Shimano Butterfly jigs, rods, reels, torture test, OH MY!

[Nalu]

I'm a lucky guy, no doubt about it. Even years like this when the ocean is rough, most of my trips are canceled, and things don't work out like I hope, I know I am a lucky guy.

So let's back up... One of the guys at G. Loomis called a couple weeks back and asked if I wanted to take one of the Shimano guys out fishing for tuna for the day. They wanted to catch some albies, and test out some new gear, as well as really work out the Shimano Butterfly Jigs. Why not? Should be fun!

So on Friday morning, I rolled out with mostly different gear in my arsenal. Instead of all G. Loomis and Penn Internationals, I had all Shimano and only a couple of my standard rods for trolling, and my personal rod for jigging iron. The comment from the Shimano Marketing Manager (Cody) was that he had been told to put the gear to the test. Try to break the rods, and try to blow up the reels. Button them down, and see what happens....

Gear consisted of:
Trinidad 16 Narrow Specials on Trevala BF Jig rods
Stella 8000's on Tirajelo rods
Stella 6000's on Tirajelo rods
Tyrnos 8's on "unnamed" rods
Tyrnos 12 2 speeds on 'unnamed" rods
All tackle was supplied by Cody that would be run on his gear. Lures were all Williamson clones, etc.

As well as my standard gear- G Loomis prototype rods with Penn 16VSX's (stand up) for the outriggers and Loomis PBR 844's with Penn Torque 100's for jigging iron.

We cruised SW and stopped short to try some water. 30 minutes of no fish and we pulled up and headed to the next stop which was 11 miles further. At one point running to the next area Cody spots jumpers in our wake..... What to do? Ignore them and keep on going.... It was a good call.

We proceed to hit our destination, and while we see boats in the distance, there is nobody around. Deploy the troll gear, start to troll and BAM! Double up..... on the the outriggers and my gear.... Try to get a 3rd and 4th on to no avail. Slow down and the guys clear the short lines and Cody and I go to work with the Butterfly jigs. First drop for me, and about 12 seconds into the drop I feel a pick-up. Reel down on the fish, make sure it's tight, and the first jig hookup of the day is on! I have to crack a smile that the first 3 fish are all on Loomis rods and my gear. I hand the rod to Cody who accepts it after reminding him that he's never fought a tuna on a Loomis Pro Blue.

The day continues with more hook-ups on my gear, and slowly after some adjustments starts to work into the Shimano gear. Here is where things start getting REALLY fun and interesting. Big reels for albies? Hah! I have to admit that the Tyrnos 8's and 12's performed as solid as you can imagine. After a couple of fish, Cody started pushing the lever drags farther and farther forward until they were just about totally locked out. Pumping as hard as he could with drags buttoned down, nothing on the rods or reels gave. The punishment given out was so far beyond what you ever would see in a "normal" fishing environment for albacore that it gives a pretty impressive perspective about how much abuse the right gear can really handle. After Cody tried everything he could to break a rod, the next fish that was hooked he handed the rod to me and said to have at it. I buttoned down the drag and did my best impression of Olaf and a Warn winch. Once to the surface, Cody looked over and asked if I wanted to bring the fish in normally, or "bounce" it. "I'll bounce it if you think it can be done" was my response, and Cody gave the nod....

One....two.....three....... With all the strength I had and as much fluidity as possible (which is probably very little) I rolled with the rocking of the boat, lifted at what I figured was the best time, and launched a 25 lb. tuna into the air and over the railing into the boat. Pretty impressive with a light rod and a Tyrnos 8. High sticked to the max, and it held up.

So that gives you an idea of the troll show....But the real fun was with the Butterfly Jigs.

I most certainly am no expert, and have just really learned using iron at the end of last year and this year, so this is what it is. I have to admit that I am "hooked". While many people Friday were hooking up with multiples, (as were we) we mainly were trying to catch fish on iron. We'd troll until we had a fish on, then 2 or 3 guys start working iron. All together, we must have hooked 20-25 fish on iron. We lost some, broke some off, and put plenty in the boat. There were times that we turned a single troll fish into a 5 or 6 fish stop, and we never once hooked up on a swimbait, just on Butterfly jigs.

Now, this may be a little different, but here is what we do....

Troll until a fish is hooked. Used standard technique to try and get multiples, but not for as long. I turn to try and get back over the area the fish was hooked.

Once slowing down, send the BF jigs down. The boat is not stopped, it is still moving forward, one engine in gear. I continue to do this until the gear is cleared, and the troll fish is close enough to let hang or to bring in.

Many times you will hook up on the drop with the boat still moving. 6 oz. BF jigs work well for getting down fast, and they work well when the boat is not stopped. A fast retrieve while pumping the rod the entire time gives a lot of action. We use 6:1 ratio reels to get the jigs back as quick as possible, the Trinidad 16 Narrow Specials and my Penn Torque 100's rock!

Once someone is hooked up on a BF jig, then the boat stops completely. All gear is cleared that may become a problem. If the outriggers are still out, they remain so, but other rods are cleared. At this point, additional jigs are dropped by the fish that is coming up.

There were times we were stopped for 20-30 minutes and still hooking fish on the jigs. Looking at the screen, it was pretty obvious that the fish were thick at the 60 foot range. Allowing for deep drops through the fish and cranking back through produced many, many hits or hook-ups. Cody was a machine, and he produced fish on every stop, often multiple fish. Colors of the day were the Blue and Silver and the all White. The Ahi Green hit some fish, but the Blue and the White ones seemed like almost guaranteed hookups.

When we would not get bit for perhaps 5 or 7 minutes on a jig, we would re-deploy and start trolling again. A quick hook-up and start the scenario over.

Did we catch MORE fish jigging than if we were just straight trolling? Not necessarily. On a slow day, the answer is definitely yes. On Friday? probably not. But we did catch a lot more fish with light tackle, and feeling the hookup. I personally have a lot more fun producing fish with a swimbait or jig than I do just trolling. I'm sold on the Shimano Butterfly Jigs. I know others use Megabaits, Sumos, Braids, etc. I've never personally had much luck with those. Most likely it is just me, maybe now that I know a *little* more what I'm doing, I would have success with other iron...but I now have confidence in the BF jigs. I know others that have phenomenal success with other iron, so I'm sure that it is more technique than anything else, but these are working for me.

Another note- we did break some fish off that were obvious chew-offs on the 30# test. That's normal. We DID NOT break off anything, break a knot, or bust a rod on the 50# top shot connected to the 50# braid with a uni to uni knot even though everything was buttoned down tight. The Tyrnos 8's held up great on the troll, and had more than enough line capacity to let the fish strip while continuing to troll for multiples. The Tyrnos 12 2-speeds worked just as well.

All in all a fun day. We headed for the barn at 11:30am with the boat full and all the ice used. Unlike others, we had a nice ride in with the Southerly pushing us all the way home. The gear all performed flawlessly, the fish were plentiful, and the company was excellent. The Trevala rods and the "unnamed" rods were not bad. I have to admit that I'll stick with my Loomis rods, but expect some interesting stuff to be coming out in the future from Shimano.

One thing to note...like them or not, the Trevala Butterfly Jigging rods do seem to create a lot of action on the BF jigs. They don't shut off as fast and lock up like a Loomis, but they do "snap" the iron.

[Good News Tuna]

Good read Mike, can't wait to try it. One question, How will single speed reels work for the retrieve? None of our small stuff is 6:1, only 4:1.

[Booja 1]

Glad you were able to get this trip in,,,,hmmmm,,,,was there ever a doubt?

Way to go on Thurs too btw.....................tho I can't believe you didn't offer to cut the entire catch when back at the dock...........

[Nalu]

Ryan- The reels we were using have all been single speed, just the higher speed of 6:1. I imagine the lower gear ratio will work just as well, but it seems like the faster these particular jigs are retrieved the better. I've used my Dawai 4.1:1 reels and had a few hookups. Much more on my Torque 100's, and the Trinidad Narrows (which are 6:1 and have a tall narrow spool that creates more retrieve speed) seem to hook up the best.

The other guys on the boat that didn't really know about iron fishing hooked up the most on the retrieve, even at slow speeds, when I had one engine in gear at idle and the boat moving forward.

Cody hooked up pretty much all the time. I have to believe speed on the retrieve makes a difference on these lures.

[Threemuch]

Originally Posted by Nalu

Ryan- The reels we were using have all been single speed, just the higher speed of 6:1. I imagine the lower gear ratio will work just as well, but it seems like the faster these particular jigs are retrieved the better. I've used my Dawai 4.1:1 reels and had a few hookups. Much more on my Torque 100's, and the Trinidad Narrows (which are 6:1 and have a tall narrow spool that creates more retrieve speed) seem to hook up the best.

The other guys on the boat that didn't really know about iron fishing hooked up the most on the retrieve, even at slow speeds, when I had one engine in gear at idle and the boat moving forward.

Cody hooked up pretty much all the time. I have to believe speed on the retrieve makes a difference on these lures.

Mike-
Any tips on colors for BF jigs? I want to try them, but I don't want to break the bank buying up a bunch of colors that I later decide aren't very good.
Kurt

[Nalu]

Kurt- The two that were doing the best were the Blue/Silver and the All White. They are currently backordered on the White/Pink/Blue combination, but I've seen that one work exceptionally first hand as well.

They are also backordered on the jig wraps for the rods. I tried to get them to bring me some, but they didn't even have any around in a drawer or anything. These are important as they protect both the jig and rod while in transit. A pair of split ring pliers is handy to have to change out.

Both Cody and I attached directly to the sold ring with 30# flourocarbon. A couple of chew offs, but that was on multiple fish. I've fished my same Green/Silver jig for 5 trips and with plenty of fish.

[skein]

Here's some good information on them, including color pictures.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshim...erflyjigs.html

Skein

[Freakwater]

Mike, did you fish them with just the stinger hook on the top? I'm not sure I get why they are rigged this way........

Freakwater

[Tip-Sea]

Good info Mike! Sounds like you guys had a blast.

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by Freakwater

Mike, did you fish them with just the stinger hook on the top? I'm not sure I get why they are rigged this way........

Freakwater

We fished the jigs the following way:

Split ring attached to loop on jig
Solid ring attached to split ring
2 Assist hooks (Stingers) attached to solid ring
Flourocarbon tied directly to the solid ring

The article that Skein linked to shows the assist hook (or hooks) attached to the loop on the jig itself. By rigging these with the split ring and solid ring you can detach the jig easily and replace with a different style or color. You can also detach and leave off the rod while running/transporting while still leaving the hooks attached to the rod.

As I understand it, the hooks up top allow the jig to work properly as opposed to a hook on the bottom. When working the jig, you can definitely feel it flutter erratically. There definitely are times where the jig gets hit multiple times without a hook up. I've had fish hit it twice before getting hooked the third time. What I have noticed is that it is rare for a fish to hit it just once then not come back. If they strike and miss, most likely they will strike again.

[Teton]

Originally Posted by Nalu

. . . As I understand it, the hooks up top allow the jig to work properly as opposed to a hook on the bottom. When working the jig, you can definitely feel it flutter erratically. There definitely are times where the jig gets hit multiple times without a hook up. I've had fish hit it twice before getting hooked the third time. What I have noticed is that it is rare for a fish to hit it just once then not come back. If they strike and miss, most likely they will strike again.

Especially in a good bait boil, I missed quite a few before I got the technique down well enough to hook up consitently. Sometimes, it was because I was late with the hookset, and others were just a matter of the bite happening down the jig where no hooks are present. It did seem that when I missed a bite, if I fluttered it again quickly, the bite came back right away.

Depending upon the size of the butterfly jig, with hooks on both ends, it should not flutter correctly. I am going to do a little experiment with a big butterfly jig soon, just to make sure, with a siwash on the tail.

[fishbait]

Cody looked over and asked if I wanted to bring the fish in normally, or "bounce" it. "I'll bounce it if you think it can be done" was my response, and Cody gave the nod....

One....two.....three....... With all the strength I had and as much fluidity as possible (which is probably very little) I rolled with the rocking of the boat, lifted at what I figured was the best time, and launched a 25 lb. tuna into the air and over the railing into the boat. "


Just like the old commerical cane boats......

Sounds like a fun trip.....

[veilside180sx]

My only question is why were the Loomis guys making arrangements for Shimano's marketing fellows?

Other than that, sounds like a great workout.

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by veilside180sx

My only question is why were the Loomis guys making arrangements for Shimano's marketing fellows?

Other than that, sounds like a great workout.

G Loomis is an independent part of Shimano, so even though they don't share similar products, they do communicate and ask for referrals on things. The marketing manager was looking to go tuna fishing so asked the guys at Loomis who he might go with. As their saltwater pro-staff, they asked if I was interested in taking them.

[Bluefinn]

Mike,
Great post these are the kind of post we should all try and make.No complaining or bad mouthing eachother.Great job reminds me of the ifish of old.

[Silver Eagle]

Mike good read I wished I had more room on my deck, limited space for Jigging. Will try and get some next trip........Ray

[Slobes]

So my question would be if you think those darn things are worth the $$. I remember looking at them and thinkin that it would be quite the investment to buy in the first place and then if I ever saw a fish swimmin away w/ $30 worth of shiny stuff in its mouth, I would not be happy.

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by Slobes

So my question would be if you think those darn things are worth the $$. I remember looking at them and thinkin that it would be quite the investment to buy in the first place and then if I ever saw a fish swimmin away w/ $30 worth of shiny stuff in its mouth, I would not be happy.

Good question. Answer: On a wide open troll day, no. On a medium to slow troll day, maybe. On a casting only day late in the season, absolutely.

We lost 2 or 3 jigs I think on Friday. One to a chew-off, one to a shark, and I think we lost one other one somewhere in the mix.

By comparison, if you figure buying swim baits at $1.00 to $1.50 a piece and you go through 10 or twelve a day destroyed by fish, and lose a few lead heads, you're getting close to the cost of 1 Butterfly jig.

They certainly aren't cheap, but they ARE effective.

[Fshklr]

Nalu,

So, you guys tested the 6oz jigs only? would you add smaller or bigger to the arsenal, or stick with the 6's?

they are $12 - $14 here in med sizes...affordable for that kind of action.

[Nalu]

We only used the 6oz, but I think it depends on the day. Later in the season the smaller might be better. My experience is pretty lacking with variety, so I can't offer up any real world advice.

Talking with Cody though, I can see how casting the flat sided jigs to jumpers would be more effective then using the 3D jigging style. The flat sided ones are designed to skip on the water when they hit. They actually dive under and resurface, imitating a jumping baitfish. On the retrieve they stay at the top better.

[skein]

The flat sided ones are designed to skip on the water when they hit. They actually dive under and resurface, imitating a jumping baitfish. On the retrieve they stay at the top better.

That makes me think the flat-sided ones might be pretty effective around a kelp paddy; skipping it in there to create some activity on the surface, then retrieving it so that it jumped and skipped along the surface.

Hmmmmmm

Skein

[veilside180sx]

Originally Posted by Nalu

G Loomis is an independent part of Shimano, so even though they don't share similar products, they do communicate and ask for referrals on things. The marketing manager was looking to go tuna fishing so asked the guys at Loomis who he might go with. As their saltwater pro-staff, they asked if I was interested in taking them.

That makes sense, I didn't realize Shimano had purchased Loomis. I had heard rumors, but couldn't find anything absolute.

[Seelicious]

Good stuff, Mike! Thanks for sharing!

[steelfreak]

I have one BF jig I got at a great discount, yet to use it. They look very nice, but imo are way, way overpriced. You must remember you buy the jig itself for $15, then you have to buy the hooks, then you have to buy the split and the solid rings. I think the ink/paint Shimano uses to print their logo is very expensive or something. I've caught fish on all kinds of jigs that cost much less and don't hurt so much to break off. You can put stinger hooks on just about any jig if you prefer them, which I do. You should check out the new williamson gyro jigs, great fluttering action and cost about $7. Just a suggestion Sounds like you guys had a fun day though, maybe I'm just jealous.

[Hammer Down]

Great story Mike!

Copied that one into the TUNA! fishin' folder.

And remember....."luck" is opportunity meeting preparation. You've been preparing for years, all you needed was the opportunity; which seems to have presented itself quite nicely to you.

Wish I could have been there.

Keep up the good 'preparation'. I'm sure more opportunities will present themselves....

-John

[CR dog]

Great thread Nalu. Lot's of great info for folks interested in new fishing techniques. Jigging is just as much fun as live bait.

[Billfisher]

Very cool thread, and one fun day by the sound of it. What colors were producing best?

[FINZ]

Very good post. I have bought a few of these to try this year but as of yet I havn't used any.

Thanks,

Finz

[Megabites]

Timing on this post is perfect. We ran across a number of reviews of this system in the off season this year and decided to try it. I've been collecting the pieces but have yet to put it all together and fish it. One question for you, did you fish any of the long jigs? According to some of the reviews I read the long jigs are really good for tuna. They are more money however so it would be good to know.

FYI the new Cabela's in Washington has a good stock on BF jigs as well as other saltwater gear. Last time I looked Squid Gulp baits were on sale.

[Coot22]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for such a great trip! that was by far the most fun i have had fishing in a long time! Its one thing to catch Albie after Albie on troll gear...its another to hook as many as we did with rod in hand! I have fished live bait before and it is a blast and has its place...Fishing those jigs was flat out AWESOME! Thanks again and I will post a "Follow Up" tomorrow when things slow down a little here at the office. Thanks again!

-Cody Herman

[Fshklr]

Originally Posted by Coot22

Hey Mike,

Thanks for such a great trip! that was by far the most fun i have had fishing in a long time! Its one thing to catch Albie after Albie on troll gear...its another to hook as many as we did with rod in hand! I have fished live bait before and it is a blast and has its place...Fishing those jigs was flat out AWESOME! Thanks again and I will post a "Follow Up" tomorrow when things slow down a little here at the office. Thanks again!

-Cody Herman

TTT,

looking for that follow up Cody

[4 REEL]

Shimano has a free promo DVD for the Butterfly Jig worth watching.
:lurk:

[bassin]

Mike that was a good read. I picked up some of those jigs at the sportsmans show this year. Can't wait to give them a try.

[Fshklr]

I did find this convienient user chart for matching rod to jig, reel, and hooks to jig size and style....good stuff!!

http://www.anglerscenter.com/PDF/rec..._chart.pdf.pdf

[Nalu]

Since that time is upon us, I thought I would drag this back up.

A couple of things to add to this post.... Keep in mind that the G Loomis team took 1st at the 2007 Garibaldi OTC event..... and then last year....

1st- In Hammond, prior to this trip we (G Loomis team) took 4th place fishing swim baits and Butterfly jigs.

2nd- The day after this trip (Sans me) took 1st place at the Charleston event fishing Butterfly jigs and swim baits

3rd- I hooked my first deep water tuna with no fish on the surface and no fish on the troll in 2008. Nothing but looking at the sounder, stopping over fish, and deep jigging.

4th- Using a combination of live bait to keep the fish up, and iron to hook them, we had a last stop during the Garibaldi event that kept fish at the boat as long as we wanted them- all hookups coming on BF jigs.

5th- 2 weeks ago I fished lings and bottomfish almost exclusively using BF jigs. While I was expecting to break off and lose a fair amount, I actually didn't lose a single one. In the meantime, the experienced anglers I was with lost multiple lead headed jigs and dropper leads. The BF jigs clearly outperformed either the lead head jigs with grubs, or the fresh bait for lings. The gold/brown with glow in the dark 5 oz flat side jig was the top performer, but every jig I tried worked, including the long speed jigs.

Anyhoo.... Just thought it would be a good thing to bump back up. Remember, you need to work these jigs the proper way, which is a fast pump and retrieve.

I can't wait to hear more stories of people hooking up this year on BF jigs!

[HugeDuckFan]

My big shimano jig bag is stuffed to the gills and ready for action, sitting in the truck right now. I fell in love with these things last year, along with the 16N reel on a ProBlue rod.

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by HugeDuckFan

My big shimano jig bag is stuffed to the gills and ready for action, sitting in the truck right now. I fell in love with these things last year, along with the 16N reel on a ProBlue rod.

You must have been listening to some smart fellers to get that there setup.

This year there is a full complement of Trini 16N's on the Sea-J dedicated solely to jigging up from just a couple last year.

Couple new surprises await this year...... I just got a box of goodies and can't wait!

[MYRTLE BEE]

We have a line-up of 100g-150g-200g iron should be out in July along with jig bags to hold them.

[HugeDuckFan]

Originally Posted by Nalu

You must have been listening to some smart fellers to get that there setup.

Yup, Blackmon's Team GLoomis's production with iron can't be ignored.

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by HugeDuckFan

Yup, Blackmon's Team GLoomis's production with iron can't be ignored.

Got that right brother.

[tailwalker]

For us guys that haven't yet played with the BF Jig they do sound like an effective weapon. Could you give us a little info on where to get these jigs and how you are using them for the albies. Once you get the fish to the surface would type of retrieve are you doing to hook up?? Are you using live bait or cut bait to keep them up during your stop? I don't know if this is top secret info or not but I, and I am sure a few others would like to use the technique especialy with results that are consistent like yours.
Any info would be great, always trying to learn new little tricks.
Tailwalker

[Fish-a-Holic]

And Garibaldi OTC was won last year on Iron as well... Team Chasing Tail...

Here is a portion of an article I had written specifically to address the different uses of Iron. This covers Butterfly's, as well as any other manufactuer of iron. Williamson, Daiwa, Eat Me Lures, and many other Manufacturers offer this type of jig. It's the stinger hook rig that most enhances how these fish!


Fishing Iron
Fishing iron is a technique which can be extremely effective for hooking more tuna when the boat is on a troll stop. There are several techniques which are effective. The easiest method is traditional yo-yo style jigging. This is as simple as taking a swimming style jig like a Gyro Jig, Benthos or a heavy Crocodile or Crippled Herring, and dropping it straight over the side. Free spool the jig for 150 to 200 feet below the boat; maintain contact as it drops. It isn’t uncommon for tuna to eat these on the drop just like swim baits. Be ready for either the line to go slack, to feel a slight hesitation, or the line to speed up even faster. Once the jig reaches the desired depth, place the reel in gear and begin reeling in the jig rapidly. The grab in this type of jig fishing is very electric and the rod will load up considerably. Wind the line completely tight before setting the hook, since you will often have developed somewhat of a belly in the line while free spooling your line out.
Speed Jigging
Another iron technique that can be deadly for converting your troll stops into additional bites is “Speed” style jigging. This method of jigging is similar in some ways to yo-yoing, but it is much more athletic and also requires some specialized gear. Our Vortex, Abyss and Benthos jigs are wonderful tools for this active style of jigging. Each jig has a different action so they can be used in different scenarios. The Vortex and Benthos are best suited to true vertical presentations. The Benthos jig is a long straight jig that has a much tighter action which sinks more rapidly with less flutter. The Vortex is a flat sided jig which has a tremendous amount of action both on the drop and the retrieve. It is generally a shorter jig for its weight category as well. For this reason, the Vortex jig will often outperform the Benthos when fished for tuna. The Abyss jig can also be fished vertically with great success, but its design also makes for a great jig to cast and retrieve horizontally. The jigs surface was designed to give a horizontal style flutter instead of the traditional vertical flutter, which is why it excels as a cast jig.
The necessary gear for fishing a “Speed” style jigs is a shorter rod, generally five and a half feet to six and a half feet in length. The rod should have a lighter tip to mid section for the size jigs you are fishing. A heavier jig would require a stiffer rod, while the lighter jigs fish much better with rods with a softer action. These rigs are truly enhanced by the use of braided lines like our Sufix braid, attached to 15 to 30 feet of fluorocarbon leader. You can attach the leader to the line with either a Uni to Uni knot, a Reverse Albright, or a Worm Knot. Each of these knots provides excellent strength with a very small connection that slides through the guides easily. Reels should have a strong, smooth drag and a narrow enough spool so the angler doesn’t have to watch how carefully the line is placed back on the reel. This type of jigging is athletic, and doesn’t allow a lot of time or opportunity to concentrate on neatly storing your line back on the reel. Attach the leader to the jig on the provided solid ring.
The jig is rigged this particular way for a couple of reason. First, the hook is attached to the top of the jig because fish usually engulf jigs fished in this manner, and with the hook right in the middle it almost always connects with the fish. Very few fish are missed when actively retrieving a jig with this technique. Second, the hooks are attached to solid ring through a line with an in-line ball bearing swivel. This is one of the true strengths of this rigging concept because when you hook a fish your line is tied directly to the hook instead of to the jig and in turn the hook. When hooks are placed on the rear of the jig, the fish can exert leverage on the hook while you are pulling on the front of the jig allowing them to free themselves in the process. Fish hooked with a stinger style hook assembly are rarely able to throw the hook. Finally, the hook or hooks being attached to the top of the jig in the stinger style keep them from fouling on the line during the often quick retrieve used when fishing these style jigs.
The technique for fishing this style of jig involves dropping the jig straight down alongside the boat. Again, just like when yo-yoing, free spool the jig down 150 to 200 feet below the boat. Put the reel in gear, tuck the butt of the rod under your arm, and begin a rhythmic pumping motion while constantly reeling. It can feel awkward at first, but remember, you are working at a rhythmic motion. The fish can want different speed retrieves, so it pays to try some different retrieval rates, but generally they eat these jigs very well when reeled fairly quickly. When using this technique, you are working your jig up rapidly and the rods action plays an important part in making these jigs swim. The upward jigging motion loads the rod, and as you drop the rod while reeling, the rod “unloads,” or makes the jig swim upwards. The jig will hesitate slightly and then as your reeling catches up to it, it will continue its quick upward ascent. It’s believed this quick, upward swimming darting action is what creates the reaction bites we get while using this technique. When you are bit, it’s very similar to the bite when yo-yoing where the rod loads up very aggressively. Continue to wind until line begins coming off your reel. This technique doesn’t generally require a hook set.
When using the Abyss or Vortex jig, you can also cast these jigs and let them sink away from the boat and then use the same retrieval technique outlined above. This can also be incredibly effective at times, especially when the fish are being a bit shy about coming underneath the boat.
A couple tricks when jigging can also increase your hook ups. First, when free spooling the jig down, stop the jig every 20 to 30 feet and give it a quick lift. This will make the jig stop and dart upward and then begin fluttering down again. A grab when using this technique is often just seeing your line stop fluttering down. It often comes very shortly after the jig sweep upwards. When you realize the line isn’t going down any more, reel up until your tight to the fish before you try to set the hook. It’s easy to miss fish with this technique until you get used to how the bite looks since there is very little feel involved.
Another trick to use occurs when the jig hits the desired depth, to jig the rod up and down 3 or 4 times before you start the retrieve. This will often help alert the tuna to the jig and then they see it start to flee. Again, they will often crush the jig in this scenario. Finally, when yo-yoing, it’s perfectly acceptable to cast the jig first. It doesn’t necessarily have to be straight up and down. There are times when a yo-yoed vertical jig is much more productive, but sometimes the tuna don’t come right under the boat. When this happens, casting the jig out behind the boat first, and then letting it drop several hundred feet before the retrieve has begun, is the best method to hook fish. One way to recognize when you would rather cast than drop straight overboard is if you see fish darting underneath your boat, or if you are continually viewing them on your depth sounder. If this happens, dropping iron straight down can be incredibly effective. This is also true when several troll hooked fish are brought close to the boat. It isn’t uncommon to find some of the school following these fish as they are landed.
Finally, when jigging vertically with either method above, remember adjusting the weight of your jig can help you achieve the type of retrieve you are looking for. If you need a more up and down vertical retrieve, increase the weight of the jig to decrease the amount of belly formed in your line while letting the jig out. If the jig seems to be fishing too heavy or sluggish, lighten up the weight of the jig your using.
Casting Iron to Surface Fish
Casting and swimming a jig can also be a very successful way to tempt more tuna into biting. Jigs like the Gyro Jig, Crippled Herring, or Crocodile are all superb tools for casting and swimming iron. When fishing iron in this manner, you are trying to appeal to tuna oriented on eating bait fish near the surface. You often see these fish physically busting bait on the surface or creating boils. Bird circling and diving are also a good indication of tuna feeding on baitfish near the surface. If you find these conditions, casting jigs can be an extremely effective and visual sport. Occasionally, it can be productive when allowing the jig to sink from 5 to 10 seconds before beginning the retrieve, but remember, you are targeting the surface layer of water. Another key difference in fishing these jigs is the fish generally prefer a slower retrieve. It sometimes helps to use a stop and start motion as well. Mix your retrieves up until you find what’s working, but as a general rule the jigs will move slower in this type of scenario.

[Threemuch]

If you go to a forum called 360tuna.com, there is an awesome primer on speed jigging.

[Paddler]

Nice monograph, Fish-a-Holic. Tell me, since my swimbait setups are rigged with 20# mono, will they fish iron OK? I realize they may not give the same hookset as braid, but will they be sufficient? What did guys do before braid?

[Fish-a-Holic]

Paddler, yes, your 20# will work. The main reason braid is used is to have more capacity on smaller reels so the weight of the entire rig is less. This is pretty athletic and can get tiring, especiall if the whole set up is heavy. The mono also stretches a tremendous amount which will mean you will loose a lot of the benefit of feel the braid gives. With zero stretch you can feel a take sometimes as just a tick transfered up the line. This type of feel would be removed through mono. Generally the braid is also a smaller diameter which allows you to be straight up and down with lighter jigs. In some cirmcumstances this is by far the most important factor.

[bait boy]

There is a ton of information located here including gear and videos of vertical jigs in operation.

[tomictime]

one of the team 50-wide boyz will be armed with she-man-oh-no jigs ...however, Cant see my way to "down-grade" to the Loomis stick when I have a black steel Seeker......

Mike: somehow I lost my subtlty gene...ha.

Pls post some good colors Mike, so i can go out and spend even more $$$$$$

[HugeDuckFan]

My best colors from last year, green and silver "mackeral" and the hands down winner...blue and silver "sardine". 90, 110 and 135 gram side rocked. The 110 sardine was my favorite, busted a dozen tuna on one in about 30 minutes...then I lost it on the 13th fish. This year, I'll retie the leader after every couple fish. I didn't have near as much luck with the pink and white, or pink/blue and white but I know others swear by those colors.

We brought fish up from the deep, and turned stops into live bait shows, while I continued to jig.

Did I mention, I love the jig fishing?

[Paddler]

What do people think of Braid's Slammer jigs? They look good to me.

[Threemuch]

How do you guys attache the braid main line to the mono leader? I want to be able to change out leaders fast, so I was thinking uni-uni. How long a leader? What pound test?

I have caught alot of fish on "old school" iron like Salas, Tady, but kind of got away from it when swimbaits came on the scene. But getting hit on a fast retrieved iron is as much fun as live bait in my opinion.

My favorite color in old school iron was "scrambled egg" white, brown, yellow. I plan to buy or make some jigs in that color.

If you haven't yet, take a look at Eastern Tackle katanas. They have some jig packs that are a really good deal.

[HugeDuckFan]

Originally Posted by Threemuch

How do you guys attache the braid main line to the mono leader? I want to be able to change out leaders fast, so I was thinking uni-uni. How long a leader? What pound test?

I was using about a 10' 30# flourocarbon leader with a loop to loop connection. Zero fail rate and uber quick to change.

[Paddler]

Is it just me, or is $15-$25 for a butterfly jig too spendy?

[HugeDuckFan]

Originally Posted by Paddler

Is it just me, or is $15-$25 for a butterfly jig too spendy?

If you drop $600 on fuel chasing Charlie, is $15 worth it to catch fish that may not otherwise come up to bite?

They aren't cheap, that's true...but it's a great tool.

[Paddler]

I'm just wondering if they're worth it compared to the others on the market. Studies show that expensive placebos work better than cheap ones, purely due to expectations. People are strange that way, fishermen included. I think we need a double-blind, prospective study here.

I understand the argument, though. Hey, I own some Lucky Craft crankbaits (gift certificates), but mostly fish Rapalas.

My boat gets better mileage, too. A day of tuna fishing is under $100.

[cosmo]

Here's one to look at Paddler.....Williamson Vortex, about $10....pre-rigged with ball bearing swivel and assist hook.

[Nalu]

Originally Posted by Paddler

Is it just me, or is $15-$25 for a butterfly jig too spendy?

Too spendy? Compared to what? A jig half the price? How about one 1/3 the price? You can pour your own, paint it and spend even less.

You can go to Walmart or Fred Meyer in Newport and pick up a Braid jig for somewhere in the 1/2 to 1/3 price range.

I've seen Marty knock the heck out of tuna using Megabaits. I know that some people love Sumo's. The list goes on.

For me, I've tried many styles, and the only one that I have found to work consistently and with ease has been the Shimano ones. Perhaps it is just a confidence thing, but without a doubt, I have complete confidence that I can consistently, and repetitively hook fish.

Shimano jigs have been developed, tweaked, re-designed, and re-tweaked for performance. I happen to believe that someone that really knows what they are doing can probably fish just about anything iron and by using proper technique and with good skills make fish strike, but BF jigs take some of the effort out of it.

[Mark Mc]

Originally Posted by Paddler

Is it just me, or is $15-$25 for a butterfly jig too spendy?

I hear ya. You'd need a doctor's salary to afford them

[tomictime]

thwack.......that hurt.....it's not the salary, it's all the vices you can afford with it...spend less on any one widget, get more widgets...
i intend to have some, the last Iron I jigged were tady's in white and Green in SoCal, when I was commuting to work down there - fished off LB a few times is utter mid-week desperation.....

thx for the color advice

Mike, use that great cam and photog skills and shoot us some jig pics...thrwo them in the bathtub, so U can use the good underwater rig...

[Paddler]

I'm just asking. It's the same in any pursuit. Some goose hunters offer glowing testimonials for Dave Smith decoys. They should be good, at (are you kidding me?) $990/dozen. I kill limits over my 12-year-old G&H shells and silhouettes.

I don't mind spending money, so long as I get value for it. I just feel dumb paying too much for something.

[kraken33]

I have some jigs from ocean tackle international and they seem to be a good value. they come with good quality hooks and are still a bit less than the shimano jigs. check out their jigging rods while you are looking, I have a couple and they are top quality all the way.