Jigging blackfish
 

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.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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

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

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

Sent you a pm my friend.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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.

.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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?

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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.

Re: Jigging blackfish
 

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.