Looks like the new PENN Slow-Pitch reels are starting to hit the stores now, and the rods should be there by the end of next month. This nice lingcod was caught onboard one of Alan's favorite boats, the "California Dawn" out of Berkeley, using the new Battalion 250gr. rod and Fathom FTH10XNLD reel, on a Williamson 200gr. Koika jig along the Marin County coastline.
Sweet Ling. It took a while for slow pitch to get to the USA. Friends in Asia have been using this technique for years. Glad it's finally here.
The key Slow-Pitch becoming popular on the west coast, will be the ability to get beautiful reds like this in 300 feet of water, using light "sporting" tackle.
Wow, that sized fish caught have not been seen in years.
Here is a side by side size comparison.
The well-known 25N on the lower right, and the 15XN next to it.
Top row is the 8XN on the left, and 10XN on the right.
does anyone knows why the eva "hump" grip is at the middle of the split grip (check the first picture on the 1st post) and at the 3rd post in the picture that same "middle grip" is now at the bottom near to the rear grip?
does the rod has a sliding the rear handle /split grip ?
I think it is 2 different sticks ......
1st photo is a conventional rod and reel and second is a spinning reel outfit.
Quote from: sabaman1 on September 30, 2021, 06:22:39 AM
1st photo is a conventional rod and reel and second is a spinning reel outfit.
:o :o how I missed that !!
well, that explains all, thanks
Steve, that is a huge red!!! :o Did you get a chance to weigh it? I picked up slow pitch jigging for mainly rockfish down here in San diego area earlier this
year and will be using the technique more now as winter approaches. Will be trying it on structure bass and sculpin when rockfish closes in December.
Also which outfit do you prefer?
Thanks for sharing your pics!
Jim
Also interested in learning from any slow-pitch jig masters here.
What gear ratio is best, and what rod characteristics are desirable? I would love to build a slow-pitch jig rod in my bomb-shelter workshop.
Nick
Crap. I have resisted the Fathom bug thus far, but now looking a 15 CS. Can't resist. And Imma have to have one er them 8's. Looks like as close as we'll ever get to a high-speed Squidder XN Magnum.
That 8 does look nice.
I'm still not certain what exactly constitutes "slow pitch." I've been bouncing jigs off the bottom as slowly as I could since I was like 6, what is so new?
The Man
A guy named Kaz Otsubo wrote a good breakdown on an NZ SPJ site recently:
Hey folks, I thought some of you may find this topic interesting, so I've decided to share my own summary of a few different jigging styles including our favourite Slow Pitch Jigging (SPJ), some variations of SPJ, plus other fishing styles that are similar or some people think are similar to or are the same as SPJ.
*** Slow Pitch Jigging (SPJ) ***
SPJ is all about falling actions which imitate dead/wounded bait fish, the prime target for many larger species. Imagine you are hunting for food. You see bait swimming away from you and another bait wounded that can't really swim.
You know which one to go after. I know it sounds a bit cruel but that's the reality and you see it everywhere in wildlife. Because of this characteristic, SPJ is super effective, and allows you to target a variety of species in many different conditions. It is vertical fishing, so you need a certain depth to do it properly. My preference is to fish using SPJ in 40m+ with 130g+ jigs.
SPJ needs some techniques to make the jig flutter down so you need some practice first, but it is a much slower action than fast/mechanical jigging so once you get a hang of it, it will be easier for your body and you can literally fish all day.
Over the years, SPJ has evolved, and it is still evolving so it is no longer just "pitch and fall" but the basic actions and theory are the same. It is all about how you create enticing falling actions.
If you want to learn the basics, this is probably still the best site (in English) -> https://www.anglers-secrets.com/ (https://www.anglers-secrets.com/)
But as I mentioned above, SPJ has been evolving and many new techniques and gear have been developed not only in Japan but also in countries like Australia, USA, South East Asia and Middle East where SPJ is a popular fishing style.
*** Slow Jigging ***
This is what many people still think is part of SPJ or is SPJ. Slow Jigging is mainly Kabura/Tai rubber style jigging and Inchiku jigging and has no similarity to the SPJ style, apart from its name.
FYI - this could be more confusing but in Japan SPJ is often called Slow Jigging, and Slow Jigging is called Tai Rubber fishing and Inchiku fishing. Anyway, our Slow Jigging is simple as many of you know so no further explanation is needed (I guess, I hope).
*** Power Slow Jigging ***
SPJ normally utilises relatively light gear, ie PE 1.5-2.5. But in recent years, because of the effectiveness of SPJ, people started applying the SPJ method for targeting larger species such as 20kg+ kingfish and tuna.
It is still SPJ but you are now fishing with PE 3.0-4.0 gear instead. This heavy style often works well for targeting Hauraki Gulf kingfish too. Unlike the traditional SPJ, you can power lift the rod to fight (with the right gear of course). They may not be 20kg+ but you will have less chance of losing the fish and the jig, particularly around the pin.
*** Deep Slow Jigging ***
Another version of SPJ. A typical gear set up is PE3.0-5.0 so it is similar to Power Slow Jigging but you are fishing in deep water (200m+) and the target species are bass, hapuka, bluenose, gemfish, etc.
You will need a bigger spool to hold enough lines and the jig weight can be 1kg depending on the depth and current. This style is still new to many of us in NZ but it is one of the most popular fishing styles in some other countries and we see more specialised jigs, rods and reels are becoming available in the market.
*** Super Light Jigging (SLJ) ***
A light version of SPJ. The jig weight is between 30g-100g, PE1.0-2.0 with either spin or overhead reel. With the spin set up, you can fish in shallow areas as you cast the jig wide. The jig profile is small which can be deadly when the fish is feeding on small bait or when they are not active.
The term, SLJ, may be new to you. Its already been popular in Japan and they distinguish between SLJ and Micro Jigging by the jig weight (SLJ = 30g-100g and Micro Jigging = 20g or less).
*** Micro Jigging ***
As above. A typical set up is PE1.0 or less on a light spin gear.
*** Mechanical (Fast) Jigging ***
The most traditional jigging style for kingfish and it is still very popular method. While SPJ imitates dead/wounded bait, Mechanical Jigging imitates fast-moving bait. It often wakes Kingfish up and they go mental. However, its fast and powerful jerking actions require a lot of energy and fitness.
Hope that's of some interest!
Cheers Justin
Thank you Justin. Do all those methods involve pointing the rod at the fish and fighting it directly off the reel?
Power and Mech jigging are generally off the rod, whereas the others are (again generally) off the reel.
This shows their technique well (though I've never tried it - mech jigging's my thing):
- https://youtu.be/jC7aNCaJXtk (https://youtu.be/jC7aNCaJXtk)
I just watched this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGML52Oa8ek
Looks like how I've fished skampis since the 70s. One of the reason I like Sabers over the new super thin broom sticks is that they will let the lure swim. Getting hit on the drop has always been the norm.
Nikola showed me a rod designed to not fight a fish because it was cranked in with a reel, that doesn't seem like fishing.
I'm not talking bad about the technique, I'm sure there are details I am not aware of that make it unique; but my bottom line still holds true: Put some smashed lead with a hook on the bottom and catch fish. Everything else is designed to catch fisherman.
The Man
Whoa! Thanks Tunanorth, Justin and Ron. That's my thinking, go light for bottom fish, it's more fun. Why pump and crank up 2 - 4 Rockfish at a time(a West Coast thing in the US) with a pound plus of extra lead weight. It's more work than fun.
Quote from: Gfish on October 03, 2021, 04:31:29 PM
Whoa! Thanks Tunanorth, Justin and Ron. That's my thinking, go light for bottom fish, it's more fun. Why pump and crank up 2 - 4 Rockfish at a time(a West Coast thing in the US) with a pound plus of extra lead weight. It's more work than fun.
Alan figured that out...
Batteries!
I can definitely attest that it is a lot of fun hooking a large rockfish or the likes on light line with the slow pitch technique. Super bendo!!! :) 8)
Those pesky bluefin tuna keep stealing the spotlight, which has kept SPJ from becoming a super-popular thing for CA anglers.
If CA still allowed lingcod/rockfish take in Jan-Feb, it would no doubt become much more popular.
Each to his own.
What I've often wondered about is how do you keep the lure from "catching" the bottom?
When you drop it down, you touch the bottom and then work it up a bit from there, then drop it down again.
I tend to use treble hooks on my lures and they probably stick to the bottom 2/10 times when touching it so maybe a single or 2 singles would get fouled 1/10 times