Casting to jumpers. Different Baits? pics added

fish Addict80 · 09-05-2007, 10:19 AM

Well I have had some pretty good days casting to and around jumpers. I got a taste of this a few years ago and have been stocking up on swimbaits ever since.

Well the swimbaits get pretty torn up from a couple of fish and if the fish are picky I am always afraid I wont have enough of the one pattern that is doing all the catching. So, I started making my own and enjoy doing that.

But, a couple weeks ago I was looking at tuna gear at sportsmans and noticed some bucktail jigs. I remembered reading an article about sight casting to schoolie bluefin on the east coast and they were using bucktail jigs.

So I bought a couple and used a 1 ounce green and white hair bucktail jig on my salmon rod. I didnt have much confidence in it but was excited to try it.

We ran up on some jumpers that stopped jumping as soon as we stopped but we all threw out baits anyway. On the retreive I was jiging to make it look like it was "swimming" and after about 3 cranks on the handle It was hammered. We ended up boating a bunch on just a few stops and had all we wanted pretty quick. Lots of boats were around us trolling with not much action and we were always hooked up and had a few boats circling us but the action never quit for us.

I used that bucktail jig all day and landed 6 on it in the small time I used it. The hook was a little on the light side and I pull pretty hard on the fish and unbent the hook a little on a couple of the fish. On the last fish I actually pulled the hook out and when I tried to bend it back it broke. I was kind of relieved though because that salmon rod was making my arms hurt. That is why I thumbed it and pulled the hook. I was trying to horse the fish in.

I was happy with that jig. It could catch multiple fish and not get torn and unuseable as long as the hook does not break from bending it back and forth. So, I went back and bought all the 1 ounce and a bunch of the 3/4 ounce jigs they had, which was not many. I took the skirt off the broken hook jig and tied it to a heavier duty tinned hook I use for swimbaits and will use it again. Hopefully with similiar results.

I have only tried metal jigs, swimbaits and the bucktail jigs while casting and was wondering what else works well that can be used again repeatedly. What have you used and how did it work?

Luke

Chrome Bumper · 09-05-2007, 11:03 AM

Any pictures of the jig/bucktail?

colbachlaw · 09-05-2007, 11:09 AM

Luke,

Thanks for the info.

Photos would be great.

I have been looking for something different to toss at tuna and I just picked up a few dozen tuna topwater plugs from down under (you got to love e-bay) and I can't wait to try them out once the ocean calms down.

Mike C

fish Addict80 · 09-05-2007, 11:35 AM

Here is a pic of the bucktail jig and some of the swimbaits I made. I need to order new colors now.

The jig on the top left is the one I retied on a swimbait jig head and the one on the right is what I bought at the store for 2.29

Sadie-Lynne · 09-05-2007, 12:46 PM

Thanks Luke for the info... I will have to add a few to my collection..

CATCH AND EAT · 09-05-2007, 02:02 PM

Really, just about anything you toss into a pod of jumpers is going to get a look see. I think you could toss bass worms, A spinner, strom plastic baits, jigs, iron, herring, chovies, flys, grand slam bucktails, a picture of sister Teresa and those fish are at least gonna take a look-see.

Just all depends on the mood of the fish that day.