Jig fishing???

[MicroFish]

I plan on attending the jig fishing clinic on Sat.
I know next to nothing--correction--I know NOTHING
about jig fishing except that a lot of guys catch a lot of fish that way. We are told to bring our rod & reel. My question is, what's the best reel
(casting or spinning), rod & line??? I'd hate to take the wrong outfit out there. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

[First Bite]

Micro

This is one of those questions where you'll get 10 different answers if you ask ten different people. There are a lot of good reels out there to choose from. First I'd ask you how much do you want to spend and then go from there. I've never used the high end reels so I can't comment on them but I imagine they're pretty nice. I like my Shimano Symetre spinning reels. They have a good dependable drag and have never failed me in years of heavy use. For bait casting reels I love my shimano Curado. Butter smooth drag and very dependable.

There are several good rods to choose from inluding some very good custom rod builders present on this site. My last three rods have been custom built and if you're in the market for a new rod, think about having a custom rod built. You can specify every component of the rod and this allows you to have a rod built for the type of fishing you'll be doing.

Line preference is another topic that people feel very strong about. I like maxima ultragreen for mono line and Power Pro for braided line. These work for me but there are tons of other good lines to choose from. I'd suggest trying different lines and seeing which one you like the best.

Mark

[DanS]

My suggestion:

If you have a spinning reel, bring it.
If you don't, you can fish jigs adequately without one.
If you dig it, and decide to spend more time jig fishing, THEN go shopping for a float rod/reel combo.

I'm sure you'll see how it's done with either one if you go to the clinic. :grin:

Line: Like Mark said, your preference.....should be in the 6-10 lb. test class (or the braided equivalent).

[ 05-12-2002, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: DanS ]

[MicroFish]

Thanx for the reply, Mark.
I don't own a spinning reel but I do have an Ambassadeur 521XLT Plus that I think might work.
It has a thumbar spool release feature that makes
casting pretty easy. Are you acquainted with this particular reel? Will it be OK? If not, I can pick up a spinning reel. FM has a Cardinal on sale now for $22.88--also a Shakespeare Catera
for $28.88. Oh wait--Big 5 has the Catera for $24.99. Would these spinning reels be satisfactory---I mean, would they handle a 21# steelie? :smile:

[First Bite]

Micro

Any reel that has a reliable consistent drag should work for steelhead. I'm not familiar with the reel you're talking about but bring it to the clinic and we'll see how it works for jigs.

Mark

[fishbane]

Hi Mark,
I hope you do another one soon. I have a Halibut trip booked for Sat. I would certainly attend in the future.

[Paddlefish]

Oh, and size matters.

I think most of those who've commented on reel and line details would agree that a long rod makes slack line management, hook setting, and casting with a fixed-position float easier than a shorter version stick. I think nine feet is nice, though shorter will work. It might also matter whether you're planning on specializing on the Deschutes or on Brushy Crick. A lot of the British Columbia float fishermen, where floats have been a standard almost forever, use 10 or 11 feet of rod.