jigging sea bass - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

chuckieb · #1 06-03-2019, 09:00 AM

After years of using clams, with and without Gulp, I got persuaded to try jigging. Used AVA 27 and sand eel imitation teaser. Results were great. Was fishing on a moderately crowded party boat and surrounded by guys using clams on various types of rigs. I was casting out, going to bottom, and slow retrieve. after several cranks, go to bottom again, etc. I had more action and caught more (and bigger) keepers, by a wide margin, than the clammers. Interested to hear from experienced jiggers whether this method outfishes clams most of the time or just under some conditions. PS: the party boat I was on was anchored; seems like jigging should work when drifting--opinion?

hammer4reel · #2 06-03-2019, 09:03 AM

Jigging is the way to go.
Catches better fish .
And IMO is more fun

Capt. Lou · #3 06-03-2019, 09:08 AM

Yup !

Uncle Nicky · #4 06-03-2019, 09:22 AM

I always fished with clams/squid, because that is what I was taught.

I fished on a small PB yesterday, all but a couple of us were jigging. Those jigging outfished us for sure, boat was drifting all day, it only got difficult once the wind picked up. Most were putting a small piece of squid or clam on the jig. Time to up the game for me I think and get a handle on jigging.

porgylber · #5 06-03-2019, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Jigging is the way to go.
Catches better fish .
And IMO is more fun

Totally agree with this.

bulletbob · #6 06-03-2019, 10:24 AM

Sorry guys,, I have been out for sea bass plenty of times where if you used a jig you went fishless.. last time it happened?.. About 10 days ago on a 6 pack/open trip.. Saw maybe 2 fish caught all day on a jig despite a lot of guys trying, myself included. captain said "take the jigs off", "bait up"
I never got a hit with an Ava and teaser. Actually,, I did catch a few with a jig, by baiting it and the teaser and letting it lay on bottom, until I could get my bottom rig out there..

now, thats NOT always the case, we all know that.. Some days jigging is the best choice, but for me personally, I have yet to be in on that great "jig bite' for sea bass in over 55 years of fishing.. Yes I have caught plenty on jigs, but was never on that hot jig bite with big keepers being common on jigs and rare on clams.. Typically, on my trips it has been the opposite.. More fish caught on bait, with the jiggers catching a lot of shorts with some keepers mixed in.. Last year i went out and one day really caught a LOT of sea bass on jigs, and yes that day the jigs outfished bait,, however the keeper rate was probably 25-1, and the keepers needed a good stretching to legally be placed in the cooler.. I got 7 barely keepers, and the bait guys caught as many or more, and all bigger.

Sea Bass hit jigs of course, and at times we have all seen them spit out gobs of small sand eels, NOT clams, crabs , squid or anything else, so you know jigs should be the best bet.. I hope to get out again this week, and maybe this time I'll be on a hot jig bite, but I have my doubts.. I KNOW it happens, but besides smaller fish, i still have not been in on it personally.

About 2 -3 years ago i actually had a captain reprimand me for using a jig for sea bass.. Right as he told me I needed to forget the jig and use bait, I hung a big strong fish, and was just dying to make him eat his words.. Then I saw that massive undulating 4 foot long Silver Eel... I switched to bait,,lol....

I dunno, I may get on a boat one day where jigs outfish bait, but it still hasn't happened, and at my age, time is running out... bob

bulletbob · #7 06-03-2019, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Nicky

I always fished with clams/squid, because that is what I was taught.

I fished on a small PB yesterday, all but a couple of us were jigging. Those jigging outfished us for sure, boat was drifting all day, it only got difficult once the wind picked up. Most were putting a small piece of squid or clam on the jig. Time to up the game for me I think and get a handle on jigging.

Jigs with Squid/Clams??..Thats bait fishing...
The jig was just a sinker in that case, if they were baiting the hooks.. The reason those guys were outfishing you was most likely because the schools of sea bass were suspended and not relating to bottom structure.. It happens a LOT.. They suspend and relate to moving shoals of baitfish, typically sand eels in our area, and are often only 20 feet below the boat even in say 60 FOW...In that type of scenario, bottom bouncing is often not the most productive option. The guys with jigs on were probably in the zone where the most fish were located,, OFF the sea floor.... bob

Chrisper4694 · #8 06-03-2019, 12:42 PM

lures almost always out fish plain bait rigs in most situations that i've seen, fresh and salt.... especially if you're tipping your jig with bait or using a teaser with plain bait (which you should usually anyway imo).

I tie a dropper loop above my jig for seabass and if they aren't aggressive on the jig i'll just let it sit on the bottom and basically turn it into a bait rig for a few seconds. see what they prefer any given day... this way the jig rig can double as a bait rig if needed. you can't attract fish in with a bait rig like that

Chrisper4694 · #9 06-03-2019, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Jigs with Squid/Clams??..Thats bait fishing...
The jig was just a sinker in that case, if they were baiting the hooks.. The reason those guys were outfishing you was most likely because the schools of sea bass were suspended and not relating to bottom structure.. It happens a LOT.. They suspend and relate to moving shoals of baitfish, typically sand eels in our area, and are often only 20 feet below the boat even in say 60 FOW...In that type of scenario, bottom bouncing is often not the most productive option. The guys with jigs on were probably in the zone where the most fish were located,, OFF the sea floor.... bob

well the point is, you can use a jig rig as a bait rig if the fish are not aggressive by just holding it or pausing it...you can't use a bait rig as a jig rig and attract fish the same way.

If the goal is to catch as many keepers and big fish as possible, i'm only going with a straight bait rig if the current won't allow me to feel bottom with my jigs, but that's never as much fun either haha

Uncle Nicky · #10 06-03-2019, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Jigs with Squid/Clams??..Thats bait fishing...
The jig was just a sinker in that case, if they were baiting the hooks.. The reason those guys were outfishing you was most likely because the schools of sea bass were suspended and not relating to bottom structure.. It happens a LOT.. They suspend and relate to moving shoals of baitfish, typically sand eels in our area, and are often only 20 feet below the boat even in say 60 FOW...In that type of scenario, bottom bouncing is often not the most productive option. The guys with jigs on were probably in the zone where the most fish were located,, OFF the sea floor.... bob

Maybe, I usually try fishing a few or even numerous feet off the bottom when things are slow to see if that makes a difference...wasn't helping yesterday. I guess I'm more interested in how to hook bigger and more fish than the semantics of the whole thing.