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/ 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
