# Gmans intro to Jigging 101



## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

<DIV class=smallfont>*Intro to Jigging by Gman ... Reference for beginers* </DIV><HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1>*I created this for those of you who are just entering into this extreme sport as a reference guide of products and techniques. I know there are a lot of experienced jiggers here but I figured I would post it up anyway for those that may just be starting.*


When I decided to start jigging years back I got my start from PM?ing many board members such as Kilsong, Randy & Sami at Anglers Pro Shop and Paul from JPR Rods as he built me my first jigging rod. The wealth of knowledge on the boards is amazing. I thought that I would try to give back to the board by posting this thread on my jigging techniques and gear in hopes that I may help someone who has just started.


About me ? I started at a young age as a dedicated big game fisherman chasing larger tunas and sharks, summers were shark tournaments and days on the water with family. I have fished a lot of the world due to my business trips so I have seen many different techniques and learned from many people. </DIV></DIV>








</DIV>I try to spend as much time on the water as I can and I?ve had my share of heartbreaks but I?ve landed my fair share of huge fish as well. I am not a professional and I don?t claim to have all the answers but I do know that with the right guidance you can really shorten your learning curve in this exciting sport. 

I hope you all enjoy the thread and I hope maybe you can pick up one thing that will make your trips more successful one</DIV></DIV>









The first item is decide your style. Do you jig yo-yo style or jerk crank style. 

*Gmans definition may not be right but they are mine LO*L

*Yo Yo* ? The technique used by most of the northeast fleet where you cast your jigs away from boat and leave them at the called out depth where fish are being marked. You raise your longer rod tip up and down in long strokes to entice a bite. Very effective and deadly.

*Jerk Crank or commonly reffered to speed jigging or vertical jigging*. This is where you will drop your jig to bottom and rip your jig through the entire water column in a rhythmic, fast paced style. This is my style and what I will be discussing on this site. This style get more of a reactionary bite from the jig ripping through the water column</DIV></DIV></DIV>

*I will cover this style here today*</DIV></DIV><DIV class=smallfont>*Reel Choices Spinning* </DIV><HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><DIV id=post_message_46292>Probably the most asked question is about which reels to use. The general rule of thumb is you should use a lower gear for jigging and a higher gear for popping. The lower gear in the jerk crank style will allow you to really rip your jig up through the water column with force from the depths and also aid you in fighting your beast and will make life very easy on you. You can however jig with a higher gear reel but it is not recommended. They make lower geared reel specifically for jigging/power that why they call them PG models. The higher geared reels are made for popping and keeping a lure working the whole retrieve.

Basically you have two choices with reels spinning or conventional. Personally I am deadly with spinning gear and I am absolutely dorky with conventional reels. I cant get the motion down with conventional reels so I stick to spinning reels LOL. Both have pros and cons but ultimately in fishing is confidence wins whether it is about knots, really or jigs.
</DIV></DIV>Spinning gear. Its pretty simple they are all one speed and you should try to find one that you can use in the 4.9:1-4.4:1 gear range. 
</DIV><TABLE class=tborder id=post46292 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_46292><DIV id=post_message_46292>******I am listed items in Price order *******









TOP SHELF INVESTMENT Spinning Reels ? My first choices from $600-$1,000
*
SHIMANO STELLA - JPD or Japanese Domestic Models
1. Stella 20000 at 4.4:1, 55 pounds of drag, 
2. Stella 10000PG at 4.9:1 and 55 pounds of drag
3. Stella 8000 at 4.9:1 and 55 pounds of drag

SHIMANO STELLA USA model 
1. Stella 20000 at 4.4-1 and 55 pounds of drag
2. 80000SW-PG which is 4.9:1 and 55 pounds of drag

I love my Stellas and personally feel they are the best however there are other manufactures that make great reels such as ?

1. Accurate Twin Spin SR 30L at 4:1 and 40 pounds of drag
2. Accurate Twin Spin SR 20 at 5:1 and 30 pounds of drag
3. Diawa Saltiga Z -6000 at 4.3:1 and 33 pounds of drag

*MIDDLE OF THE ROAD $200-$399*

1. Shimano Saragosa 18000 at 4.9:1 and 40 pounds of drag
2. Quantum Cabo 80PT at 4.9:1 and 30 pounds of drag
3. Shimano Twinpower 10000

*ENTRY LEVEL just something to get you in the game*

1. Shimano Spheros 14000
2. Penn Sportfisher SS 950 at 4.2:1
3. Quantum Boca 80 at 4.9:1

*Tip if you can afford to wait to save and get a top shelf reel I would highly suggested it as they are a long term investment that will pay dividends long term and besides you will burn through about 3 entry level reels which could pay for your top shelf reel and if you ever need to resell your reels they will sell close to retail*</DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2>http://www.360tuna.com/forum/reputation.php?p=46292http://www.360tuna.com/forum/report.php?p=46292</TD><TD class=alt1 align=right>http://www.360tuna.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=46292http://www.360tuna.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=46292</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><DIV class=vbmenu_popup id=postmenu_46292_menu style="DISPLAY: none"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=4 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thead></TD></TR><TR><TD class=vbmenu_option></TD></TR><TR><TD class=vbmenu_option></TD></TR><TR><TD class=vbmenu_option></TD></TR><TR><TD class=vbmenu_option></TD></TR><TR><TD class=vbmenu_option></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV><DIV align=center><DIV class=page style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><DIV id=edit46293 style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><TABLE class=tborder id=post46293 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thead style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

<DIV class=smallfont>*Reel Choices Conventional* </DIV><HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><DIV id=post_message_46293>I am not an overhand/conventional jigger although I do have expeiences trying all of the reels mentioned below

There are many things you should consider when purchasing a conventional reel for jigging. The first would be 1 speed or two. Perosnally I always like a two speed reel in case I do hook up to that fish of a lifetime having the lower gear does make a difference. The other factor would be to get a narrow reel so it makes your outfit light and effective and doesn?t give you any wobble when jigging. Here are some reel I would suggest 

*TOP END INVESTMENT Conventional Reels ? My first choices from $600-$1,000*









1. Accurate Boss 665N 2 speed
2. Shimano Ocea Jigger 4000-5000
3. John Baker 6-12
4. Alutecnos Gorilla 12-20
5. Studio Mark Blue Heaven L50
6. New Jigging Master Reels

*SECOND TIER OF REELS are all great reel just lower on price point*

1.Saltiga 40-50 ? Kilsongs has caught probably more fish than any other reel made 
2.Pro Gear Oceanus 
3.Avet HOO-X
4.Shimano Trinidad
5. Shimano Torium

Another benefit of using a conventional reel is the easy use of a wind on leader which will make your connections knotless.



</DIV><DIV class=smallfont>*Jigging Rod Selection* </DIV><HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><DIV id=post_message_46294>Like I said before I am discussing the Japanese Jerk/Crank style which is also referred to as vertical jigging, speed jigging and butterfly jigging. The rods used here are much different than the longer yo-yo style that is common across the Northeast

Generally because of the rhythm, action & technique involved in this technique you will need a rod that has the following attributes

*FEATURES & BENEFITS ?. WHAT TO LOOK FOR*

*Lightweight* ? weight is very important, you will need a light rod so you can jig all day without fatigue. Most major manufactures are now shedding weight wherever they can. Sometimes the most beautiful rods are the heaviest because of all the bling.

*Balanced* ? Having a rod that is bottom heavy or top heavy is never fun to jig with therefore a balanced rod is ideal so u can properly work the jig and for comfort. Plus with a totally balanced rod you will have more control and leverage over your fish

*Power* ? You want a rod that will have backbone but at the same time bend with the fish. Too much backbone and your back with kill you and the rod will be heavier, not enough and it will take hours to land your fish

*Action *? Parabolic versus standard. Parabolic rods are made to deflect stress off you and into the fish. These rods will bend almost back to the last guide/handle region but are absolute workhorses. Most of top rods are parabolic in nature such as Jigging Master, Hots and Smith. Standard rods generall will bend back 1/3-1/2 the blank and will do just fine but the fight is much different

*Sensativity in Ti*p ? The tip section of the rod must be flexibale so you can work the jig, too stiff a tip and you wont impart proper action

*Warranty *- Make sure you understand the warranty on your rod, some Japanese companies do not offer the same warranty as the domestic rods. Shimano offers a break it and exchange it warranty on their Trevala series. However what good is a warranty if the rod keeps breaking. You need to be honest with yourself on your fishing style. I would rather have the best rod with a little warranty than a bad rod with a great warranty

To me the ideal length is 4?8 - 5?2. Personally I love a 5?2? rod I feel that if the rod has the proper tip you can really do some damage to the fish

*DON?T BE FOOLED ... by yourself*

It is very hard buying a rod if you never bent it, we have a great community that has tried just about every rod. Lean on your peers for advice. DO NOT get caught up in dead lift tests. That test does nothing for you but give you an example of bend ? and break your rods. If your going to do it raise the weights off the floor slowly so you don't break your rod. I have received many PM's about "what do I do now" because its normal to lift 40 pounds off the floor. So my point is Rods can break in un natural positions just be careful. Its not always about how much you can lift off the floor its about fighting a fish on a pitching boat and being comfortable and in control.</DIV></DIV><DIV class=smallfont>*


Understanding Jigging Rod Ratings* </DIV><HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><DIV id=post_message_46297>*Most rods are rated in three ways by the GRAM (jig weight) and the PE Rating (line Rating) & Style.*

*Gram rating:* The gram rating on your rod is a max rating therefore a 400g rod is rated from roughly half that rating to the exact gram. So in essence if I use 250g-400g jigs would be ideal. I generally always buy 400g rods because I use anywhere from 200-400 jigs and the tips on my rods are always parabolic in nature therefore I am safe. The blanks are designed to work that jig within the gram range

*PE rating:* There is a direct coralation from the jig size to the PE rating. Almost always a heavier gram rated rod will have a heavier PE line rating which translates into a higher drag capacity. You will be able to apply much more drag on a PE8 rod than a PE3 rod.

Perosnally I will only use PE6-8 rods because I know my jig size is 200-400g and my drag will always be high because of the fish I pursue

*Style*: Some Japanese rod companies wil dictate that a rod is for jerk/crank, long sweep and so on. This isn?t the norm but some manufactures do rate there rod by style. An example would also be a longer rod is made to jig out of the belt where a shorter rod is made to under the arm.

***********************I am Listing these by PRICE*****************

TOP SHELF JIGGING RODS in no specific order prices range from $400 and up
*
Hots Wei World 48XXH & 52XH
Ocean Revolution 10000 & 10000X
Smith AMJ Series, Nirai, KGS 
Jigging Master 350-500 series
Fisherman & Riple Fisher 
Shimano Blue Rose Series 
Carpenter 56MH
Tuna Max Big Game & Parabolique

*Second Tier ? great rods up to $300*

OTI 300, 400 & 600
Van Staal
Shimano Trevala F Series
Shimano Jigwrex

Ocean Revolution in Action








Hots Wei World in Action








Blue Rose in action










</DIV></DIV></DIV>


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

<DIV class=smallfont>*Braided Line* </DIV><HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1>One of the areas that people normally get cheap is line which is unfortunate. You spend all this money on trips, rods, reels, lures and then you put low end line on. Doesn?t make sense. You can easily identify a better braid by its softness. 

Braid is neccisary to get you jig down quickly and for capacity purposes as most times you will be drifting over structure and will drop your jig to marked fish so you will need to get down ASAP. Another reason for using braid is for capacity, the jigging reels today are smaller, more compact and very narrow therefore line capacity is a problem, with braided line you can still pack on tons of line. 

Basically in a nut shell you have two types of braids. Normal braids and colored braids.

*REGULAR BRAID *- I would strongly suggest the use of Braid, there are as you know many good choices, personally I have used and been happy with several non colored braids such as Suffix, Tufline XP and JB solid & Hollowcore. I am not a fan of using windon leaders with Spinning reels but some swear by it. I have had issues with power pro so I have shied away from it, plus I do not like a coated braid. These braids are all cost effective and can used with confidence.

*POPULAR BRAID COMPANIES*

Suffix
Tufline XP
JB Solid or Hollowcore

*COLORED BRAID/PE LINES* ? The benefit of using colored braid is to easily identify the depth of your jig by a color. For instance, if you are marking fish at 100 feet you can drop 5 colors marked at 25 feet each color and jig back through the fish very easily. It is more expensive than normal braid and isn?t neccisary other than it being a convenience. I have used OTI, YGK Ultra Jigman, Zenaq and Diawa Saltiga Boat Braid.

Of them all to be honest I really enjoy the Diawa Saltiga Boat Braid, its inexpensive, really thin, soft and strong. The markings are easily identifiable and it?s easy to tie knots with.</DIV></DIV>This was copied with permission from Glenn Kross the field tester for Ocean Revolution and Anglers Pro Shop.
</DIV>


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## bombtosser (Oct 5, 2007)

excellent write up george. its nice to actually read about fishing around here.


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## PompNewbie (Oct 1, 2007)

Good Information !

Thanks for sharing

Mike


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## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

I have my new rods on the way, new reels picked out, & I found some PINK 80# braid today!!!! I am stoked to get out and put them to the test!!!!!!!!


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

You see that little aj he jigged up with a jigging combo. The second picture is 128 lb aj.


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## tailfisher (Oct 7, 2007)

Hey George,

I wonder where you found that info , that dude is bad ass and there is a ton of info on that site. I also found the hook up on the solid rings and split rings. Good-bye Owner.


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## evacuee (Oct 16, 2007)

Excellent post! This is one of the best posts ever. Thanks.


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## Private Pilot (Oct 3, 2007)

I agree, this is one of the best posts on here. 

I finally got a decent jigging combo- SpherosFB 18K/Trevala. Cant wait to see how it does!


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

Great info there! Now I know the meaning of "parabolic" action in a rod! Thats the kind I like.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

> *tailfisher (3/5/2009)*Hey George,
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder where you found that info , that dude is bad ass and there is a ton of info on that site. I also found the hook up on the solid rings and split rings. Good-bye Owner.




Do tell? 





Lbstrmn - Great post thanks!


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## Tuna Man (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Stressless (3/5/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *tailfisher (3/5/2009)*Hey George,
> ...


Sure is a great post....:clap:clap:clap:clap<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Jig this up.......<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

http://www.360tuna.com/forum/f76/intro-jigging-gman-reference-beginers-4449/


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

Did not see the shimano Torsa reels listed ? 

Any knock against em? 

I have two and are exceptionally happy with them

the Torsa 30 matched with 80 power pro - trevella rod


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## chasintales (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks... This is a great read and its got me totally siked...

Chris


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

The knock he has against them is lack of power because of the high speed. You sacrifice one or the other. They are great reels though.


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