While fishing with jigs has been around
for
millennia,
the development of the modern Japanese
style of jigging occurred much more
recently and is generally credited to
Yoichi Mogi. In the early 1990s, Yoichi
Mogi came up with a technique that used
heavy jigs to fish deep water and called
it "Super-Deep Jigging". This was the
genesis of the modern "Jerk/Crank" style
of fishing, whereby an action is applied
to the jig as it is worked up through
the water column.
To the lay-person, the appearance of modern day jigging looks as if the angler is simply cranking as fast as they can. In reality, there are as many subtleties with this kind of fishing as there are with any other. The angler must take into account water depth, rod and reel capabilities, retrieve speed and pattern, jig shape, weight type, and color- all so that the jig is presented in the proper fashion to the proper species.
We hope, as with all other parts of the site, that as you look through this section you will contribute your thoughts and questions.
.
To the lay-person, the appearance of modern day jigging looks as if the angler is simply cranking as fast as they can. In reality, there are as many subtleties with this kind of fishing as there are with any other. The angler must take into account water depth, rod and reel capabilities, retrieve speed and pattern, jig shape, weight type, and color- all so that the jig is presented in the proper fashion to the proper species.
We hope, as with all other parts of the site, that as you look through this section you will contribute your thoughts and questions.
.
Jigging Styles
There are two basic techniques when it
comes to jigging- "Yo-yo" and "Jerk crank"
(also known as speed jigging, butterfly
jigging, vertical jigging, or
Japanese-style jigging)
We will now cover the Jerk Crank style of
jigging in deeper
detail..
Jigs
When it comes to choosing which jig to use,
there are countless different styles to
choose from. Shape, weight, and length will
be the three things that you will want to
consider first as they will have the most
impact on how the jig drops and what it
looks like as it's retrieved. While all
three are connected, they all should be
considered independently.
Weight: beyond the obvious generalization that heavy jigs fall faster than light jigs, you should also consider where the weight of the jig sits- tail weighted jigs will fall very quickly whereas center weighted jigs will flutter and dart.
Length: while length is often dictated by the shape and weight of the jig, it needs to be considered by the fisherman as a 200g long jig will have a much different profile than a 200g center weighted jig and could make a difference in whether your prey sees it as a meal.
After determining the size and shape of the jig that is right, you will then need to consider color. Much like any other form of fishing, sometimes the fish will key in on a certain color or pattern, so you will want to have a variety on hand.
Here are some Excellent Jigs and Jig Manufacturers, in no particular order.
Hots- Keiten and Drift Tune
Seven Seas- Revolver, Hooker
Smith- Nagamassa, Meijiyume, Dunk
Shot, Jackknife
FC Labo- SL Jigs, Nata Jigs
River2Sea- Zero Dropper
Williamson- Abyss, Benthos, Vortex
Shimano- Flatside, Butterfly
Eastern Tackle- Katana, Flat, Ayasugi
OTI- Jager, Jumbo, Jinkster
Fisherman- Andamans, Crazy
Long
Jigging Rods
For anyone who has spent time in tackle
shops, on docks, or on internet forums, it
is clear that rod selection is one of the
most hotly debated topics that exists
today. The reason behind this is twofold:
the first is that the market has been
flooded with excellent options in the last
couple of years, and the second is that the
choice of rod is very much a personal
preference. While everyone will prioritize
things differently, here are some factors
to consider:
Action: there are two basic actions that jigging rods can have, parabolic and standard (sometimes called fast or extra fast action). Parabolic rods will bend all the way back through the stripping guide and sometimes into the reel seat. Fast or extra fast action rods will typically bend back a short distance from the tip before the rod locks up. Both actions can work well, but typically the best rods are parabolic in nature. The reason is simple- the more parabolic the bend, the closer the load will be to the angler, and the closer the load is to the angler, the more pressure can be comfortably exerted on the fish.
Power: relatively straight forward, you will want to make sure that the rod you choose has the backbone necessary to land the class of fish that you are pursuing.
Rod Tip: this is often overlooked, but is one of the most important aspects to a good jigging rod. In order for a jig to work properly through the water column, the rod must load as it is lifted. Rods that have ratings of 500g and greater hold a tremendous amount of power in them, but if they don't have a soft enough tip the action can of the jig can suffer.
Length: typical lengths for jigging rods range from 4'8" to 6'. Generally speaking, the bigger the fish that you are chasing, the shorter the rod should be. That's not to say that you can't go after big fish with longer jigging rods (or vice versa), however, as rod length is again a personal preference and there is really no right or wrong choice. The most popular length for jigging rods is right around 5'2".
Rod Ratings: rods are typically rated by the weight of the jigs that they are meant for (in grams), and the PE line test that should be used with them. A general rule of thumb is that a higher gram rating means a higher PE rating, which in turn means that you can put more drag and fight bigger fish. This is only a generalized rule though, so be sure to check the specifics of your rod.
After considering these factors, you will
then need to decide what your budget is.
The price range for most jigging rods is
between $100 and $600, with some coming in
at or above the $1000 mark. While spending
$600 on a rod may seem like a lot (and it
certainly is), there is nothing like
finding that feather-light rod that is
packed with power, and then getting it bent
on big fish.
Assist Hooks
Assist hooks are the large, single hooks
that are typically tied to a solid ring
above the jig. While some people use
multiple assist hooks- either two different
lengths tied off of the same solid ring, or
one on top and one on bottom- most of the
time a single hook is all that is needed.
You can either purchase pre made hooks, or
make your own. Either way, you'll want to
keep the following in mind:
- Once attached, you will want the hook to sit between 1/4 and 1/2 of the way down the jig
- The hook that you use should be wider than the widest point on your jig
