How to Jiggin for Tog

[Gerry Zagorski]

First of all, I’m very new to this style of fishing so here is some advice from a novice’s perspective. Hope some sharpies will keep me honest and lend some of their experience since I have a lot to learn too.

First and foremost you need a very light weight sensitive set up (rod and reel) in order to feel the bite... I tried my heavier spinning set up I use for snagging and live lining Bunker and could not feel a thing. Just kept on coming back up with an empty hook.

At the same time, the rod has to have some decent backbone and the reel a reasonable amount of drag since you want to be able to keep the fish from dragging you back into the reef and busting you off.

Having said this, Dustin landed a 22.5# on A St Croix Mojo rated for 6 to 12 lbs test...It was strung with heavier braid but that rod seems a bit light for my taste but he got it done.

A nice long fore grip on the rod comes in handy to give you some extra lifting leverage. It makes a big difference.

I'd be using 30# braid and a 30# or more mono or floro top shot. Some guys use a 50 pound top shot. Floro helps here not because these fish are line shy but because it’s more abrasion resistant.

Some people say a loop knot is better to tie to the jig since it gives it better movement but not sure if it really makes a difference.

I've seen 2 methods using jigs... Slight slack in the line and you watch your line for twitches or keep it tight and feel the twitches...Can't say I've mastered either but a tight line seems to work better for me.

Bite is different every day...Sometimes you'll just feel a tap and other times they will pick up the jig and actually run with it. I think the lighter the jig the more apt you are to have them pick it up and there are no mistaking those bites. In either case and according to Captain Derek on the Fisher Price below, you want to lift the rod to set the hook, not swing for the sky this way you don't pull the jig from the fish.

When you are fishing lighter jigs (below an ounce) you need to make sure you are on the bottom.... Cast out, manually pay some line out and let it sink. Take in some slack and raise and lower your rod tip to make sure you feel the jig come in contact with the bottom. You are not going to be able to do this easily unless you have a nice light set up with good sensitivity.

Unlike rig fishing, I'm told that keeping the jig perfectly still is not as much of an issue. It's not like you want to move it around a lot like you do when bucktailing for fluke... Instead, let it sit for minute and if no hits, move it and then stop again for a few mins.

Crabs come off the jigs easy so after a bite you probably want to check and see if you have bait... Here is where a sensitive rod comes in handy again…. If your rod is sensitive enough, you'll be able to tell if you have bait left or not by lifting the rod tip and feeling the additional weight of the bait or lack thereof. You also want to be sure to hook the crabs through the leg sockets this way they stay on better.

A word of caution....At least for me, there was a pretty steep learning curve involved, so don't get frustrated or lose patience. You also need the right conditions to get used to fishing this way. Too much current or a bumpy day would not be the best time to give it your first try. Get the feel of it in good conditions, get used to it and build your skills and confidence up.

Hope this helps others who want to give it a try and we can get some other sharpies to chime in here...

It's not for everyone but it sure is a fun and different way to fish.