jigging outfit - advice please..!

[Marc Towers]

 hi guys,

 I am a 'newly hooked' jig fisherman, and want to purchase a good quality outfit for a few trips i have in the pipeline (big GT's, doggies etc)...!

 I was looking at the Smith 54 Nirai or Zenaq Fokeeto 53-16 rod, pairing with a saltiga 6000 GT reel.

 Can anyone offer any advice or better options - i hear the daiwa saltiga jigging rods are good, and a lot cheaper than those listed above..!

 Regarding line - has anyone used the Zenaq jigger trust PE8 line - it seems a good price when compared to varivas etc..?

 Any help much appreciated - thanks..!

Marc.

[Nathan Cefai]

Hey mate,what is your budget ??

[Marc Towers]

Hi Nathan,

 Thanks for the reply - i was thinking of about 1500 USD/2000 AUD for the rod reel combo as an upper limit...

 Marc.

[Andy Rowe]

Hi Mark,

If i'm not mistaken the GT 6000 reel is hi-speed and not as ideal for jigging as the lower speed Daiwa expedition or 20K stella's which are purpose designed jigging reels. That is not to say you can't jig with a high-speed reel, you may find it more taxing work though.

If you are seeking a heavy jigging spin-combo i would go for the Stella 20K or Expedition.

I have a 20K FA Stella (new condition) and a couple of options on PE6-8 jig rods (shimano blue rose & sevenseas (matsutani era))which i may want to sell!! PM me if you want more info pics etc..

Cheers
Andy

[Jon Li]

Hi Nathan,

 Thanks for the reply - i was thinking of about 1500 USD/2000 AUD for the rod reel combo as an upper limit...

 Marc.

If the jig weight is between 250 ~ 700 gr , perhaps Carpenter OH56MH-S ? 

Jon .

[Marc Towers]

 Hi Jon,

Thinking more in the range of 200-400 gram range - I was happy with the Fokeeto 53-16 for this type of work, but interested to hhear other views..

[David Sharples]

My thoughts on this are consider where you will use it most. I went straight out and bought a Smith AMJ52EX with Stella 20K and PE8. That outfit is great on monster fish but how often do you really encounter them.. I now wish I'd started with something nearer to a Stella 8K and PE4. Would be a lot more fun on the standard size fish.

Unless you're only using it for monster doggies and AJs in which case ignore all that!

[Dave Foyle]

Hi Mark,

I own a Zenaq FS53-16 and like it very much.  It is very powerful and very light for a rod a rod with its power.  It's a little faster actioned than many jigging rods and your not realy going to feel anything weighing under 15kg.  If its a monster fish only job you are after then this will fit the bill.

I also own a Smith WGJ 56H which is also pretty powerful but a much more forgiving action.  This rod has landed some very big fish but will also be a little nicer if you hook up some slightly smaller samples - quite a good all rounder (for a beefy rod) I think.

Hope this helps - happy buying !!

Tight lines   Dave

[Marc Towers]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the advice - Yes, the Fokeeto 53-16 a nice rod but you are right, a little heavy duty for smaller GT's etc..

Top of my wish list is a Fisherman Spinoza Amberjack rod  - would be a dream for my purposes, but not sure i can afford the cost...!

Cheers,

Marc

[Duncan O'Connell]

Hi Marc,
The Zenaq 53-16 is a sweet rod if you are planning on fishing jigs in the 250-400g range. As Dave pointed out, the really fast recovery of the blank really makes jigs zip through the water and also makes pretty light work of smaller fish. The power comes on quickly as the rod loads up, when compared to the rods listed below.
The Smith rods like the AMJ and Nirai are a bit softer towards the tip end and tend to load up more on small to mid size fish, though they are still very powerful when fully loaded - they just keep bending further and further into the butt!. These are pretty high on my list as 'all day' rods which are forgiving on the angler for long sessions.
Another rod worth considering is the Daiwa S-Extreme 56XHFS. It has a bit faster taper towards the tip allowing it to retain plenty of 'feel' with mid size jigs while still having an absolute ton of grunt at the bottom end. This is a rod which can be pressed into service with quite a variety of jig weights while never having an issue with really screwing the drag down hard on a big fish.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Duncan
Fish Head

[Cam Foley]

The Daiwa S-Extreme is a big fish buster more grunt than the average Aussie man can handle, the smith would be the go heaps of grunt and easy on the angler.