Jigging for Reddies

[Bernard Tracey]

Hi guys,
I am interested to hear a few opinion and share a few experiences on jigging for tropical species such as Red Emperor and Nannies.

Spending most of my time here sitting on the fence and watching the goings on. I have developed a great amount of respect for the endless amount of valuable experience out there. This is one subject that I have been waiting for for some time.

I am a man of a large amount of tropical sportfishing experience. In saying that I would not know one end of a Jig from another. During my time as a Deckhand on Heavy Tackle Marlin fishing trips, we have done a bit of Jigging off the Shelf around Cairns and Townsville. The main target during these sessions has been Dog Tooth. In the process we have caught plenty of large Trout, Jobfish and a few other odd balls including Amber Jack. Must be plenty of fish out there!

While fishing closer inshore, my nuffie Jigging skills only seem to fool Grassies and the odd Trout. Using plastics has been pretty successful on the reds.

Having spent allot of my time, GT and Marlin fishing with Japanese clients over 15 Years ago, I would love to hear where they and others have taken this style of fishing.

Sorry I have nothing to add on this subject, other than half a Pillie and a piece of Squid.

Love to hear some views on this subject.

Thanks Bernard.

[Simon Thomas]

Bernard,

Let me start off by saying that I have never caught a red on a jig apart from a small nannygai.  But I would think that you would need to try micro jigging style equipment and techniques.  This basically uses small jigs (<100g) that are worked close to the bottom and more slowly than conventional jigs when targetting species like doggies and AJs.  Probably not dissimilar to what the guys in the west are doing when chasing duies, and what the mob from Jones' Tackle in Brisbane  are doing locally for snapper, trevs etc.  I have sourced some jigs and info on techniques from Neil and Steve at Jones' and tried it a couple of times in CQ for a mixed bag of trevally, mackeral, the above mentioned nannygai and a very nice fingermark.  It was in reality amazingly effective given how much time I have put into it to date.

I would recommend giving the guys at Jones' a call, or conversely I'm sure the site sponsors FishHead probably know a thing or two about it as well.

Cheers,
Simon

[Bernard Tracey]

They must eat jigs!!! 
They swallow gulps like jelly beans.

I have seen the odd one taken on Bumpa Bars, may have been more good luck than good management though.

Love to hear what a few of the Snapper Guys have to add.

Or maybe I should give it up before it becomes one of those crazy obsessions. I have way to many of them already.

[Graham Scott]

If you want to catch red emps on metal, buy some decent blades. never caught one on knife style. Blades are close to as good as gulp....

[Jay Burgess]

They do take knives... Nomad have got some crackers on jigs.

Most of our reds overe here in the west have been taken on the taikabura style jigs worked slowly on the bottom. They seem to be one of the more temperamental demersals on jigs, other species like cod and coral trout are all over it like a fat kid on a cupcake but reds are a bit more difficult for some reason.

[Graham Scott]

If you score a big slab of hussar on a 9/0 as  10 out of 10 then this would be my score for the other methods;
Bait....10
Gulp or other large scented sp....8
Big blades................................... 7
Octa, lucanis, etc.........................4
Knifes..........................................1

I have been anchored on a big school of reds, with say 4 or 5 hooked up at any time, cut off my bait, tied on a jig, dropped it down...and caught a little trevally, then a hussar, then nothing, then gave up, while it continued to rain reds around me. Have tried a few different sizes and styles without success.  Maybe I'm just hopeless?

It might change in very deep water, we fish between 40m and 60m.... normally about 42m. Might be a bit better in say 120m??

[Bernard Tracey]

Maybe I'm just hopeless!! Seems like a common theme when I broach this subject. Perhaps we should give up while we still can.

Problem is, I'm not sure I can let it go now.

[Marko Pekic]

gulp is baitt i struggled to catch reds on artificials altogether in exmouth but bait got smashed every drop. Sometimes bait just has to be used for me

[John Sykes]

The only real success I have had has been on "Slow" style jigs specifically the lucanus in Pink only. For some reason they only go the pink in my area. Fingermark love them too.

[Graham Scott]

Hi John,
Thats interesting...Wheres your area, NQ?

[John Sykes]

Hi Graham,
   Darwin Area,  called the Golden Snapper "Fingermark" to save confusion.  Generally have a couple of baits down when after table fish and Jig with a Pink Lucanus.  Some days it doesn't get hit but other times it outfishes bait three to one.  Generally produces better quality fish as a bonus.

[Mark Harris]

When jigging for similar species in the tropics, Inchiku jigs are very much the go.  Definitely worth a try I would suggest.