Hooked Up Designs Magazine September/October 2017 | Page 70

VERTICAL JIGGING
The most exciting thing about fishing
is the fact that you can never reach a level
of complete mastery. Fishing is a constant
learning process; you pick up techniques
from the people you fish with, and from
situations you encounter. One of the tech-
niques that has evolved and adapted con-
sistently is jigging. Jigging, in some varia-
tion or another, has been around since the
advent of fishing. The method of jigging we
will focus on is called vertical jigging. Oth-
erwise known as speed jigging or butterfly
jigging, vertical jigging gives you the abil-
ity to cover the entire water column, entic-
ing a wide variety of species. The jig can be
bounced off the bottom, effective for snap-
per and grouper, and then worked through
the water column for pelagics like wahoo
and tuna. This style of fishing is versatile
and extremely effective.
youtube.com/watch?v=jnch_
H6j8nA&t=35s
THE TACKLE
There are a few different types of jigs
we use, ranging from small flat-sided jigs,
youtu.be/BSJfTxH-054?t=17m1s
THE
to round jigs that flutter (butterfly jigs) to
long jigs that that slide from side to side
while descending. These jigs range from
about 4 inches to almost a foot long. The
weight ranges from 80 grams (2.8 oz) to
300 grams (10.5 oz) depending on the spe-
cies you’re fishing for.
You tie the leader to a solid welded ring
attached to an assist hook. An assist hook
uses Kevlar, steel or Dacron to attach to the
welded ring Then you use a split ring to
attach the solid ring to the top of the jig.
For vertical jigging, a short rod with a
parabolic action and fast tip is the weapon
of choice. Depending on preference, you
can use a spinning or a conventional reel.
Reels should be heavy duty with lots of
drag and a fast retrieve. The reel shouldn’t
be overly heavy, as jigging is intensive, es-
pecially for extended periods. Heavy tackle
will wear you out.
Depending on the target species, main
lines range from 30- to 80-pound braid.
Braided lines allow you to drop your jigs to
the desired depth with the least amount of
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70
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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