with a 9ft penn powerstick(spinning rod) and a tld15 and a noname jig(R35), not a jigging outfit but it worked. I droped the jig to the bottom and raised it 1m, from there I only worked the rod up and down letting the jig travel 2-3m.

The funny thing is i outfish the other guys on the boat 4 to 1 on cob and we were head to head with bassies.

I am now convinced about jigging, will be getting myself a propper outfit soon.

 

[neilg]

gerritp wrote:

I am now convinced about jigging

U see, I told you so !

 

[gerritp]

neilg wrote:

gerritp wrote:

I am now convinced about jigging

U see, I told you so !

Ja ja, thanx "Dexter".

 

[nicos]

Personally, I think you can have great success jigging in shallower water. Here some pictures of fish caught in about 20m-25m of water with lighter jigs:


Jack.
 

 

 

[nicos]

Couta.

 

[nicos]

Shadow kingfish.

 

[nicos]

Blacktip kingy.

 

[nicos]

Another blacktip kingy.

 

[Jimi the Fish]

Bux wrote:

Those are the most ugly beautiful squiddy lures! Maybe it's a good thing we dont have any tackle shops around here - it would be hard to choose between those and my mortgage payments.

Yeah they are nice but with a price,which for that reason you can make your own,and by your statement of not having any tackle shops close by,gives you more reason to DIY.
Im sure you have ball or bean sinkers and a few crimps and some paint and a little bit of Gary Glitter for effect,the hooks used on these are Gammies on thin kevlar but with a truck load of breaking strain.
The results speak for themselves.
The Snapper landed on these I Drops for which i named them went from 12-18lb.