Capt. Pete
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2010
- Messages
- 26
Important tips to maximize your success when vertical jigging to suspended fish…
Many times on the water, boaters will come up to us and ask why we are hooking fish and they are not. It is an average day for two of us to hook between 75-125 kokanee using the following technique. In most cases, the difference is paying attention to detail and fishing with the right equipment.
It’s vital to your success to be knowledgeable about the fish you are targeting and properly interpret what you see on your electronic fish finder (turn the fish ID off as it misinterprets baitfish for fish). This is especially true when jigging for suspended fish. For kokanee, I jig with a 5.2 ft mag light G. Loomis spinning rod with extra fast action (reel is spooled with 4-6 lb. braided line for better hook-sets). With this rig, you can enjoy a better fight, on a lighter rod, and still get a good hookset because of the no-stretch braided line. The longer the rod, the less control you have over the jig action and hook-sets. One full revolution on my spinning reel handle equals two feet. If the fish are positioned near bottom, I’ll drop my metal jig to the bottom then reel five full turns if the fish are ten feet off bottom. Conversely, if the fish are in eighty feet of water, but only 30 feet from the surface, I’ll reel in reverse 15 full turns to reach those fish. Remember, fish see up so keep your jig at or above the level of the fish. Best line angle is always straight down. With a quality fishfinder (we use Lowrance), you can follow your metal jig down with the lively zigzag pattern the jig makes on the screen. We exclusively fish (Luhr Jensen) Crippled Herring or (Yellow Bird Products) Kandlefish jigs especially in the hot pink (cerise) finish. Once the jig is stopped at, or slightly above, the inverted “V” fish mark, started jigging with constant, 1 to 2-ft rod lifts. Do not jerk your rod! The Kandlefish and Crippled Herring are loaded with action. You want your jig action to resemble a wounded, or dying, baitfish…an easy meal. Don’t spook the fish with overworked rod jerks that reach for the sky. A long whippy rod, spooled with monofilament line, is a waste of your valuable time and results in poor hook-sets and lost fish. For excellent metal jig information on the internet, Google the “Kandlefish Tech Guide” or “Crippled Herring Tech Sheet”.
Many times on the water, boaters will come up to us and ask why we are hooking fish and they are not. It is an average day for two of us to hook between 75-125 kokanee using the following technique. In most cases, the difference is paying attention to detail and fishing with the right equipment.
It’s vital to your success to be knowledgeable about the fish you are targeting and properly interpret what you see on your electronic fish finder (turn the fish ID off as it misinterprets baitfish for fish). This is especially true when jigging for suspended fish. For kokanee, I jig with a 5.2 ft mag light G. Loomis spinning rod with extra fast action (reel is spooled with 4-6 lb. braided line for better hook-sets). With this rig, you can enjoy a better fight, on a lighter rod, and still get a good hookset because of the no-stretch braided line. The longer the rod, the less control you have over the jig action and hook-sets. One full revolution on my spinning reel handle equals two feet. If the fish are positioned near bottom, I’ll drop my metal jig to the bottom then reel five full turns if the fish are ten feet off bottom. Conversely, if the fish are in eighty feet of water, but only 30 feet from the surface, I’ll reel in reverse 15 full turns to reach those fish. Remember, fish see up so keep your jig at or above the level of the fish. Best line angle is always straight down. With a quality fishfinder (we use Lowrance), you can follow your metal jig down with the lively zigzag pattern the jig makes on the screen. We exclusively fish (Luhr Jensen) Crippled Herring or (Yellow Bird Products) Kandlefish jigs especially in the hot pink (cerise) finish. Once the jig is stopped at, or slightly above, the inverted “V” fish mark, started jigging with constant, 1 to 2-ft rod lifts. Do not jerk your rod! The Kandlefish and Crippled Herring are loaded with action. You want your jig action to resemble a wounded, or dying, baitfish…an easy meal. Don’t spook the fish with overworked rod jerks that reach for the sky. A long whippy rod, spooled with monofilament line, is a waste of your valuable time and results in poor hook-sets and lost fish. For excellent metal jig information on the internet, Google the “Kandlefish Tech Guide” or “Crippled Herring Tech Sheet”.
