Salmon Jigging Rod and Reel

[Windbreaker]

I'm hoping to get out next summer to try a little salmon jigging in the Nanaimo area. Gear-wise, I am thinking of pairing a Shimano Tekota A400 line-counter reel with their Trevala S MH jigging casting rod. Any comments on whether this would be a suitable combination would be much appreciated. Also, any other thoughts on rod/reel options would be helpful.

 

[gungadin]

I cannot fault your choice of reel. A line counter is great for jigging for salmon especially when you know the depth if the bait fish. As for your choice of rod, that is a well made sturdy rod, but in my opinion more suited to bottom fishing. It certainly could be used for salmon jigging, but were it me, I would just buy that rod and reel combo and a 8ft Ugly stic Tiger casting Rod and switch the reels around as needed.

 

[ILHG]

Hello sir. There is a ton of info on this site covering this topic. @Waterwolf is one of the best jiggers I know and heads out salmon fishing with no downriggers.

He has taught me what I know about the subject. I have always been a decent bottom fishing jigger, just hadn't crossed over to salmon. I had a chance to target salmon with "Slow Pitch Jigging" this summer & can Honestly say it was life changing. Me and a group of buddies caught over 15 beautiful salmon in a single evening of fishing. All while folks trolled tacs all around us.

Salmon eat jigs.

Ad for the reel & depth determination... I use color changing line. Every 25' it changes color. The only trouble is I forget to look when dropping.

Do a quick search and you will find what you need. What you wont find is a consensus on the subject. The answer is dependent on the type of jigging you do.

If you live on the island, then visit the tackle store at Pacific Playgrounds (CR) called "Tackle Shack". That place has everything you need for jigging and great advice.

 

[CBsqrd]

https://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/index.php?threads/high-tech-jigging.66606/

The action on MH Trevala might be a bit heavy, lots of guys use MH for their halibut / ling rods. OK if you are planning on using it for double duty though. If you already have some bottom setups, and want a dedicated salmon / light bottom fish rod, I'd personally go for the M action.

 

[Windbreaker]

Hello sir. There is a ton of info on this site covering this topic. @Waterwolf is one of the best jiggers I know and heads out salmon fishing with no downriggers.

He has taught me what I know about the subject. I have always been a decent bottom fishing jigger, just hadn't crossed over to salmon. I had a chance to target salmon with "Slow Pitch Jigging" this summer & can Honestly say it was life changing. Me and a group of buddies caught over 15 beautiful salmon in a single evening of fishing. All while folks trolled tacs all around us.

Salmon eat jigs.

Ad for the reel & depth determination... I use color changing line. Every 25' it changes color. The only trouble is I forget to look when dropping.

Do a quick search and you will find what you need. What you wont find is a consensus on the subject. The answer is dependent on the type of jigging you do.

If you live on the island, then visit the tackle store at Pacific Playgrounds (CR) called "Tackle Shack". That place has everything you need for jigging and great advice.

Thanks! I did check @Waterwolf ... great suggestions! I see that he did recommend the Travala S for one of his rod/reel combinations but certainly I will check out the Ugly Stik that Gungaden suggested. I have the same issue with the color changing line hence the line counter idea. I also like the idea of heading up to Pacific Playground for a visit ... anything to get out of the house!

 

[Windbreaker]

I cannot fault your choice of reel. A line counter is great for jigging for salmon especially when you know the depth if the bait fish. As for your choice of rod, that is a well made sturdy rod, but in my opinion more suited to bottom fishing. It certainly could be used for salmon jigging, but were it me, I would just buy that rod and reel combo and a 8ft Ugly stic Tiger casting Rod and switch the reels around as needed.

Thanks ... I'll check out the Ugly Stik!

 

[Rain City]

MR2 with a Titan XL 3106. Massive action through the column.

 

[Windbreaker]

https://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/index.php?threads/high-tech-jigging.66606/

The action on MH Trevala might be a bit heavy, lots of guys use MH for their halibut / ling rods. OK if you are planning on using it for double duty though. If you already have some bottom setups, and want a dedicated salmon / light bottom fish rod, I'd personally go for the M action.

Thanks CBsqrd! I'll see if I can lighten up on my rod choice a bit!

 

[eroyd]

I have yet to find the perfect salmon jigging rod. Ideally something around 7 1/2 to 8 feet me thinks. Light but fairly stiff/fast. Long, soft rods are to hard on the angler.

 

[paguy]

A good level wind reel and a stiff rod with sensitive tip. You dont want a limber rod for jigging. Your jigs will very depending on depth and current, 1 to 6 ounce. You want the extra back bone in the rod for the heavier jigs and to set the hook when they grab it on the fall, Which happens most the time.

 

[Dogbreath]

Some Muskie rods are suitable-cheap and reasonably well-made but where in the Pacific NW can you try them out they are a rare animal at best.

 

[Rayvon]

I tried the Trevala for jigging and was really disappointed with it.I found it to be way too short,I think 6Ft.6".I'm used to using 10Ft.6" rods for trolling but that's too big for jigging unless you can find a really light graphite.I've been using a 9Ft.Akuma that is extremely light weight and it do's the job but the cork/rubber handle is too short so I end up with my left hand on the rod instead.I have a Trevala for halibut fishing,great for that.I'm still searching for the perfect jigging rod as that's what I do 90% of the time now.

 

[ILHG]

My go to jigging rod is the Shimano "Game Type J". I pair it with a Shimano "Trinidad 16NA".

Its absolutely deadly and allows you to jig all day. If you want a serious set up that will allow you to fish some specialty jigs that can make the difference. Then consider this set up.

 

[Rayvon]

I did a search online for the Shimano Game Type J rods and they seem to only come in 5Ft6" or 6Ft.,is that what you use?What weight,M or MH? Do you have the model #? Thanks,Ray

 

[ericl]

IMO you want the thinest line so that you can get deeper with a lighter jig. I use 20# braid.
Longer rods are better for playing fish but require more strength/endurance to work the jig over a long period of time; your age/physical condition will be a big factor here. You will need to have the jig close to vertical to get the proper action. I like to cast into the direction the current is coming from to increase the amount of time the jig is at/near vertical. This, & jig weight will depend on the depth you are fishing/wind/current.
I cast much better with a spinning reel, and prefer the reel to be on the bottom versus the top, so I use a spinner.
One rating of a rod is the weight of lure you can use with it. Any bend in the rod while you are raising the jig means the harder you will be working. Compared to a single action moocher reel a spinner/level wind will retrieve line much faster so a long limber rod to help keep pressure on the fish means less.
I believe the combo you originally proposed would be great if you prefer the level wind; of all the jig rods I have ever owned the short Shimano's are my favorite.

 

[adanac]

My go to jigging rod is the Shimano "Game Type J". I pair it with a Shimano "Trinidad 16NA".

Its absolutely deadly and allows you to jig all day. If you want a serious set up that will allow you to fish some specialty jigs that can make the difference. Then consider this set up.

took the words out of my mouth with the trinidad 16NA with metered braid, trevala or game type j, or any light parabolic rod . The metered braid is colour coded and removes the need for a clunky line counter . amazing how powerful these light looking rods are , have caught basically every species b.c. salt has to offer , and also tons of big blue water and warm water reef fish with them, you can really put the boots to fish with this style rod.

single action reels / long down rigger rods are the last thing i would choose to jig with if you are getting serious about it. conventional reels let you vary your retrieve speed . long limber downrigger rods ( even though used lots in the past for jigging) are the exact opposite of what you want to give your jig the snap you need to get the proper action, they are also very tiresome to jig with all day. much more specific tools for the trade these days.

point wilson darts , shimano flat fall , old fashioned gibbs minnows , pline lazer minnows ( depending on the feed )are the go to’s for me

 

[MRWood]

I have been jigging for salmon essentially full time for the past 3 seasons. I like the quiet drifts and the excitement of the take when the rod is in your hand. I do still troll now and again but very little.

I’ve tried multiple setups and have decided that my favorite 2 setups are the 1st and 3rd rods in the attached pic. The 1st one is a Fate Steel 13 medium heavy fast action 9’ trigger rod with an okuma cold water CW-4540 line counter reel. I got the rod a cabellas. I bought this setup for my wife and now I find myself fishing it when she’s not there, lol. It’s spooled with 40lb spider braid with a top shot of 30lb fluorocarbon. The reel is light and the counter is awesome for knowing what depth you’re at. I really like that it counts your cast distance so you know whether you will need to reel up or not once the line becomes vertical. You get really good at judging your casting distance.

The 2nd setup is a 9’ Fenwick HMX med heavy trigger rod with a Calcutta 400B bait caster. It is spooled with 40lb colored depth counter braid With the 30lb fluorocarbon top shot. I don’t like it as much as I find I stop counting the colors after awhile. I also like casting into the drift when the tide is running which doesn’t allow you to count your depth. I do like the feel of the rod and reel however.

I have others but these are the two that I rely on most. They both have sensitive tips and enough back bone to handle any spring salmon that I’ve run into. Haven’t jigged up any 30lb plus but plenty in the twenties.

 

[King Crab]

I agree with Mr Wood. I’ve been jigging springs for over 40 years around Victoria and have several rod and reel set ups for jigging. I sometimes jig for 4-5 hours so a super light and strong rod and reel is key.

Preferred rod is a 9’ trigger (casting rod) with fast action (for a good hook set). Line rating is usually 10-20 lb range. Fenwick HMX is not bad but favourite is a discontinued G Loomis.

Reel: Daiwa Luna 300, Calcutta 400d or something similar.

line: 30-50 lb powerpro braid. I use a bead, sampoo swivel and 3-4’ of Flurocarbon line for a leader.

 

[Rayvon]

I commented that I was disappointed in the Trevala rod,I should have said I was disappointed in the length of the rod (6Ft.),I just couldn't get used to using a short rod like that.The rod itself was really well made and way stronger than it looked.I'm glad to see others use a longer rod (9Ft.) like I do.The key for me is finding a rod light enough that I can jig for 4 hours without going home with a sore arm/shoulder,a problem I have.Please keep suggesting rods for me to try as I'm pretty addicted to jigging now.I should be selling my small tackle shop worth of trolling gear I've collected over the years.

 

[Rain City]

I know guys still disagree and they have a very valid point. With a lot of jigs short quick action works best and with deep water and lots of current you need heavy jigs so the mooching setup sucks. But man when the fish were thick off the pink apartment when I first started we used to just slay with 2.5oz and 4oz zingers jigged way up with the long rod and then just left to fall. 90% of the time you'd get them on the flutter down so a big pull up was great, covered tons of water. We normally jigged between 20' and 80' right off bottom so no need for a counter.