Hello all I,me going party boat tuna fishing next weekend and going to try jigging with my new st croix rod matched with a avet hxj. Ive got the right stuff and a good assortment of jigs and sizes. I just need a little advice on the best way to use it. Thanks Bob
Jigging techniques for tuna
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The traditional way of jigging on the East Coast is to drop your jig in desirable depths ( usually the prime depth is in 80 - 150 ft) and jig up and down imitatiing injured bait fish. It works.
The new trend of tuna jigging is to drop your jigs a little deeper than the strike zone and jig fast with erratic motion by jerking while cranking. It works too.
The best way is to mix both methods to find which tuna prefer on a particular day or on a particular time.
The new trend of tuna jigging is to drop your jigs a little deeper than the strike zone and jig fast with erratic motion by jerking while cranking. It works too.
The best way is to mix both methods to find which tuna prefer on a particular day or on a particular time.
Try to cover the whole water column, usually 50' to 180' is what I target with most fish being taken at 60' to 90'. Important when you hook - up to know the depth you 're at to duplicate it. Some trips they will come thru at the same depths and at other times it can vary. If you 're using spectra you can mark it yourself with a sharpie, mark mine every 50' to a depth of 200'. Am starting to beleive you don 't have to kill yourself working the jig like a madman all night. If they come thru at the depth your jig is at they 'll hit it even if its barely moving . Have seen tuna caught on jigs off of stationary outriggers, telling me something ? Feel one of the reasons the butterfly method works is because you cover the whole water column . They invented the jig not the common sense to work the whole water column . Yes I dropped a bundle on them also but my favorite jigs are the older raiders in tuna candy . Anything with a slender profile that flutters is what I look for. Hammered diamonds in 6 and 8 oz. work great also as a lot of pers. will attest to. Good luck .
chumslk wrote:
Am starting to beleive you don 't have to kill yourself working the jig like a madman all night. If they come thru at the depth your jig is at they 'll hit it even if its barely moving . Have seen tuna caught on jigs off of stationary outriggers, telling me something ?
I'm starting to think the same thing. Last summer on an otherwise slow night one of the guys on our boat jigged for about an hour without a hit. He decided to take a break so he put the rod in the holder with the line out, a couple minutes later bam, it get's wached, it pulled a few feet of line but didn't come tight... None of the bait rods got touched either
Am starting to beleive you don 't have to kill yourself working the jig like a madman all night. If they come thru at the depth your jig is at they 'll hit it even if its barely moving . Have seen tuna caught on jigs off of stationary outriggers, telling me something ?
I'm starting to think the same thing. Last summer on an otherwise slow night one of the guys on our boat jigged for about an hour without a hit. He decided to take a break so he put the rod in the holder with the line out, a couple minutes later bam, it get's wached, it pulled a few feet of line but didn't come tight... None of the bait rods got touched either
KILSONG wrote:
Codkiller wrote:
Speaking of butterfly jigs, I went into Kittery Trading Post yesterday and they had the shimano butterfly jigs on sale 25% off.
$13 and some change each up to ten oz.
Bob
Bob, they are against Shimano's policy.
Shimano has a lot of great tackle on the market which I purchase and use . The concept of the butterfly jig is innovative ( counterbalance ) to produce more action and its' been proven they entice more hits ? Or is it just a matter of the jig being at the rite depth by covering the water column ? My thoughts are the latter and just my opinion . I own two trevala rods the 5'8" heavy and the 6'6" mh . I know a lot of pers. are in disagreement but I probably prefer the 5'8" trevala over the hopper that I also have . Have caught on all three but like the action and feel of the trevala.
Codkiller wrote:
Speaking of butterfly jigs, I went into Kittery Trading Post yesterday and they had the shimano butterfly jigs on sale 25% off.
$13 and some change each up to ten oz.
Bob
Bob, they are against Shimano's policy.
Shimano has a lot of great tackle on the market which I purchase and use . The concept of the butterfly jig is innovative ( counterbalance ) to produce more action and its' been proven they entice more hits ? Or is it just a matter of the jig being at the rite depth by covering the water column ? My thoughts are the latter and just my opinion . I own two trevala rods the 5'8" heavy and the 6'6" mh . I know a lot of pers. are in disagreement but I probably prefer the 5'8" trevala over the hopper that I also have . Have caught on all three but like the action and feel of the trevala.
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