JIGGING RODS
As in any other type of angling, there is no one rod that suits every occasion. The basic requirement of a good jigging rod is its weight, a lightweight setup with enable us to jig longer periods.
I personally prefer parabolic rods; they are more forgiving on the angler when fighting a fish and easier to work a jig. A good jigging rod to me has to be light, parabolic action and also with lifting power.
As in any other type of angling, there is no one rod that suits every occasion. The basic requirement of a good jigging rod is its weight, a lightweight setup with enable us to jig longer periods.
I personally prefer parabolic rods; they are more forgiving on the angler when fighting a fish and easier to work a jig. A good jigging rod to me has to be light, parabolic action and also with lifting power.
There are many different type of jigs available in the market. But the type of jigs used for vertical jigging are mainly the centre-balanced jig and the bottom heavy jigs.
Centre-balanced jigs are designed to flutter and dart during the drop which is more likely to induce hits on the way down. The best way to present them in my opinion is the long stroke style; dropping the tip far down and lifting it high up, on the down stroke line is quickly picked up, a higher gear ratio reel is preferred for this style. This jig is mostly used when targeting pelagic fish like tuna.
Some centre-balanced jigs in the market:
Bottom heavy jigs are designed to fall quickly and usually used for deep jigging and are usually heavy jigs from 14 oz up to 22 oz or even more. They are used when fish are holding the bottom and you want the jig to fall right into the hotspot before the current sweeps the jig away or the boat drifts too far from the spot. The style used for this jig is usually the fast short stroke method; this is best done with an overhead reel. This jig is mostly used when targeting fish like amberjacks, groupers and other bottom dwellers.
Some bottom heavy jigs in the market:
Some of the many different brands of jigs:
JIG SIZE
And again there are too many variants of jig, long & short, light & heavy, red, blue, hologram, night glow… and the list goes on.
When choosing the jig size, depth of the water and the current flow is considered. The deeper and swifter the current the heavier the jig, as jigging is pinpoint fishing; we don't want our jigs not land in the hotspot. The rule of thumb in choosing a jig size is; 100g (3.6oz) for every 100ft depth.
When it comes to choosing a long or short jig, my personal favorites are long jigs; I am the big lure big fish guy!! However, the best way to determine a jig size is to find out what the fish are feeding on. For example if the baitfish are small sardines, smaller jigs will be effective and vice versa.
JIG COLOR
With a wide spectrum of jig colors available, it is hard to choose a jig sometimes. But a true fact is pretty jigs will catch an angler before catching fish.
There are many factors in determining the right color and I have heard countless arguments on this topic. My take on this is the trial and error method. However I always start with jigs in shiny and blue hues, most of the time they work. Night glow jigs is effective in deep waters, overcast skies and at night.
Source: www.anglers-proshop.com
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