Wire-line jigging is a mainstay of the various charter boat fleets and recreational fleets on Cape Cod in the summer and it's unassailably true that it is one of the most effective ways to put striped bass in the boat during the hot summer months .. simply put out the wire line and bounce the bottom with white, red or black hair jigs, and you can hammer the fish all day long. The down side? endless wire-line foul ups and sheer exhaustion from just handling the equipment. The gear is heavy.
Another way to experience the effectiveness of wire line jigging is switching over to vertical jigging. With this method, you can put jigs down on top of the fish, but use a conventional spinning rod or bait casting set up instead of a bulky, heavy wire line set up. Everybody onboard your boat can fish at the same time with out fear of snarls and tangles and the lighter tackle puts the sport back in the whole fishing exercise.
Wire-line jigging is fine if where you fish for stripers there are long, uninterrupted stretches of sand bottom. However, if you fish over grass beds, rocks or around lobster gear, wire jigging can easily become an exercise of frustration and futility . One good wire-line backlash, and you can put that rod away for the rest of the trip..
Hence, vertical jigging....
Vertical jigging can be a super effective way to hammer stripers wherever you have fish orienting to structure or along a drop-off in over 20 feet of water. Because you are not able to cover vast expanses of water like you can while trolling with wire line, ,you should pay close attention to your electronics forsigns of bait or fish before you drop your jigs. In the heat of July and August, schools of bait and bass will typically be hanging out just off the bottom.
Take note of the exact depth where the fish are holding and mark those spots. After marking some schools of stripers or bait , you’ll have a good idea where to start . Take good note of the wind / tide combo and plan your drift accordingly . Your fishing instinct will be to drop your jigs at the first sign of activity on your fishfinder ,but take the time to run up and down the entire general area before you start fishing.
Unless the tide and or wind is really honking., you’ll be able to throw the boat into neutral and drift across the bottom where you saw your marks and be on top of the fish for a longer drift. If the wind and tide are throwing you off your drift, you always have the option to power-drift by kicking your motor in and out of gear so you stay on top of your desired area. You want keep the boat over the fish for as long as possible. In most parts of the Cape where vertical jigging is popular, the best action is usually found in 30 to 60 feet of water. The range the fish are actively feeding in is like to be relatively small. However, if the wind/ tide aren't outrageous, the current will keep you on track and keep you fishing over an active area for a decent amount of time.
Good electronics are essential equipment for successful vertical jigging. There are times where the fish will hold very tight to a drop-off and you’ll want to stay in one spot as long as possible. If the fish are really concentrated in small areas, you should dedicate one person to drive the boat just to keep you over the fish. To do this, point your bow into the current or wind and just keep bumping the boat in and out of gear. It’s ok to “glide” along the drop-off, as long as you’re staying at the same depth. In most instances, the fish will be sticking to a particular depth more than a discrete location, so drifting a little bit can be good and will help you find more fish. If the fish are on the move, you can often determine which direction they are traveling and stay right with them.
Tackle and Technique
A single-hook jig is preferred due to the fact that is much easier on the fish and makes for an easy and safe release. There are plenty of fisherman that swear by and will only use a treble...to each, their own.
For lures, the guys in the shop prefer to fish 5- to 7-ounce jigs. Have a good selection of size , styles, colors and profiles....sometimes the bass can be picky and "matching the hatch" can be critical. I’ve had great luck using
Assist hooks are used by some fisherman, because just a single hook isn't always as effective. However, If you happen across a school of hungry bluefish, you will rip through many dollars worth of assist hooks very quickly. Bluefish will slice through assist hooks like they are made of butter and they are expensive. The single hook rig can be safer than multiples when unhooking fish. Every extra hook is an opportunity for accidental thumb impalement .... assist hooks are an awesome addition to a vertical jig, just be careful to use them when you are pretty certain there are no bluefish.
There are many excellent rods specifically designed for jigging. The Goose Hummock Brand TMF 6' was specifically designed by the Goose Pro Staff for this jigging technique.They are lighweight, powerful and take a good beating. Most of the guys in the shop are stocked with TMF rods because they excel for this style of fishing and are quite affordable. As for reels, any Shimano Or Daiwa 4000-5000 sized spinning reels, with appropriate line capacity, will suffice.
This gear can tend towards the lighter side of things. In fact, it’s more fun and challenging if the gear is on the lighter side. This rod and reel combo can double as a passable light boat casting rod and be used for many fishing applications. This precludes the need for bringing 100 different rod and reel options if different fishing scenarios arise.
Quality braided lines are perfect for this type of fishing. Braided lines are preferable for this type of fishing because the limited stretch keeps you in constant contact with what your jig is doing. Monofiliment lines, though more forgiving because of the inherent stretch , can make you miss out on gentle takes or feel exactly what your jig is doing. Some fisherman prefer color coded braided lines for this style of fishing because it is metered and will let you return to the same color( depth) you are receiving strikes in.
Drop the jig, quickly to get below schools of bluefish and sharks that will tend to be higher in the water column, and let it sink below the depth where you marked fish on your fishfinder. and begin to work it back towards the surface. The most effective jigging motion technique can look and feel a little strange at first. Use a steady, upward pumping motion.What you are trying to emulate is frantic wounded baitfish fleeing. Change retrieval speeds as you are jigging and be sure to vary the rest/ pause portion of the retrieve until you can key in on exactly what the bass will respond to..
Because of the depths typically fished with this technique, excessively long leaders are not necessary. In the shop, we customarily rig a 4-5 foot monofilament leader. 30- 50 pound-test leaders will suffice most of the time and might hold together if you happen to hook an occasional bluefish. Leaders on the heavier side can simply be grabbed to land the fish.
The strikes can be thrilling....
The hits can be epic when vertical jigging and just about tear your arms off. Hook ups are usually solid because of the way fish hit a rapidly retrieved jig that is being retrieved with a constant pumping motion.
One of the keys to success is to take notes as to the location of the fish at certain times of the tide – history does repeat itself! I take many photos and I save them according to the date of the fishing trip. By taking enough photos and video of the day, you’ll be able to remember the trip much better than just taking notes, which you should also be doing.
Another advantage of vertical jigging is that if the bass come to the surface, we can quickly reel in and give chase. I’ll keep spinning gear rigged up and ready to go for this occasion. When you have wire-line rigs deployed, it’s much harder to switch methods.
Although vertical jigging is simple, you and your crew won’t get bored. Try it, and enjoy not having to wait your turn, as with wire-line trolling. I promise that you won’t miss the tiresome jigging with heavy tackle from a moving boat, or jockeying for position in the trolling procession. Instead, you’ ll enjoy more jarring hits, more exciting battles, more relaxing drifts and more fishing time for everyone. And, I repeat, more fun for everyone on the boat.
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