High Tech Jigging

[Bowbreaker]

Yeah, all I do is jig. Don’t even own downriggers.

The evening jig fishery at Wilby seems to be quite the thing. There will be 20 boats out there racing around trying to stay on bait. But, in the morning, everyone is trolling… Why?

On balance, I find mornings can be more productive. Less certain re bait, but once you find it better fishing. When jig fishing in the fleet, I am often using a bow mounted electric motor to keep me in position. I get all kinds of glares from trollers and often have boats come so close they drag their down rigger cables under my boat. Interesting dynamic. Which I try and avoid if I can find bait elsewhere.

 

[spring fever]

Yeah, all I do is jig. Don’t even own downriggers.

The evening jig fishery at Wilby seems to be quite the thing. There will be 20 boats out there racing around trying to stay on bait. But, in the morning, everyone is trolling… Why?

On balance, I find mornings can be more productive. Less certain re bait, but once you find it better fishing. When jig fishing in the fleet, I am often using a bow mounted electric motor to keep me in position. I get all kinds of glares from trollers and often have boats come so close they drag their down rigger cables under my boat. Interesting dynamic. Which I try and avoid if I can find bait elsewhere.

So are you the guy that wears these colourful fishing shirts?? Just curious-I heard of you doing good things on the evening bite. Trollers amaze me-if they knew how we target bait they would follow us around like dogs and their catch rate would skyrocket--- if they didn't lose to many cannon balls.

 

[Salty338]

I’m the same. Don’t own down riggers. Got rid of them with my old boat. I find that at Wilby as well. We do well in the morning but the evenings have historically been the best. Some days it can be spotty hence why people will say it’s better to troll but those are the early departure for ice cream days. Lol
I’ve never felt like I needed downriggers in that area. Even at Kitty Coleman. Always seem to find some action.

 

[RiverBoy]

So are you the guy that wears these colourful fishing shirts?? Just curious-I heard of you doing good things on the evening bite. Trollers amaze me-if they knew how we target bait they would follow us around like dogs and their catch rate would skyrocket--- if they didn't lose to many cannon balls.

Mike: when i’m trolling i look for the jiggers. especially the ones actively jigging. but i find i rarely have hookups despite the dead giveaway they are on the bait. . i can’t wait to try jigging for salmon

 

[Bowbreaker]

So are you the guy that wears these colourful fishing shirts?? Just curious-I heard of you doing good things on the evening bite. Trollers amaze me-if they knew how we target bait they would follow us around like dogs and their catch rate would skyrocket--- if they didn't lose to many cannon balls.

Haha… yeah, I suppose so! I like to dress up for fishing. Lol

We catch our share. I learned a few things last year that I’m looking forward to continuing to implement this year… particularly with the mega school that is often there in the evenings. Mostly related to deciding where to fish.

Most of my double digit days have been in the morning or afternoon.

 

[spring fever]

Haha… yeah, I suppose so! I like to dress up for fishing. Lol

We catch our share. I learned a few things last year that I’m looking forward to continuing to implement this year… particularly with the mega school that is often there in the evenings. Mostly related to deciding where to fish.

Most of my double digit days have been in the morning or afternoon.

That mega school is what I got into fri-every drop was either a ling or a salmon-2 of the salmon I wouldn't have been able to keep after the 15th july one was just shy of 100cm mark on my gaff-don't think it was thirty but damned close-have to find a chart. Just hope the bait sticks. Sentry was a dud last year-good the year before-haven't been this year but will have to look

 

[spring fever]

Resurrecting old jigs from the left, 2 strikers, jumbo buzz bomb not sure what the last one is . All been hot foil stamped-new single mustad hooks making salmon release easier and on the last one chinese assist hooks. Retirement is not hard you just have to find something to do if the wind is blowing and you can't fish!! LOL

 

[MRWood]

Nice morning on the water, fishing around Nanoose. Came home with a hatch coho. Released some springs and barely undersized lings. 80 gram butterfly jig. Some fish on the drop but most on the fast retrieve. Lots hitting on the surface, that’s fun.

 

[Bowbreaker]

Love that pic of the sonar screen… when you see that it’s GO TIME! Thanks for the post. Getting pumped for the summer jigging season

 

[Loghauler]

Resurrecting old jigs from the left, 2 strikers, jumbo buzz bomb not sure what the last one is . All been hot foil stamped-new single mustad hooks making salmon release easier and on the last one chinese assist hooks. Retirement is not hard you just have to find something to do if the wind is blowing and you can't fish!! LOL

I’ve got a couple stingers to resurrect what’s the process ? And a buzzer too

 

[spring fever]

I’ve got a couple stingers to resurrect what’s the process ? And a buzzer too

I gather you were looking at the pictures I attached. The process basically is to spray paint your lures with any oil based spray paint such as tremclad and when the lure is slightly tacky you apply hot foil stamping foil in whatever holographic design you buy. You then press heat the lure using a hot silicon pad-then the hologram is etched onto the lure. You get all the materials from Aliexpress. Read about hot foil stamping-some good you tube vids as well. It probably is really a hobby and not worth getting into unless you plan to resurrect salmon lures as well. If you are around Black Creek I don't mind showing you how its done

 

[SkeenaSlayer]

Great thread with excellent info. Any suggestions on the ideal reel size for this type of jigging? I take it lighter is better to avoid fatigue. Probably a 300 size levelwind is the way to go? I'm looking to pair a reel with a Shimano Talavera Type J.

 

[sly_karma]

I had an Abu Ambassadeur C3 6500 for river casting that I respooled with Depth Hunter 40 lb and put on a Trevala for jigging. It worked sufficiently well for me that I bought a second identical setup.

Someone on here commented that this Abu series is the 'cheapest of the good reels', or words to that effect. Take-up rate is fast at 5.3:1, and it's light at 10 oz/ 280 g. If I was fishing a lot (or guiding), I'd consider eating the weight penalty and moving up to a reel with metal innards. But I'm a 2-3 times a year visitor to salt water and there's no meaningful halibut fishery on the Sunshine Coast, so the lighter reels have served me well so far.

 

[Salty338]

I’ve been running the shimano thorium 14 and 16 as well as a talica. Average is 40” per crank or more with those reals. Also going to tryout a couple Daiwa Saltist in 35h and 15h sizes when I get there at the end of July.

The Abu will get it done but i like more drag so I can really crank into them with no slip, a smaller form and the higher inches per turn retrieve that you get with the types of reels I listed. Another good one is the Daiwa Lexa 400hd. I have run 2 of those on the boat with no issues and lots of fish on them.

Paired mostly with shimano grapplers in various sizes.

 

[acrowe]

I don't have the best gear, I have a Penn Squall on a trophy xl jigging rod - I think its more suitable for big bottomfish, but I have used it a lot for salmon and caught lots on it, it definitely beats a mooching rod and single action I once used. I also have a Shimano Trevala that I put a Shimano Triton - some sort of 6:1 jigging model I bought used. Its a really good rig. I caught the first salmon on it yesterday afternoon near Green Can at the edge of Wilby shoals. I got 4 really quickly between 7-and likely just over 20lbs. It worked really well, I might almost say it is too effective minimizing the fight of even a pretty large chinook - which is good if you aren't keeping it.. I was using a regular barbless single siwash hook and was able to release 3-4 simply by giving slack right beside the boat, and they flipped the hook out (one i Had to grab the hook). I left to hopefully find a lingcod.
Near the lighthouse at the edge of the rip where an older guy told me can be a good spot for ling, I ran into a big school of feeding coho. Once I realized I was on coho I switched to a lighter rod - daiwa baitcaster and older Abu Garcia 5500 (a made in Sweden - I assume it will die in salt water even rinsing, but I don't fish for walleye much these days so... ). It works really well for smaller jigs in shallower water. I caught quite a few, with some crazy aerials and slashing runs. I kept 2 hatchery and was able to release all but 1 or 2 just by giving a bit of slack when I saw the adipose fin
I also have spinning reels, a decent spinning reel works pretty well for people who are casual fishers.

 

[sly_karma]

If you're using the centre weighted, flat-fall type jigs often mentioned in this thread, a spinning reel isn't a great choice. The drop is slightly jerky as line pays out off the spool, you'll likely miss bites as they usually happen on the drop. Or miss the hookup due to the time taken to flip the bail closed. An occasional user would probably conclude that flat fall jigs don't work very well and move onto something else.

 

[Copper Moon]

If you're using the centre weighted, flat-fall type jigs often mentioned in this thread, a spinning reel isn't a great choice. The drop is slightly jerky as line pays out off the spool, you'll likely miss bites as they usually happen on the drop. Or miss the hookup due to the time taken to flip the bail closed. An occasional user would probably conclude that flat fall jigs don't work very well and move onto something else.

Thanks for that. I was going to throw out the flat fall in favour of Macdeeps which are working very well. I didn't like the jerkiness that you mentioned either. l'll switch reels for the flat fall rig

 

[AmatuerHour]

A question for the group: what is your preferred terminal connection to attaching the Shimano flat fall style jigs? Do you tie the jig directly to the main line - which makes swapping jigs a bit of a process - or use a swivel with a split ring or other preference?
For where we jig at home in the South Puget Sound I’ve always used Point Wilson darts with the ends bent over to allow my line to free slide along the jig, with tandem hooks and a soft bead for a bumper above the hooks. This works well for those style darts but I don’t have experience with the the flat fall jigs and wondering what is the best line to jig set up to maintain the best presentation in the water?

 

[spring fever]

I use a good sampo swivel between my braid and my mono or flouro(4 to 6 feet] then a stainless snap for ease of change

 

[sly_karma]

I've been trying a 40 lb fluoro leader to each jig, 3 ft long. Then a snap and a bead for terminal hardware on the depth hunter braided main line. The stiff leader is important to keep the jig standing off the main line as it drops. Without the leader, you'll get tangles.

As to whether the leader can be connected to the jig via a snap or split ring, or tied directly to the jig, there's a bunch of opinions. The connection will affect the action of the lure, direct tie probably gives it the most most active presentation. Maybe. This isn't a science lab.

I started out with a couple of Shimano jigs and direct tied them, then acquired more and kept the same process. Using a split ring to a fluoro leader tied to the main line sounds good, but right now I couldn't be arsed charging it all. Maybe a winter project.