This article written by ChrisW ( I think ) has about as much relavent information. There are so many good lessons in this.
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Speed jigging, deep jigging, Japanese jigging, vertical jigging,
extreme jigging, butterfly jigging, working the iron. These are some of
the many names given to jigging with long jigs that has swept Asia,
Oceania, Europe and now the US.
Jigging is one of the world?s oldest lure fishing techniques. Its
origins have been sketchy but it can be traced back to the early
Polynesians and Europeans many centuries ago. So we know this type of
artificial lure fishing works!
During the early 1990?s, the Japanese reinvented jigging through the
pioneering exploits of Yoichi Mogi. He was instrumental in many of the
new developments in rods, reels and jigs which help popularise this new
Japanese style jigging. Traditionally big fish are landed with heavy
tackle. The experience is usually a combination of fighting both the
fish and the tackle thus reducing the enjoyment of the sport. Being
masters of invention, the Japanese tackle companies embarked on a total
redesign of their blue water tackle. The results are impressive with
light weight powerhouse reels combined with small powerful graphite
rods. These combos not only put enjoyment back into fishing but were
producing an impressive list of angling feats normally reserved for
much heavier tackle.
Tips for the first jigging trip
* Get a good pair of split ring pliers to change jigs quickly. Proper
tools are necessary to safely open the 250lb rings. Check out our Pro
Hunter pliers in the accessories section.
* Get a pouch for your pliers while you?re at it. Otherwise they will never be in their proper place ? at your side.
* Gloves for jigging. Get past the macho attitude, it is very easy to
get used to fishing with gloves. Find a pair offering good protection
against braid cuts and are comfortable to wear.
* Gimbal belt. Mandatory for fighting big fish.
* Have replacement assist hooks pre-tied.
* Windon leaders or leader material and tools to quickly make you own.
* A spare jigging outfit. Or a spare reel spool filled with braid or a spare spool of braided line.
* A range of jig types in several colours and weights.
* Sunnies and a hat.
* Take a camera.
* Leave the bait at home!
Effective jigging
The success to any fishing trip is the ability of the skipper to put
the jigger onto fish. Finding fish might simply mean looking at a
screen but first the skipper must know where to look and how to give
the jigger the opportunity to take advantage.
One of the main advantages of vertical jigging is the ability to place
the jig exactly where the fish are. Knowing the depth of the school,
the jigger can drop the jig to the exact measured depth by using the
multicoloured braided line. This line is often known as PE (Poly
Ethylene or braid) line. Working the jig at a known depth is much more
effective than jigging blindly.
It is usual for large predatory fish like Yellowtail Kingfish to hang
around underwater reefs and structure. Look for fish sign on the up
current side of any structure. It is the skill of the skipper to
position the boat up current of the structure and make allowances for
current drift, windage and give sufficient drift time for the jigs to
hit their mark. From here on, the skill of the jigger is what?s left to
entice a hit.
Fish will attack jigs when they are feeding, they will also attack if a
baitfish appears to be injured or fleeing its presence. Other times the
jigger will get a reactionary strike if jig presentation is right. Jig
presentation is enhanced by working the jig with both rod and reel. The
Japanese have developed such jigging techniques as ?mechanical jigging?
or ?fast pitch, short jerk? to enhance the action of their highly
technical jig designs. Working these particular techniques have proven
to be highly effective and less tiresome than the previous ?speed
jigging? that dominated during the 1980?s.
Jigging Reels
Some jiggers prefer overhead (multiplier or conventional) over spinning
reels. For overhead reels, a narrow spool reel is preferred as line
laying will not be such a problem so you can concentrate on working the
jigs.
Recommended overhead reels are:
* Shimano ?
o Ocea Jigger
o Trinidad
o Torium
* Daiwa ?
o Saltiga
o Saltist
* Accurate - Boss
* Studio Ocean Mark ? Blue Heaven
* Duel Speedy
* Pro Gear Oceanus
Recommended spinning reels are;
* Shimano ?
o Stella
o Twinpower
* Daiwa ?
o Saltiga
o Blast
* Finnor
* Van Staal
* Accurate Twinspin
There maybe other reels that would be worthy of inclusion but those
listed reels have been popular and well proven world-wide. Most of
these reels are available in NZ. Some reels are very capable while
others will have some limitations to the rigours of extreme jigging.
There is a constant misunderstanding about high gearing for jigging
reels. Due to the growing numbers of jiggers exploring deeper and
deeper waters, there is the need for heavier jigs and at times less
streamlined jigs. A heavy jig load and the increasing fish size has
made cranking with 6:1 gears plain hard work! Experienced jiggers
prefer 4:1 to 5:1 ratio gears that have the torque to do the work
without undue fatigue.
A good drag system is imperative to firstly stop, then pull in big
target fish. Fish such as Kingfish and Hapuka (Grouper) inhabit deep
reef systems. When hooking up on these denizens, you have to stop them
from running back into the reef. Similarly, hard running pelagics need
suitable drag pressure to stop them. From both scenarios, poor drag
performance will usually produce one result!
Jigging Rods
As with any type of angling, there is never one rod that will suit all
occasions. A good jigging rod must be light, have a parabolic action
and high strength for lifting power. Parabolic rods are easier to jig
in the Japanese style, they also help the angler fight big fish and are
necessary for braided line.
Depending on the jigging style and reel type employed, rod lengths can
vary. Overhead reels are best partnered with short rods, as short as
5?. Spinning reels are best with longer rods, as long as 7?. Most
novice jiggers will begin with an existing longer rod, graduating into
a specialist rod later. The following are simple guidelines -
Recommended jigging rods -
* Jigging Master*
* Daiwa Saltiga*
* Shimano*
* Carpenter*
* Smiths
* Lamiglas Tropic Pro
* Sevenseas
* Fisherman
* CB One
* Seed
* Calstar
There will be many other rods that would be worthy of inclusion but
these listed rods have been popular and well proven world-wide and
those with an * appear here in NZ. All of the above brands have rods
that are very capable for extreme jigging in both overhead and spinning
models. Different target fish will require different jigging styles
which may need different rod types. Ask for expert advice about rod
choice to avoid a costly mistake.
Jig types
There are many different jig manufacturers on the market but they all
produce jigs where the weight positioning is centre weighted, tail
weighted or somewhere in between.
Centre weighted jigs
These jigs are weight balanced near its centre. This jig is designed to
flutter, glide and dart during the drop but fall slower than tail
weighted designs. Use this jig in shallower water and for bottom fish
(Snapper) that prefer a slower, fluttery presentation. These jigs are
the most common and versatile designs and are must have weapons in the
jiggers arsenal.
Zest* products in this category include, Hardy Long, Curved Slider, Ruddertail, Triangle and another brand called Sanme*
Tail weighted jigs
These jigs are weight balanced at or near the tail. This jig is
designed to drop and lift quickly with a little action. These are the
jigs to target deep water bottom fish as their streamlined designs will
resist the effects of current better.
The jigs also tend to have small face profiles for better streamlining
thus reducing the jig load felt at the rod. Because they are used in
deep water, most jigs tend to have luminous finishes which help
illuminate this lethal offering to any prospective fish. Use these jigs
to target deep water Kingfish, Hapuka and Sea Bass. Zest* products in
this category include Super Deep, Deep Slim, Curved Slider and Jigging
Master -Rocket
There will be other jigs on the world market that could be included but
there are so many manufacturers that it would be impractical to list
them. The above jigs are very popular and successful and available in
NZ.
Jig size
When choosing the jig size - target fish, water depth and current flow
should be considered. Heavy tail weighted jigs can be used with pin
point accuracy on a small target. A common guide is for 100g for every
100? of water.
Choosing between a short or long jig might be helped by comparing jig
length to the local baitfish at the time. It is also a long-held belief
by Japanese jiggers that a long jig resembles a big baitfish which will
entice the bigger predators! This choice then becomes a personal one or
one that is determined on the day as fish will always have their daily
preferences.
Jig colour
With a wide range of jig colours, patterns and finishes; it can be hard
to choose a suitable colour. There is a long held belief that the jig
colour should match the overhead light conditions i.e. dark overhead =
dark coloured jig, bright sunny = bright coloured jigs. At night and
during deep jigging sessions, jigs that are mostly luminous are popular
because of their ability to be seen in the dark water. Often before the
first drop, I will observe what colour jigs have been selected by other
jiggers and then choose a different colour. This way most of the colour
spectrum is covered and if there is a hot colour, then you can quickly
change to that. In most cases, the prettiest jig is the one that gets
tied on and we all know that you will only get bit if you have it in
the water.
Assist hooks
One of the most significant jig developments has been the assist hook.
The assist hook comprises a wide gape hook spliced to a short, looped
Kevlar cord. The cord is usually looped onto the connecting end of the
jig so that the hook is positioned behind the head and belly area of
the jig. This is an area jiggers believe predatory fish strike which
leads to improved hooksets. Another benefit is less snags because of
the absence of the traditional tail treble. Many Japanese jiggers
believe that predators also attack the assist hook so they often dress
the hook like a flasher or fly.
Choose an assist hook by ensuring the hook gape is wider than the jig.
Jiggers often use two assist hooks, varying the cord lengths for
greater coverage. Additional assist hooks can be looped in at the tail
if you are getting missed strikes when the jig is dropping. The tail
assist will fold up against the jig and into the strike zone but a
problem is the potential of the jig to tangle with the leader if jigged
too vigorously.
There are many ways to make assist hooks, the main ingredient is Kevlar
cord. Cut a 30cm length of Kevlar, double the cord then carefully tie a
2 turn uni knot or nail knot onto the hook shank then tighten with
pliers. Trim off Kevlar tags and finish off with a short length of heat
shrink tubing to protect the knot. Another simpler way is a single
overhand knot onto the hook shank, a drop of super glue then heat
shrink tubing.
Lines
This new Japanese style jigging could not begin without the advent of
ultra thin braided line which was introduced at that time. Braided line
is a must when jigging, it not only reduces drag and stretch but it
enables the jigger to easily work the jig without being hampered by
thick line. The thin braids drastically increase line capacity, or in
reverse ? reduce the size and weight of the reels needed.
The Japanese call these lines PE lines which is an abbreviation for
Poly Ethylene being the scientific name for spectra or dyneema or
simply - braid! Japanese use PE as a unit of measurement for braided
line thickness, a PE5 braid is roughly equal to 50lb test. Most
Japanese PE lines are characterised by colour coding where each colour
measures 10m of line. There are usually 5 different colours which are
repeated over the entire length of line.
Some popular brands of PE lines ?
* Varivas
* YGK
* Zenaq
* Daiwa
* Jig Star*
* Salt Max*
Leaders
The use of leaders is important in jigging because the terminal end is
exposed to reef, abrasion and bite-offs. Asian jiggers much prefer the
stealthy advantages of fluorocarbon leaders since their waters have
long been ravaged and the fish have become line shy.
When considering leaders, it should be a windon with a length between
3 ? 6m. The length is necessary because there should be at least
several turns of leader on the reel when the fish comes within gaff
range. This allows the leader man an easier line to handle as well as
affording some abrasion resistance should the fish suddenly dive
beneath the boat rubbing the line against the hull.
There are quick and easy ways to join braid to leader but that
generally does not mean they are best. Novice jiggers should begin with
game fishing leaders which are joined by loop-to-loop connections.
These leaders can be brought over the counter and are easily replaced
but there comes a time when the complete jigger should be able to tie
at least one of the elaborate connecting knots like the FG, GT,
PR,
Midknot. These knots are very streamlined and strong, they can
withstand day-long popper casting. The bulkier uni-to-uni or
bimimi-to-albright knots will suffice but fear for the rings on your
rod guides.
Check our knot section for some of these knots and links to knot tying sites.
Jigging styles
The are 2 basic styles in Japanese style jigging, not including other factors like speed or hesitation.
Long stroke- working the rod from the gimbal plate. The rod is lifted
in a wide arc or long stroke then dropped to allow the jig to flutter
downwards to induce a strike. Simultaneously, the reel is quickly wound
in 2-3 turns for each cycle. This style is best suited to centre
weighted jigs, spinning combos with a longer rod.
High pitch, short jerk ? also known as ?mechanical jigging?. The rod is
carried under the armpit and the rod is stroked in a small arc.
Simultaneously the reel is quickly wound in 1 turn for each cycle. This
style is best suited to tail heavy streamlined jigs, overhead reels
with a shorter rod.
The above is a guide for the Japanese jig style, there are no set rules
to abide so you can easily mix up the techniques and tackle to suit
yourself. Certain species prefer a slower fluttery jig presentation
while others prefer blistering speed. Both styles can be successfully
worked at either slow or high speed or a combination of both. The
attraction with jigging is the room to experiment to find what works
for you.
Early jigging ? seemed focussed on high speed. The jigs in the
1980-90?s were often short and symmetrical. High speed retrieves were
needed to give those jigs action, thus the term ?speed jigging? was
born. This is still a successful technique, even more so with the
advent of the long jigs; but tiresome. Most jiggers of that time would
be set up with long, heavy rods and large high speed reels.
Monofilament was the standard line at that time. We all know just how
insensitive, stretchy and bulky nylon monofilament is. The technique
required the jig to be dropped to the bottom then quickly wound to the
surface, this was tiresome work. A yoyo technique was for the jig to be
repeatedly bounced up and down on the bottom much like a yoyo. Using
mono of those times, meant that rods had to be physically long to make
a long enough stroke in order to take the stretch out of the mono and
move the jig.
You can see now the advent of thin strong braids, modern tackle and
technical jig designs have confined this old jigging style to the attic
.
www.kavemantackle.co.nz
Elpescador wrote:
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