Many seasoned and professional anglers prefer jigs to other artificial lures due to their adaptability and simplicity of use. Jigs are a crucial component of any angler’s tackle box because they may be utilized in various situations, seasons, and fish species. However, to get the most out of your jigs, you must have the proper fishing equipment, know the best methods for attracting your target, and know which jigs to use. Here is some jig fishing advice from us, as well as a few fundamental skills that any professional angler should be familiar with.
Although it originated in Japan, jig fishing has recently become one of the most popular types of sport fishing worldwide. Fish provides you with all the information you need to start jig fishing: Technique, supplies, target species, advice… The post’s conclusion also contains a surprise. Avoid missing it! Learning the jig is one of the most practical fishing methods for beginners. Discover the fundamentals and how you may start using this strategy right away.
What is Jig Fishing – How Jig Fishing is important?
Jig fishing, also known as vertical fishing, is derived from the word “jig,” the lures used in this technique mimic a fish’s vertical movement as it rises to the surface. We will be able to catch much different fish with this method of fishing. Jigging, a kind of lure fishing that mimics the inconsistent swimming pattern of a wounded baitfish, is the best fit for catching large freshwater fish like bass.
A lead sinker and hook that have been molded together make up a jig. A soft body that imitates the color and looks of baitfish is often placed on top of the jig. Compared to spinnerbaits, which move horizontally, jigs travel vertically through the water with quick jerks to attract predatory fish. The importance of jig fishing is understood when many anglers go for freshwater fishing to catch large species. Jig fishing helps to create a vertical jumping motion to attract fish.
Things Required for Jig Fishing – Check out the main Equipment
A rod, reel, and mother line with the attached jig are the main pieces of light equipment typically used to practice this modality. Indeed, specific rods and reels are currently being created for each sub modality of jig fishing, giving each piece of special equipment characteristics. Although there are many possible combinations, let’s look at each element separately.
Reels – Use Light & Small Reel
In this fishing technique, power and comfort are crucial; thus, it’s important to have a decent reel with a quality brake to regulate the picking up. Utilizing spinning spool reels with a low ratio (spool turns per crank turn), such as 4:1 or 5:1, is the best choice for providing the bait with enough movement. While still having room to hold the thread, it must be as small and light as possible.
This is the technique which I follow while jigging. The reason for choosing such reel is that it makes me able to work all day on water and I hope so will work for you too. I ensure that my fishing reel should be small. If you are interested in saltwater fishing, I would suggest you to choose the best saltwater reels to make you day full of fun.
Rod – Use Lightweight Fast Action Rods
I mainly prefer to use a lightweight extra fast-action rod with a light reel to jig in a better way. And no doubt I found amazing results by using such a combination, but one essential thing you be ensured by all minds. I take up the idea of whether I am feeling a little bite at the end of my fishing line or not. However, this is possible only when the angler is paying extra attention to the line. Given that this technique is employed from a boat, the size of the rod is important.
The most prevalent ones are between 1.5 and 2.5 meters long and have actions between 80 and 250. It is advised to use spiral-shaped or inverted ring rods. The lure must also be light (less than 300 grams), strong, capable of lifting heavy fish if it moves easily and has a parabolic movement. Carbon fiber is an excellent material for this. Moreover, those who love trout fishing should have the best trout rods in your tackle box. It would really help them to fish in the best way.
Line – Which line is best for Tackling?
It is advised to utilize braided lines made of acrylic, which have strong resistance, limited flexibility, and less water friction. To have more sensitivity, it must also be thin. Between 0.35mm and 0.70mm are the suggested measurements. At the very end, where the lure will go, a fluorocarbon monofilament will be added with a proper fishing knot. But in case if I share my personal experience more bites can be gotten when fishing with a monofilament line.
If you are going with vertical jigging then the best one is the braided line option. Besides more bites, I have had an experience with the braid line which helped to stand with the rough rocky structure efficiently. You don’t have to get all worries about whether there will be a breakage of your braid line or not. Many anglers experience such fishing lines for the rocky structures and hence are successful but the fishing line weight is important. Mainly, 50-80 pounds is an acceptable weight in such a condition.
Lures- Fishing jigs
The most common and effective material for the hook on a jig is lead, which is also used to make various fish shapes. Currently, the selection is so wide that you can choose from an infinite number of models and colors from hundreds of manufacturers and brands. Your decision will be influenced by factors like the type of jig fishing you’ll use, the weight of the species to be caught, the depth at which we fish, and the condition of the sea, among others. There are two types of fishing jigs; these are given below:
- Soft jigs
The soft jigs have a large leaded head, a straightforward hook, and a little silicone body. They move quite realistically and are very efficient against slow-eating fish. They offer a lot of resistance to the water currents near the bottom, where they flow down slowly and are less effective.
- Hard jigs
(Like a knife) can be long or short; unlike soft jigs, they sink swiftly and are quite effective in the deep.
A jig will be more successful at catching one species over another depending on the asymmetry of its profile and the distribution of its weight (in the rear or central zone). The weight, which will affect the lure’s falling speed, varies depending on the model chosen but is normally between 60 and 400 grams. Many anglers love to fish bass, there must be best bass lures to fish them. I also has used some lures but they helped me in a lot.
How to do Jig Fishing – Check out all Methods
This method of fishing essentially involves dropping free-falling leaded lures to the ocean floor from a boat. Afterward, the angler moves the rod while recovering the line steadily. The purpose is to mimic the activity of a fish as it swims to the surface. For large predators and large creatures, this is quite alluring. Jigging is one of the most aggressive fishing techniques; to move the lure laterally in the water column, you must rapidly snap or bounce the rod tip up.
Jigging can be learned by casting the lure out, jigging it back towards you while reeling, or jigging straight up and down while drifting. These jig fishing methods make a game fish eager to bite because they provide the appearance of an injured baitfish.
Depending on the depth of the water we are fishing in, the particular lure we are using, or the species we are trying to capture, the movement we give the lure will change. Sometimes it works best to lift the bait off the ground and let it rest at various depths to draw the attention of our prey. The sort of fish and its eating preferences and the local currents will all impact how quickly things pick up. It is advised to begin with long, leisurely pulls from the bottom and build strength and speed as you travel.
Way to learn Jig Fishing – With or Without Live Fishing Bait
You can learn to jig with or without live fishing bait because jig rigs come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Many spoons are made for jigging; as they fall, they flutter, luring a fish. Along with painted lead-headed hook and feather combo jigs known as bucktails, soft plastic worms are another tool utilized in jig fishing. We will need a boat because it is typically done at depths between 30 and 250 meters. Additionally, where there are significant depth changes, there is a lot of feeding of little fish, which attracts large predators.
For instance, reefs, rocky or cliff bottoms… Always try to go away to less congested regions. This method focuses on predators on the seafloor, though many different species can be caught. We can catch tuna, kingfish, wahoo, snapper, grouper, dolphinfish, bonito, barracuda, and bluefish, among much other fish. Walleye, crappie, panfish, lake trout, hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass, and even muskie.
How to Jig in Straightforward Steps
Some Tips for jig fishing – A Way to Successful Jig Fishing
- Plan your journey:
Planning your route before leaving is crucial for any fishing. You should examine the weather reports and pick days with consistent wind and sea conditions, particularly when jig fishing.
- Knowing the Bottom:
Visit locations you are familiar with or solicit advice from more experienced anglers if you plan to cast in. As you learn to jig, keep in mind that you must reel in slowly to maintain the jig close to the bottom if you are casting a jig out and retrieving it while jigging.
- Start with smaller pieces:
We advise beginning with smaller species and light jigs if you are new to this technique (up to 90 grams). You can target bigger fish as you gain expertise and practice.
- Physical Shape:
Jig fishing requires a certain physical shape from the fisherman, especially if we want to catch large fish. Fishing battling belts are good because they hold and draw the rod for you.
- Sounding Equipment:
When spotting fishing activity beneath a boat, sonar or sounding equipment can be quite helpful
Different fishing Jigging Techniques
To land a fish, you must use more skilled jigging tactics; some jigs are more suited for certain prey than others. Here are the top three jigs and tips on utilizing each to land your monster fish successfully.
Flipping Jig Fishing- A Target Bait for Short Flips
An Arkie jig also called a flipping jig, is a very stable lure that, in contrast to other jig designs, won’t snag on rocks or weeds, giving it greater adaptability in shallow water… A huge hook, a small, molded lead head, and a big weed guard make up most of a flipping jig. You can also find tungsten equivalents if you’re fishing in a region where lead is prohibited.
Flipping jigs benefit from the ambush-style strike strategies used by bass. Drop your jig to the bottom of a healthy weed patch or a rock shelf. Give the rod tip a few quick lifts to hop the jig around the bottom while maintaining some line slack. The major prey of rock-focused bass, crawfish, is shown by this protective movement.
The major thing that I prefer for making my jig fishing successful is that the bait should reach the target. It is common to use the flipping jig fishing method for making short flips. You might also try rolling casts and pitching to shallow wood. Your main goal should provide the bait to reach its target. As soon as the bait reaches the target, allow it drop. Hop it for a couple of times and then reel it again for the subsequent flip.
Swim Jig Fishing – Highly Effective for Mimicking
Spinnerbait and jig movement are combined in swim jigging, the best technique for capturing scattered bass, to produce a more natural-looking swim pattern. To better glide over the water, a swimmer jig should weigh no more than half an ounce, have a thin weed guard, and have a bullet-shaped head. Landing a jig in a weedy or rocky strike zone and switching between a slow and fast retrieve are often required while swimming a jig. Don’t retrieve it too quickly to avoid the jig rising through the water column and out of the bass strike zone.
Swim jigging is a highly effective method for most anglers and maybe not for others. Make your water weapon by adding some swim jigs to specific baits for instance spinnerbaits, swim baits, or bladed jigs. If you are going to target larger fish species like bass and Northern Pike, use swim jigs and bladed jigs. These jigs are highly effective for mimicking and provide great chances of success.
Football Jig – Best for Diving Deep
Many anglers find it difficult to forecast the fish’s behavioral tendencies and striking patterns when they encounter post-summer spawning bass, which provides a problem. Compared to other jig styles, a football jig has a distinctive construction, making it the ideal choice for catching bass during this challenging fishing season.
Football-shaped jigs have a head with two tapered ends that resemble footballs and a light, thin hook that pierces the mouth of the bass right away. Along rocky bottoms, the football-shaped head produces an erratic but steady moving pattern. The jig wobbles from side to side when it is dragged across the bottom of the water instead of hopping or jerking, giving the appearance of a wandering crawfish.
Sub Modalities in Jigging
Light jigging has recently become a highly beautiful and well-liked method that produces excellent results. This technique suggests utilizing smaller, lighter jigs and lighter materials to make catching the species easier. If the water temperature stays frigid, benthic fish—those with a tight connection to the seafloor—like flounders and croakers—rarely leave these beds. Additionally, some pelagic fish—those found near the surface, such as tunas or mackerels—will dive to the depths in quest of food.
As a result, particularly due to the orography of the coasts, light jigging emerges as a dominant technique for fishing on mixed or medium-depth bottoms. In this sub modality, light jigs, rubber jigs, and inching-Casting, a hybrid of spinning and jigging, or shore jigging, are the terms used to describe jig fishing from the shore. Long casts are produced, and the lure is taken up like in spinning fishing with sawtooth movements in this sub modality of fishing. Organic jigging, often known as live fishing, is a subset of jig fishing that uses natural baits, either alive or dead.
The most popular method involves attaching live fish or cephalopods to pieces of lead so that they may easily be submerged and aid the angler in using the approach from the surface. Hikes are utilized instead of the usual heavy jigs. These lures should not move quickly or aggressively, like a jig, but slowly and deliberately. Typically, slow motions mimic the movement of a little mollusk that swims at the bottom of the ocean.
Saltwater Jigging – Utilize a Powerful Rod
Jigging lures, sometimes known as jigs, are among the most versatile since you can use them almost anywhere you find fish. Jigs can be trolled in many ways to make them look like baitfish. They are available in numerous forms, colors, styles, and weights. Perhaps the two most well-known jigs are the vertical and bucktail jigs. It’s crucial to grasp the distinction between the two depending on the species you wish to catch to know, for instance, the ideal jig for bass fishing. Anglers going for saltwater jigging should ensure that they are using a powerful rod.
The angler must continuously elevate and lower the rod tip to jig the lure up and down to learn how to fish with jigs. When learning to jig, one effective technique is to lower the jig to the bottom, quickly retrieve it, jerk the rod tip violently until the jig rises to the surface, then repeat. Knowing how to set up a jig is crucial regardless of the type of jig you are using.
To do this, you must weigh each jig concerning the depth you are fishing. To reach the bottom in deeper water, heavier jigs are needed. I would like to explain the best 10 jigs for saltwater jigging from which you can choose which one is suitable for you.
- Shimano Butterfly Flat Fall Jigs – Most Realistic Bait designed to fall with a wobbling action.
- Shimano Coltsniper Jigs – An excellent jig in many situations and underwater conditions, fantastic for casting along the coastline.
- Williamson Speed Jig – Features a diamond shape, ideally suitable for high vertical drops, and glows in the dark.
- Ocean Tackle Jumbo Jig – Rear-weighted body, large fluttering action, and drops even in strong currents.
- Old School Diamond Jig – Reflects in the water and has the ability to attract all types of species.
- Mega Live bait Jig – Finest finished jigs and appears as a lifelike bait fish.
- Offshore Angler Free style jig – Enticing action both on dropping and retrieving.
- Deadly Dick long jigs – Excellent for surf casting, deep jigging, drift fishing, trolling, and munching.
- Williamson Vortex Jigs – Hydrodynamic design with opposing convex and concave sides. Allows the jig to rotate freely on the fall.
Final Thoughts
A jig is made of a lead sinker with a molded-in hook and typically has a soft body to draw fish. Jigs, as opposed to spinnerbaits, are designed to move through the water in a jerky, vertical manner. The jig is incredibly adaptable and works in both fresh and salt water.
It is a piece of equipment used to hold, support, and locate the workpiece while guiding the cutting tool during a particular operation. Jigs frequently use cutting tools or guiding bushings made of hardened steel. A jig is used to direct another tool’s position and movement.