Jigging blackfish

[FlukinFun]

I am very new to jigging BLACKFISH. I recently fished the entire day with the same jig and had no keepers just two shorts. I would usually make changes but I felt like I hooked a really nice fish early in the day but dropped it so I stuck it out with the same jig. After the day I beat myself up about not changing anything. I felt I should have went to a lighter jig. Talking to a friend who jigs quite often he said,"If your jig hits the bottom every time you lift your rod tip and then drop it down, you are fishing too heavy. You should barely feel the bottom." Any opinions?? I would really appreciate your feedback.

[jigemup]

Follow this link from an old post and you will get some ideas

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94234

[EddieG]

Sent you a pm my friend.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Answer to your question is as light as possible but you need to know when you’re on the bottom so you should be able to feel it hit bottom after you raise and lower the tip. This is why I always suggest people fish with as light weight and sensitive rod and reel as possible. If your fishing a broom stick and a Penn Squidder you might not be able to feel the bottom with 2 ounces and I can feel it with 1 ounce and the lighter the jig the better.

[bigal427]

Tried jigging a few times and would rather fish with a rig where you can feel the bottom and the bite. Fished party boats a few times after pulling my boat this year and did just as good if not better with rigs then the jig fisherman.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I'll use rigs or jigs depending on conditions.. If it's sloppy or too much current then I go to the rig. When it's calm and or there's a scratchy bite I'll jig.

Every day is different but we've had many trips where the fish wouldn't touch a rig and jigs saved the day.

[hammer4reel]

if you can keep a jig fairly still that is under 2 oz, IMO you will get 10 times the bites a rig gets.
its just a better presentation.
Able to fish under an ounce it isn't even close .
Bites come ten seconds after the jig hits th bottom

hardest part is understanding the jig bite, its way more suttle than the bites we wait for rig fishing.

.

[bigal427]

The guys I watched on party boats just let it lay there with slack in there line. How can you feel a bite if it's slack?

[Angler Paul]

That's what you have to work at. Don't just leave slack in your line but rather move your rod up and down and in tune with the swells. The idea is to keep your line tight enough to detect bites but not so tight that you lift your jig off the bottom.

[hammer4reel]

The guys I watched on party boats just let it lay there with slack in there line. How can you feel a bite if it's slack?


your looking for the line to move more than looking for a thump like on a conventional rig.
Most jig bites feel like when I blackfish is scratching a normal rig.
Its more suttle.

reason you feel a thump on a normal rig is the fish has taken the slack and it starts to pull the sinker, as he is leaving with the bait.
many times that resistance makes him drop the bait.

with a jig they pick it up and are swimming off resistance free.

[Kevin Bogan]

Here is a link to a recent post in which Blackfish Bobby discusses conditions and his preferred jig set-ups. Bobby goes into detail about line, leader, and jig weight in the last post on the thread.

https://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111619

[FlukinFun]

I really appreciate all the information. I cannot wait to get out and try it again. I have a couple more questions: Is it always braided line with the jig or is it possible to jig effectively with mono?? Is there a preference to white crab vs green crab on the jig?? Is there a depth limit you would suggest for using the jig?? Once again thanks for feedback.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Everyone is using braid and a 30 or so pound floro leader...Jigging with mono would be practically impossible since the bites are so subtle youd never feel them. That and the narrower diameter of braid means less resistance in the water and allows you to use lighter weight and still stay on the bottom.

No real depth limit but shallow is better. Ive jigged in as much as 80 feet but have not been able to jig in 40 feet if there’s a strong current or if it’s rough. It’s all about conditions and if you need more the a 2.5 ounce jig to hold bottom you’d probably be better using a traditional rig and sinker.