How to Choose A Jigging Rod

jigging part 1 HOW TO CHOOSE BY : MELVIN HENG A SHIMANO (S) PTE LTD JIGGING ROD

JIGGING – “is the prac tice of fish of fishing ing with a lure. A jig jig, a type c onsists of hook mold a lead sinke ed into it r with a and usuall body to a y covered ttract fish. b y a soft Jigs are in jerky, verti tended to cal motion c ”. rea T his is the d Wikipedia. efinition fo te a und on

While the meaning is well defined, in

order to understand this style of fishing, we need to look deeper. As anglers looking to increase his understanding of jigging, we need to study how different jigs work, the fishing ground, targeted species and of course, the fishing rod. In this article, I seek to provide some clarity on the different type of jigging rods out there in the market and most importantly, how to choose the right rod to suit you or the equipment you have.

Jigging is the fastest growing style of fishing in South East Asia. This style of fishing is suitable for anglers of all level.

The basic principle of jigging is to mimic a fleeing or injured baitfish with a metal lure, known as jig.

The evolution of jigging in our region has been most exciting. 10 years ago, the craze was all about mechanical speed jigging. Then, we moved into the phase of light jigging and soon micro-jigging.

Now, the style on every angler’s lips is slow jigging. To cater to the anglers, many manufacturers, including Shimano, came up with our own interpretation of how these rods should be. What has happened in the end is a confusing array of SKUs (Stock Keep Units) out there. Before I explain further, when we mention series, it would be as the name implies, the entire series.

Jigging is a physical sport. Do not let anyone question you whether fishing is a sport. Not being an Olympic category does not mean that anglers do not live by the Olympic creed – the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

Remember the quote, “The worst day fishing is still better than a good day at work.”

Fishing spirit = Olympic Spirit.

For simplicity sake, i would be referring to jigging with weight about 150-300g. Jigging at this weight range for a whole day can be tiring affair. The strain on the wrist and shoulders can build up quite significantly.

An example would be something like our “Jigwrex” or “Speedmaster”. When referring to SKUs, it would be “Jigwrex S603” or “Speedmaster B633”.

Previously, a series would likely be made up of 6-8 SKUs and we would have covered almost all the requirements. Now, under the Jigwrex series, we have more than 20 SKUs! Even as the rod product planner for Shimano, I get confused sometimes.

So hopefully with this article, I can explain and help show you the way to pick the right jigging rod.

To make sure we are all on the same foot, as a personal habit, I like to match my fishing rod to the lure I use. This is actually a bass-fishing theory and I have found to work very well for me when jigging. Basically, all jigs work. For a jig to catch fish, it must be used the right way. Ever experience fishing next to a friend who is using the same jig as you, but he catches and you don’t?

Have you wonder why certain type of jigs always catches fish for you? Hopefully this article can explain why.

The worst day fishing is still better than a good day at work!

! !

N O FI SH

To cope with the fatigue, modern day rods have made tremendous improvement in terms of tensile strength. Tensile strength is the rod resistance to weight under tension. This weight is most evident when working a jig.

A rod with good tensile strength provides the right tension to work the jig with minimum effort. I would mainly be referencing to Shimano Stinger Butterfly series because I sincerely believe this is one of the most comprehensive series of metal jigs in the market today.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR JIG SLIM BOTTOM TOP 1 2 3 How much strength is required depends a lot on the profile of the jig. For mechanical jigging style, there are about 3 main types of jig.

PROFILE

This kind of jig is characterized by the equal weight distribution throughout the whole jig profile.

A regular mechanical rhythm is best for working such jigs.

To do a good job, I highly recommend a rod that is 6’3” onwards. For a 150g jig, it would typically be a PE 3 rating. For Shimano, this rating rod is available in lengths of 5’8”, 6’, 6’3” and 6’5”, across different series.

By using a regular action 6’3” rod, you allow more time for the jig to dance in water and have more of a rod to work the jig. It also requires less energy from angler to move the jig. re very le jigs a y one fi o r p m Sli usuall jigs and e p into il t a s r e v you dro t s e n o t s a r see wh of the fi o t r e t the wa cies is found spe

PROFILE

Such a jig has a higher drag in water and is required to be work at a fast speed to allow the jig to dart through the water column.

As you are required to work the jig fast, a shorter rod would be preferred as the shorter length requires less strength to control.

To be able to executive quick jerks and high speed retrieve, a shorter rod would be most comfortable.

WEIGHTED

Such jigs provide excellent descent rate. Do not mix up good descent rate with the ability to cut through current. If your jig is not heavy enough to overcome current, you will still experience a lot of drift. Such a jig is best to target species of fish which congregate in middle water column in a big group.

Usually the bigger fishes are located in the bottom of the group, with King Slasher, you stand a higher chance to reach them. One of the reasons why such a jig is so effective is the erratic action that the jig produces when being pitch/jerk.

Sometime it spins on its axis or sometime it will have a wobble.

In order to give the jig time to develop its action, a longer rod would be most beneficial. In such situation, I would recommend the Jigwrex B633 paired with Ocea Jigger 2000HG. A longer tip will have a slight delay in pulling back the jig, giving it time to impart the action.

Overhead reels has a higher cranking torque needed to flick the jig in depth.

A key point to remember about jigging is that all jigs are designed to be turbulent in the water. The profile lines on the jigs are placed to create turbulence when the jig moves through the water.

However, it is important to control the speed at which the rod moves so that the turbulence can be maximized.

Hopefully the above article makes sense to you. Take some time to go check on the majority type of jigs you have and your jigging rod and see if the theories I proposed above applies to you next time you are out at sea.

, e m i t t x e n l l i T

! s e n i l t h tig M

g n e H elvin