HaHa HaHa:  0
Page 1 of 5 1234 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 44

Thread: Jigging

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    south carolina
    Posts
    79
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Jigging


    hey guys got a crazy question. I have started doing some vertical jigging and some jigging with a slip cork. I have anchored and jigged and trolled and jig and i have not caught the first fish. I have tried all size jigs i can find and colors. The thing i don't understand is when i go to the same spot and fish with minnows i have no problem catching crappie. Im lost never did much jigging but would like to be able to catch crappie by jigging because the closest bait store is 20 minutes out of the way. Any help is greatly appreciated.
    Tader
    PUT'UM IN THE BOAT!

  2. #2
    gabowman is offline Super Moderator * Crappie.com Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Elberton, Georgia
    Posts
    39,173
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    tader, it's a tough go with most any kind of bait now. From the reading, it appears that most fish are being caught using minners but jigs DO catch fish. Since youre having such a hard time with them I'd recommend minners during the cold months and start this spring tossing a jig under a cork and using a steady retrieve. Once the crappie make a move towards the shallows you should be able to fill coolers using this method. As far as verticle jigging, maybe others will chime in since I've never done any of that style of fishing.
    Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Sandy Run South Carolina
    Posts
    3,519
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    As soon as the crappie start moving to brush or structure, I change from tight lining and trolling to single pole vertical jigging. It is the method I learned to crappie fish with and the one I like most. There are different varieties of jig fishing. Some folks like to cast or pitch jigs to structure using 6 to 7 foot poles, some shoot jigs to structure using 4 to 6 foot poles and others like myself prefer to vertically present the bait using longer 10 to 12 foot poles. Another variance is in the approach. Some, like Crappie Buster here on CDC, prefer to pull the boat up near the structure, drop the trolling motor and thoroughly work over the structure being fished. S-Town and myself each prefer to use a tiller outboard on a jon boat, switching it, in and out of gear to hold the boat in place, pull up to the structure with the motor running, fish fast, catch the aggressive fish then move to the next spot. It is not uncommon for me to fish well over 100 spots in a day of fishing. Some spots will be hit multiple times during a day if they're producing well, or are known to produce well. During the last tournament I fished in, I fished a couple of brush piles 4 times before they finally held biting fish. As long as your not back washing the area your fishing while shifting the motor in and out of gear to hold the boat in place, the running out board has no effect on the fish. If your able, you want to swing your jig out and away from the boat slightly beyond your target and let it free fall watching your line closely. At times the fish will be holding a foot or so below the surface of the water, regardless of how deep the brush your fishing is. This is what you want, as the fish are easiest to catch when they are up. If you read enough of my late spring and summer thru fall post, I always reference when the fish come up. This happens at some point every day. The key is being where the fish are when they come up. My experience is that bright sunny days are best for brush and dock fishing as the fish tend to go to cover to avoid the light. Cloudy days and early mornings tend to scatter the fish making trolling a better option during those times. During high pressure times the fish tend to stay deep holding tight to cover. They are catchable, but a lot of jigs are lost fishing deep and tight to the brush. So, the bottom line is this: Fish fast, catch the aggressively feeding fish, cover a lot water, be where the fish are biting best when they come up. and pick days that are bright and sunny. I hope this helps you out a bit, as this technique can be a fun, exciting, and very effective method of catching limits of fish with out buying bait.
    Professional Crappie Removal
    Safe and ethical
    One rod, one jig, one fish at a time.


    Likes FisherFore, brettw, Traveling Man, serovich LIKED above post

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    4,279
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Inkdabber should open a fishing school (on second thought, I guess he already has)!
    Likes FisherFore LIKED above post

  5. #5
    shane1980 is offline Crappie Wall Hanger II * Member Sponsor
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    lexington north carolina
    Posts
    694
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    That's some good info!!! Thanks for the lesson!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    shelby(lawndale)
    Posts
    1,101
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    One tip I have is not to over work the jig. I catch most fish when vertical jigging when the jig is sitting still. I seen some people jerking their rods like using a jigging spoon for stripers. Sometimes I just tap the rod with my fore finger just to make the jig quiver a bit. I agree with fish fast. I work the area good but do it quick.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    SC
    Posts
    50
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    I've never had any luck vertical jigging but with all that good information it will be worth a try

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    south carolina
    Posts
    79
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Inkdabber thanks for all the help. just one more question, do you just repeatedly throw past the structure you are fishing and let the jig fall and then do it all over or do you cast let it fall and the work the jig around the structure. also i see some say they just let the jig sit and some say they just bump it every now and then just curious on how you fish yours. thanks again
    tader
    PUT'UM IN THE BOAT!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Saluda,South Carolina
    Posts
    1,336
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tader View Post
    Inkdabber thanks for all the help. just one more question, do you just repeatedly throw past the structure you are fishing and let the jig fall and then do it all over or do you cast let it fall and the work the jig around the structure. also i see some say they just let the jig sit and some say they just bump it every now and then just curious on how you fish yours. thanks again
    tader
    Start out like you are talking about, flip the jig out away from the brush and let it free fall back down, this will usually catch the same fish that you would catch casting. When you catch them like this they are usually sitting on top of the brush, like Ink said they maybe just a few feet up under the water even if you are fishing deep water. My next step would be fish the jig straight down, 3-4 foot above the top of the brush pile. From here I would just keep working your way down into the brush. The depth you catch your fish at depends on where the fish are located. It's always a good idea to start at the top and work your way down until you figure out the depth the fish seem to be holding at. I think it's easier to get the fish to come up for the bait than go down for it. Never rule out dropping your jig all the way down to the bottom, either. A favorite trick of mine is to let the jig to the bottom and just start easing my rod tip up as slowly as possible. If you feel it good you can tell the difference between a bite and brush. If you think it's brush just let the jig fall back down and sometimes you can avoid getting hung.

    Usually I catch more fish with the jig sitting still and not moving it much at all, but with jigging you can never rule out anything. But I do remember one summer where the only way you could catch a fish was to constantly jig it up and down for some reason. Usually it is one little detail that is the difference in getting the fish to bite on that day. It may be a foot or two difference in the depth you are fishing or the depth of the brush. Could be the location of the brush or alot of other things. My point to saying this is pay attention to the little stuff and keep trying stuff until you catch something.
    Likes FisherFore LIKED above post

  10. #10
    gabowman is offline Super Moderator * Crappie.com Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Elberton, Georgia
    Posts
    39,173
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    s-town, do you constantly put out new brush as Ink does?
    Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Page 1 of 5 1234 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

BACK TO TOP