# hooked on jigging



## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

I have been out a few times on my friend's boat mostly public numbers and had good sucess

with aj, kings ,jack cravelle,and bonita. I have not had any luck with grouper or snapper.









I've read almost all threads hereabout jigging . I drop to the bottom and use a slower retrieve 

for the first 30 to 50 feet . I mostly use shimano butterfly jiggs 7oz down to 3oz in vareous

colors. I recieve alot of ribbing about me not being able to produce as the guy I fish with

does not belive in jigging he strictly uses live or dead bait.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

For grouper, keep it on the bottom. Jig hard up, one reel, jig. STOP. Free fall and start over.


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

Just curious about the guys that are ribbing you about jigging. Are they catching any grouper? I know before snapper season opened and after it cools down in the fall you can kill the snapper on small [1/2 to 1 oz] bucktail jigs. Usually they hit them on the fall about halfway down. But it seems like to me once it warms up with the exception of amberjacks the jigs just don't seem to work as well. The grouper definitely hit jigs better in the cooler months. I know the deepwater guys jig them all the time but that is beyond the reach of most folks. I wouldn't worry too much about not catching any grouper unless your buddies are throwing them in the boat right and left. And that seems unlikely.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

I catch grouper on a jig all the time but the bite isn't like ajs. If you are looking for a jig to constantly catch grouper like ajs then you need to use a different jig. There are times when they are in a feeding frenzy and will inhale anything dropped and then there are times you have to soak a bait a while before they hit. I have found when you hit a rock where there are a lot of grouper and the competition for food is greater it is easier to cath them on anything but if there are only a few resident grouper on a spot sometimes you have to work harder to catch them.


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## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

no the guy doing all the ribbing isnt cathing a mess of grouper but I have not had luck w/snapper either . I do look foward to trying new things every time I can get out,I thankyou guys for all imput so far.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Where do you fish out of?


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## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

I fish out of pensacola.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

What days do you normally fish?


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## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

fri sat &sun


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

If you would like to come to Destin I will take you on a jigging trip and we will try and slay some fish. I try to fish every Wed and sat.


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## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

sounds great I could definetly benifit from some tutilage


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

> *JoeZ (7/11/2009)*For grouper, keep it on the bottom. Jig hard up, one reel, jig. STOP. Free fall and start over.


What he said... you're best chance for a nice grouper is on the very first drop... bump it off the bottom about 10 times. If nothing hits it they ain't real hungry. Wait awhile (take it out of there face) and try again.

Jim


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## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

thanks to all who are posting there input I know it will all be helpfull.

do any of you fish for red snapper with jiggs find that it produces equal to natural bait ... or close to it.

I have watched the vids on shimano's web site and can definitly see that it could.To anyone interested in jigging I highly suggest they check them out , it was very helpfull to me for putting togather the gear needed.

I use travala mh 18000spheros and 65# braid


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

Red Snapper seem to be mostly a lucky by-catch though my biggest was on a "gator jig" (23.2 pounds and out of season:banghead::banghead:banghead). I snag a lot more than I lip hook.

Jim


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## mayday 57 (Nov 18, 2008)

I bet a 23 pounder would be asome . was it on a spinning reel?


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## Lucky Dawg (Oct 6, 2007)

I have tried jigging a bit and have caught fish, but I consistantly catch more bigger fish with dead or live bait.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

> I recieve alot of ribbing about me not being able to produce as the guy I fish with
> 
> 
> 
> does not belive in jigging he strictly uses live or dead bait.




Find new friends. :toast



Seriously, let them have their bait, because with jigging your opportunities for diversity are so much greater. For every drop, I will go all the way to the bottom and hop it a few times then come back to the top. If I am targeting bottom only, I want to maintain contact with the bottom on every downstroke of the jig. It has to be making contact. Something about the sound and commotion get bites. 



And if you want to, there is nothing wrong with tipping the jig or adding a feather hook to the jig to entice snappers and smaller fish. Groupers normally don't need anything other than contact.


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## patriot design (Jul 15, 2009)

welcome to the jigging world !!:hoppingmad


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

On my boat, my fishing buddie Eddie is a die-hard - old school diamond jig fisherman 

6 oz seems to be the best all around, Swap the treble for an owner 4x stinger 3/0 on a hefty split ring- strong & sharp! 

yo-yo byeither hopping up off the bottomor within 10 feet - goodfor snapper, scamp, red grouper and the occational gag - triggers and mingos areoften snagged

I like the speed jigs workedfrom bottom up to at least 1/2 way to the surface, even in 300 feet. For speed jiggs we use 5 to 14 oz williamsonbenthos or abyss.the smaller jigs are worked slow and can get get a good mix of scamp, grouper and snapper. The bigger jigs ripped high into the water column are often pounded by AJs or Almaco, and even bonita and kings

But wierd things happen with jigs - got several nice mangroves on a 10 oz speed jig close to surface this year??? 

If your buddies are catching grouper, as stated above try your jig and if no joy after few minutes, put the rig away and then try again after a while. And when you move and get tothe next down,drop ahead of every body


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## seachaser (Jan 8, 2009)

I used to think you had to have bait but now I would have no problem running to my #'s with jigs only.There is no better feel than ripping that jig off the bottom and having something that you have no idea what it is trying to pole you over.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

> *seachaser (8/6/2009)*I used to think you had to have bait but now I would have no problem running to my #'s with jigs only.




Commit to the trip. Thats the only way to do it.


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## gtchris19 (May 14, 2009)

My biggest Red Snapper of the year have come on Orange Jigs (5 oz). And I wasn't necessarily targeting snapper. Had a ton of people on the boat that don't get off shore much, so I wanted to let them catch my 2-fish limit. I was just goofing off with a jig to see what would bite. I'll take jigs over live/dead bait any day. Although I like to have both.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

I have had several folks fishing out of alabama tell me their bigger fish come on jigs. They are telling me they have to work a little harder to get their limit, but they are coming home with a lot bigger fish, which has been a pretty big deal for them, since the limit is two.


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

And jigs work at night! would not have believed this if I have not watched it happen, then tried it myself.

Last FridayMe & Eddie eased out and anchored up onthe trysler grounds - looking to bag a few mangrove & reds under the full moon. Red Snapper (3 to 12 pound) were pounding any and all baits. Eddie picked up a jigging rod and tied onhis trusty 6 ozbead diamond jig, at night, in 115 ft of water. 

Damn if he did get red snapper after red snapper. Even figured out that you did not even have to work the jig, he just held the rod steady and you could see the rod tip pop every now and then. ( the waves and boat motion were probably easing the jig up and down, slightly.)

These snapper could see this chrome jig, in just moon light, over 100 ft down, and though it was something worth biting. 

I pulled out my glow-in-the dark speed, jig, nothing but tired arms (except it got a laugh outof Eddie watching me work like crazy and go fishless). I switch over to diamond jig and when Ifigured out not to jig it, I got hooked up!!!

My take away is - no matter the conditions, give the jig a try, and sometimes, don't work too hard.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

We dead stick tile fish all the time. Every so often the jacks like a dead jig too.


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