What jigs to buy?

[Sean Moore]

Im looking to get a variety of jigs to use for some upcoming trips, both this year and next. Mostly 1-3 day trips. I have a few Tady irons already, but would like to get some flat fall and knife jigs and im not sure where to begin.

Also, how are these typically rigged? Ill be running a Makaira 16 with 100lb braid and an 80lb topshot But I see some jigs come rigged with 150lb or 200lb leaders. Do you typically tie your topshot directly to the jig or the leader?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Deadlift500]

I’ve had great luck (two first place jackpots wins in a row) with a 500 gram Mustad Rip Roller. If you zoom in on the fish’s mouth in the picture you can see the top part of the Mustad Rip Roller in its mouth. You can also see how I probably would not have caught that fish if there wasn’t a bite leader. The fish was 177lbs at the dock gilled and gutted.

I also have had success with the Nomad Design Buffalo jigs, both in 230gram and 320 gram, those Nomad jigs work for all kinds of fish, not just tuna but rockfish and even freshwater bass. In fact I caught a striped bass at Lake Mead this morning on a 230gram one.

Meltons Tackle has the nomads on sale right now: https://www.meltontackle.com/nomad-design-buffalo-jigs.html

I had Fisherman’s Landing upgrade the hooks and add a bite leader to the jigs I’ve used nighttime for big tuna. I just tie the braid to the swivel of the bite leader.

 

[RichG]

The knife jigs, 300 to 500 gm seem to be working the best. You definitely want a shock leader of at least 200 lb fluro. Tie you line to the shock leader. Many are upgrading the hooks as well.

If you have a good local tackle shop, go check them out. If not check the SD shops on line or give them a call.

 

[Rubberhook2]

Don't get started....it's an illness

 

[Wandering Blues]

Everything that @Deadlift500 said is spot on. And make sure you upgrade your hooks. Pretty much any assist hook that comes stock isn’t adequate.

 

[Anders1]

There's literally over a hundred posts of people discussing their catch and what jig + setup caught it. Daytime jigs vs nighttime jigging is a completely different setup. Make yourself a 250# bite leader for night. There are people catching these fish on a plain torpedo sinker with assist hooks at night. It's not ricket science. What seems to be rocket science is people don't have marked line and have no clue what depth they're fishing at. Knowing what depth you're at is more important than having the latest and hottest jig.

 

[Rubberhook2]

This recent local bluefin fishery has been a boon to the fishing tackle industry, that's for sure. I still have dozens of fully rigged rubber Yummy Flyers that we used to drag and skip under a kite. Don't even get me started on Madmacs. But I digress...

Let's not forget it was the Shimano Flat Fall jig that started this shit show. If you wanted to catch a big one at night you needed a 250 gram glow "Shimano" flatfall. Great marketing from Shimano. Next thing you know all flatfalls are sold out and backordered. Could'nt get them. I have piles of those things...

Next Diawa did not want to be shown up by Shimano so they start promoting their Diawa SK jig, 250 and 300 gram, in "zebra glow". Had to have an SK jig in zebra glow if you wanted to get bit. Immediately sold out everywhere and could not get them. I have piles of those things...

Nomad had to get a piece of the bluefin madness so they roll out their Buffalo and Gypsea glow jigs. I have piles of those things...

Next flavor of the month was knife jigs. Why? You could get your jig down to the fish faster and beat your buddy to the bite. Nomad Streakers and Mustad Rip Rollers became sold out and hard to find. I have piles of those things...

This last 3 day trip I was on everyone was dropping knife jigs. Conditioned. Then someone blows the dust off an SK, drops it over the side and gets bit. Oh my, I may have one of those...

Next someone blows the dust off a 250 gram glow flat fall, drops it over the side and gets bit. Damn...don't have one of those tied on at the moment.

Then a guy thinks a torpedo sinker with a hook on it would get down pretty fast and proceeds to get two in a row...

Back to your question....What jigs to buy?

 

[Buttchaser]

Kayle is at it again , on the new loann early this morning
you need these

 

[FreeJustInTime]

Kayle is at it again , on the new loann early this morning
you need theseView attachment 1419739

It looks like that swivel is making its way off the split ring…

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

It seems like I can’t go by a tackle shop with out buying a jig for the past year or so…..

Rip Rollers: 300-500 gm
Saltiga SK: 200-300gm
Nomad Streaker: 200-420gm
West Coast Jiggerz: 200-250gm
Shimano Flatfall 230- 300gm
Daiwa Mr.Slo: 200-260gm

Various slo pitch and smaller jigs from Shout, Shimano, Nomad, etc. 40-200gm

Even just onesies and twosies add up as far as cost and weight….. soon you have a back breaker of a jig box so be careful and don’t hurt your wallet either. Also, sleeve kit, press, assorted hi tensile split rings, good quality swivels and chafing gear are suggested. Use metered or white braid marked every 50 feet, I like a 50’ mono leader too, have all my outfits down to 40 lb marked for depth….. helps with the sinker rig too!

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

Forgot…. Leader material….. 100-300lb mono, I get bit on mono, and it is way cheaper than Flourocarbon, but Flourocarbon has a touch better abrasion resistance.

 

[1Matthew]

I use 200 lb leader for the knife jigs. I have a variety of flat falls and knife jigs. I have 200-500 gram jigs depending on condition

 

[1Matthew]

I also got a variety of daiwa zakana and coltsnipers for casting into foamers. Just make sure to change out the stock hooks.

 

[MAG0121]

Back to your question....What jigs to buy?

Well, clearly from your post the answer is simple: All of them!

 

[Rubberhook2]

I have found if you want to get bit on a particular jig you must first tie it on and fish it...

 

[Senko888]

There's literally over a hundred posts of people discussing their catch and what jig + setup caught it. Daytime jigs vs nighttime jigging is a completely different setup. Make yourself a 250# bite leader for night. There are people catching these fish on a plain torpedo sinker with assist hooks at night. It's not ricket science. What seems to be rocket science is people don't have marked line and have no clue what depth they're fishing at. Knowing what depth you're at is more important than having the latest and hottest jig.

Is that a shimano flatside butterfly jig in you profile pic? I remember a few of your posts going in depth about jigging.

If you could only bring 3 jigs for daytime bft vert/mech jigging what kind/weight would they be?

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

Is that a shimano flatside butterfly jig in you profile pic? I remember a few of your posts going in depth about jigging.

If you could only bring 3 jigs for daytime bft vert/mech jigging what kind/weight would they be?

Daytime…. A 250-300 gm SK, a 420 gm Streaker, and a 260 gm Mr SLO.

 

[Rubberhook2]

On a recent 3 day on the Vagabond had daytime bites on each of these three.

The 150 gram Brown Ahi Sniper out fishes them all...

 

[Anders1]

Is that a shimano flatside butterfly jig in you profile pic? I remember a few of your posts going in depth about jigging.

If you could only bring 3 jigs for daytime bft vert/mech jigging what kind/weight would they be?

Hi Senko, Yes, that is a knockoff of a Shimano butterfly jig. The only thing different is the paint job. I have a local tackle shop that gets them from China (gasp!) with different paint jobs. Shameless exact knockoff. One of their paint jobs works (for me) better than any of the Shimano paint jobs.

Fish during the day will tend to only bite much smaller presentations than the typical 300-500g jigs typically you get away with at night.

3 daytime jigs?I I fish a Phenix Megalodon paired with either a Torque40NLD2 or a 12VISX. Even then, the action can be too heavy to impart the right action on smaller jigs.
That being said I'd do 1) a speed jig like a Shimano flat side in 142 gram or 168 gram. Good for moderate drift speed to @ 200 ft +/-, 60 or 80# topshot, single hook on top. probably a 5/0 or 6/0 VMC 7264. (I make my own assist hook setups) If I could get a 120 gram speed jig down to fish at 200 ft during the day without scope, I'd do that. Being a speed jig, you need the right rod and IPT on your reel to make it work right up the water column. 1B choice would be a Zakana jig fished fast on the retrieve.
2) A "flat fall" type of jig. This term encompasses many jigs that flutter on the way down. Not my favorite, because they stop working correctly after a cerrtain depth, and that's usually still above where the fish usually are. This would be a "shallow fish" jig. A new favorite is the Shimano Wingfall. For San Diego I'd fish a 160 or 200G depending on drift. . Option 2B would be the Daiwa SK in your favorite daytime color in the 170 gram model. You can fish these with your rail rods.
3) Cant leave out the Rip Roller in whatever color you like. Smaller profile/size than the night time counterpart. This jig does have a nice maneuver on the way down, but is the fastest sinking of the 3 types I mentioned. It all depends on the depth of fish and drift speed what I'd be pulling out. Fish with a rail rod. 3B for deeper daytime fish is a KB/West Coast Jiggerz knife jig to 250G.

You know no "bite leaders" on these jigs, right? No crimped leaders, no 300lb mono leader. Short fluoro bumper to a long mono topshot, like over 75ft. The skipper will tell you 100lb topshot.

Lastly there are casting jigs, Colt snipers, etc that work during the day.

 

[Senko888]

Hi Senko, Yes, that is a knockoff of a Shimano butterfly jig. The only thing different is the paint job. I have a local tackle shop that gets them from China (gasp!) with different paint jobs. Shameless exact knockoff. One of their paint jobs works (for me) better than any of the Shimano paint jobs.

Fish during the day will tend to only bite much smaller presentations than the typical 300-500g jigs typically you get away with at night.

3 daytime jigs?I I fish a Phenix Megalodon paired with either a Torque40NLD2 or a 12VISX. Even then, the action can be too heavy to impart the right action on smaller jigs.
That being said I'd do 1) a speed jig like a Shimano flat side in 142 gram or 168 gram. Good for moderate drift speed to @ 200 ft +/-, 60 or 80# topshot, single hook on top. probably a 5/0 or 6/0 VMC 7264. (I make my own assist hook setups) If I could get a 120 gram speed jig down to fish at 200 ft during the day without scope, I'd do that. Being a speed jig, you need the right rod and IPT on your reel to make it work right up the water column. 1B choice would be a Zakana jig fished fast on the retrieve.
2) A "flat fall" type of jig. This term encompasses many jigs that flutter on the way down. Not my favorite, because they stop working correctly after a cerrtain depth, and that's usually still above where the fish usually are. This would be a "shallow fish" jig. A new favorite is the Shimano Wingfall. For San Diego I'd fish a 160 or 200G depending on drift. . Option 2B would be the Daiwa SK in your favorite daytime color in the 170 gram model. You can fish these with your rail rods.
3) Cant leave out the Rip Roller in whatever color you like. Smaller profile/size than the night time counterpart. This jig does have a nice maneuver on the way down, but is the fastest sinking of the 3 types I mentioned. It all depends on the depth of fish and drift speed what I'd be pulling out. Fish with a rail rod. 3B for deeper daytime fish is a KB/West Coast Jiggerz knife jig to 250G.

You know no "bite leaders" on these jigs, right? No crimped leaders, no 300lb mono leader. Short fluoro bumper to a long mono topshot, like over 75ft. The skipper will tell you 100lb topshot.

Lastly there are casting jigs, Colt snipers, etc that work during the day.

View attachment 1419869

Appreciate the detailed response. Night jigging is a lot less nuanced and i’ve got it pretty dialed in. Daytime is much more delicate, some follow up daytime questions:

I have a valiant 800n and oti fathom blade for daytime mechanical jigging. I have 25 ft mono topshot and 6 ft of 80 or 100 lb flouro. I’m under the impression that the topshot should be long enough so they can’t see the braid, but not too long or heavy to increase drag/scope and negatively impact the action of the jig.

Did you see significantly more bites with over 75 ft of topshot?

Also, i usually use a ball bearing swivel and split ring to make make changing jigs more efficient. Concerned this may impact action on the lighter jigs. What do you use for the jig connection?

 

[Anders1]

Appreciate the detailed response. Night jigging is a lot less nuanced and i’ve got it pretty dialed in. Daytime is much more delicate, some follow up daytime questions:

I have a valiant 800n and oti fathom blade for daytime mechanical jigging. I have 25 ft mono topshot and 6 ft of 80 or 100 lb flouro. I’m under the impression that the topshot should be long enough so they can’t see the braid, but not too long or heavy to increase drag/scope and negatively impact the action of the jig.

Did you see significantly more bites with over 75 ft of topshot?

Also, i usually use a ball bearing swivel and split ring to make make changing jigs more efficient. Concerned this may impact action on the lighter jigs. What do you use for the jig connection?

Senco, I've been a fan of the "figure 8" solid rings for a long time. I had a knot break once using a single solid ring, the only thing I figured could have happened was chaffing from the split ring that was also attached to the solid ring. The figure 8 isolates the knot from the split ring. But then it almost forces you to tie your own assist hooks to the figure 8. That's a whole different rabbit hole that I've chosen to go down. Never will use a ball bearing swivel for daytime tuna. Not stealthy. As for leader length....I have no imperical bite data, but long enough so they cant see it, short enough so you dont scope out too fast. On albacore, I get away with a 15 ft bumper. The lighter wire hooks are VMC 7269, I'll fish those when the smaller models are around. The heavier ones are VMC 7264. About to buy some BKK 8090-6X-HG super heavy wire hooks to tie up.

 

[Senko888]

I’ll give the figure 8s a try, picking a smaller size for stealth that will still get a split ring and assist hook on there.

Got a 3 day coming up to try to get bent on the noodle hahaha so much fun.

 

[Kai]

Don't forget other surface irons besides Tady. CAIVO 7X and other types JRI types, Salas Salas 7x light.

Same for yo yo iron.
6x yoyo, 6x jr yoyo, 7x jr yo yo, 7x yo yo. Cp105 yoyo.

Different sizes for different currents.

Colors, mint variations, blue/white,scrambled egg, etc.

 

[Rubberhook2]

Buy some jigs they said, it will be fun

 

[Striker Tackle]

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