Extreme Jigging: Dogtooth Tuna, Yellowtail Kingfish (Hiramasa), Amberjack, Samson Fish > Tackle & Techniques

What's your favourite jigging style and for which species?

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Luke Wyrsta:
What's your favourite jigging style and for which species?

I am often asked what is the best jigging style/action for a particular species or area. I think it would be useful if we had discussion about this topic and perhaps came to some conclusions on what works and what doesn't.

We all know that there are many techniques to target different fish, of different species, size and in different areas...please share some of your thoughts. This could be used for some kind of fact file or information page on the main GTPopping.com website.

Cheers,
Luke

Brandon Khoo:
I like sliders so the style I prefer is a slower retrieve with a longer action jerk of the rod instead of the short sharp jerks yu use with a faster action lure. I find it works better for me for some reason. I also don't get tired as quickly!  ;D

Andrew Woodley-Page:

--- Quote from: berniek on March 12, 2007, 10:16:18 PM ---I like sliders so the style I prefer is a slower retrieve with a longer action jerk of the rod instead of the short sharp jerks yu use with a faster action lure. I find it works better for me for some reason. I also don't get tired as quickly!  ;D

--- End quote ---

Brandon you lazy bugger   ;D ;D ;D

Jigging techniques, like all fishing techniques are dictated by quarry and environment.  Essentially there are two primary jigging techniques, long stroke and short pitch. 

Long stroke, as well described above by berniek, involves having the rod butt already in the fighting harness (jigging speak for rod bucket) and jerk/pull the rod towards the body winding the slack on the smooth downstroke.  From this description, you can see that this technique is best suited to spinning reels, although it can be comfortably done with a conventional reel.  I'm not sure about too slow a retreive though, you must still impart action to the jig or you are just winding up sinkers!  This technique is best matched to centre balanced jigs that will dart on the upstroke and flutter on the down stroke.  This is a medium water depth technique, or atl east only letting the jig decend to a medium depth of say 50-90 metres.  This technique is mostly employed to target mid water pelagic fish such as the tunas but let me tell you there's no slow retreive in those boys technique, they rip it! 

The second 'style' is short pitch, other names include mechanical jigging, underarm jigging & speed jigging.  This technique involves having the rod butt in your armpit and cradling the reel in your left hand.  On the down stroke one crank of the reel is completed by the bottom of the stroke, the rod is then lifted to complete an upstroke.  The length of stroke and speed can be adjusted to suit.  This technique is best suited to conventional reels and long jigs that are heavily bottom weighted.  As such, this style is very good in deep water targeting bottom species such as Samson fish and Amberjacks, but is successfully used for all species.  This technique requires greater experience, practice and skill to become efficient at but once achieved is less exhausting than long stroke.  Taiwanese anglers are the best in the world at this style.

All styles will catch all fish, just choose the technique / tackle set up that suits you and the most likely species to be encountered.  If you fish in wild locations where the fish are loose then sportfish are most likely strongly competing for food and will hit anything, presented at the surface or at depth.

There are other derivations of technique mainly based on the above two methods, I hope this helps.

Brandon Khoo:
that's me!!   ;D

Jigging is really hard work. Just watching some people jig makes me feel tired, let alone doing it myself. These macho men who jig 600g jigs - bloody hell, even thinking of it makes me feel tired!! I would ahve enough trouble trying to reel that damn jig in, let alone try to impart any action on it

Cam Foley:
my best jig is the one that someone else hooks up on first

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