Overpriced jigs

Started by the rockfish ninja, May 31, 2021, 01:30:55 PM

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the rockfish ninja

I'm usually not the expensive gear person, until I picked up SPJ ::), even then I have been doing most of my damage to the rockfish population with cheapies that I don't mind losing to the reef. But on this trip I dropped one of my overpriced Japan made pieces, and even though I was a little paranoid dropping to the bottom, it really put me on a consistent catch of good size fish.

Before...

6lb Bolinas


... after



Gear:Accurate Valiant 500n
       Yamaga Blanks 62/4
       SFC Cranky 260g



Alas  :'( , after limiting on big fish I did eventually lose my jig to the granite groupers .....  but now it's time to go lure shopping ;D
Deadly Sebastes assassin.

Rancanfish

I have a bucket full of jigs that I bought used for $30.  And I have some copper pipe jigs that were free.  But it still drives me crazy to lose one lol.  Because invariably you were hammering the rockies/lings just before you hung up.  I bought a pack of the trebles that Alan Tani suggested that will bend out if they get hung up supposedly.

By the way, what is that that looks like folded bread?
I woke today and suddenly nothing happened.

Hardy Boy

I make most of my own jigs and when commercial ones I like go on sale I buy a bunch. I have enough jigs to last a few years but funny ........................... how a guy always needs more !! The one working the best is always the type you have the least amount of.


Cheers:

Todd
Todd

MarkT

No one ever said it was a cheap hobby! A lot of tackle is designed to catch fishermen as much as fish.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

steelfish

nice catch amigo, looks like a fun size to be caught on SPJ rod
The Baja Guy

the rockfish ninja

Quote from: Rancanfish on May 31, 2021, 08:58:16 PM
I bought a pack of the trebles that Alan Tani suggested that will bend out if they get hung up supposedly.

By the way, what is that that looks like folded bread?

I only use single assist hooks, I still get hung up but not like trebles.

That's homemade Greek pita, it makes the store bought version seem like cardboard.
(I didn't make it though)
Deadly Sebastes assassin.

Benni3


jurelometer

Quote from: the rockfish ninja on June 01, 2021, 12:20:01 AM
Quote from: Rancanfish on May 31, 2021, 08:58:16 PM
I bought a pack of the trebles that Alan Tani suggested that will bend out if they get hung up supposedly.

By the way, what is that that looks like folded bread?

I only use single assist hooks, I still get hung up but not like trebles.

That's homemade Greek pita, it makes the store bought version seem like cardboard.
(I didn't make it though)

I see you have an assist hook rigged on the bottom of the jig.  For vertical jigging, I usually only rig with a single top assist hook.  The  snag rate goes way down.  Those flatfalls land flat on the rocks, and when  you lift the jig, the top hook gets lifted mostly upward right away, but the bottom hook tends to be dragged horizontally with the drift for a bit before it clears, making it much more snaggy, especially because the hook trails the jig on the assist cord like setting an anchor.   

Catch plenty of different species  (rockfish too)  with just a top hook, but I don't use a bottom hook much at all, so I don't know if I missing out on some bonus bites.  I mainly use a bottom hook on vertical jigs  for jumpers and head shakers (like dorado) that can really fling the jig around if hooked on a top assist hook.

Curious as to what your experience is with top only hooks.

-J


JasonGotaProblem

Nice fish.

It seems, based purely on the experiences of an idiot (specifically myself), that my fancier lures don't do a dang thing for me. The cheaper a jig the more likely it is to have caught fish for me. I have some truly gorgeous Yo-zuri lures that I bought super cheap from a store closing sale. Looking at them compared to some of my others I really thought they'd be winners. But to date I haven't caught a single thing besides branch snags on any of them. But some $2/doz soft plastics will keep my drag warm. So I just dont use them anymore. I keep them on the top rack of tackle box, where I can see them. Because clearly they were designed to look cool, to me. so i might as well use them as intended, and just look at them.
Any machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

the rockfish ninja

Quote from: jurelometer on June 01, 2021, 07:09:06 AM
Quote from: the rockfish ninja on June 01, 2021, 12:20:01 AM
Quote from: Rancanfish on May 31, 2021, 08:58:16 PM
I bought a pack of the trebles that Alan Tani suggested that will bend out if they get hung up supposedly.

By the way, what is that that looks like folded bread?

I only use single assist hooks, I still get hung up but not like trebles.

That's homemade Greek pita, it makes the store bought version seem like cardboard.
(I didn't make it though)

I see you have an assist hook rigged on the bottom of the jig.  For vertical jigging, I usually only rig with a single top assist hook.  The  snag rate goes way down.  Those flatfalls land flat on the rocks, and when  you lift the jig, the top hook gets lifted mostly upward right away, but the bottom hook tends to be dragged horizontally with the drift for a bit before it clears, making it much more snaggy, especially because the hook trails the jig on the assist cord like setting an anchor.   

Catch plenty of different species  (rockfish too)  with just a top hook, but I don't use a bottom hook much at all, so I don't know if I missing out on some bonus bites.  I mainly use a bottom hook on vertical jigs  for jumpers and head shakers (like dorado) that can really fling the jig around if hooked on a top assist hook.

Curious as to what your experience is with top only hooks.

-J



Good question, I use 2 hooks (head/tail) and my hookup rate is about 70/30, although I have noticed that my bigger RF usually bit the top hook. I've experimented with all the configurations, 2-head, 2-tail, 1-head, & head/tail which gets me the most hookups. It's also what the Japanese anglers who developed this technique that I learned from stick with. If my ratio changes to warrant top hooks only I might consider it but because all my Lingcod bites were bottom hookups I'm hesitant.

TBH I already know some of the factors that have lost me jigs.

-Getting bit by a bigger fish too close to the bottom and not being fast enough to stop them from getting back in the rocks.

-Split ring failure.

-Getting greedy with vertical time. When slow jigging from a free drift the wind & current can cut down on the vertical time per drop. The method is to jig from the bow of the boat, cast up current so by the time the slow descending flat fall gets to the bottom you're almost vertical. This gives you some time to go thru some jigging motions and re-drop if you crank out of the strike zone. I can safely say that almost all of my non-bite snags came when I tried to re-drop to the bottom after my line was at an angle under the boat, past the window of vertical time, where I should have just reeled up and re-cast. I can't recall getting snagged much on the initial drop by comparison.


There's that and I just have to be more aware as a jig angler, between keeping track of fish count, species count, drift conditions, jig choice for the conditions, pitching the jig, steering clear of the angler next to you, sometimes you can get distracted or lose focus.

.... and ultimately .... losing jigs is just gonna happen :P
Good thing my cheapos get bit just as much as the pricey ones ;).
Deadly Sebastes assassin.

the rockfish ninja

Quote from: JasonGotaPenn on June 01, 2021, 01:42:00 PM
Nice fish.

It seems, based purely on the experiences of an idiot (specifically myself), that my fancier lures don't do a dang thing for me. The cheaper a jig the more likely it is to have caught fish for me. I have some truly gorgeous Yo-zuri lures that I bought super cheap from a store closing sale. Looking at them compared to some of my others I really thought they'd be winners. But to date I haven't caught a single thing besides branch snags on any of them. But some $2/doz soft plastics will keep my drag warm. So I just dont use them anymore. I keep them on the top rack of tackle box, where I can see them. Because clearly they were designed to look cool, to me. so i might as well use them as intended, and just look at them.

I know, been there with that on casting lures in the past.

I have to admit on these jigs, they both have worked well for me almost equally. The pricey ones and the budget specials.

... and there's always the ones that rarely or never get bit, which I also have.

Deadly Sebastes assassin.

xaf

#11
I fished with a few of the best SPJ fishermen in Florida.  They all said that you can't be worried about losing a few jigs.  If you are you shouldn't be slow pitch jigging.  (and by the way they all lost a few jigs to cut offs, the bottom, etc.)

the rockfish ninja

Quote from: xaf on June 02, 2021, 03:56:26 AM
I fished with a few of the best SPJ fishermen in Florida.  They all said that if you can't be worried about losing a few jigs.  If you are you shouldn't be slow pitch jigging.  (and by the way they all lost a few jigs to cut offs, the bottom, etc.)

Yea I know Benny Ortiz from another forum, those guys have money to burn and jig collections beyond most comprehension. I've networked with him and other expert SPJ anglers from other places in the world over the past few seasons of learning.

Luckily I have a leg up on some cause I have a source down in SoCal that blows JM jigs out at a stupid low price and they actually outperform a lot of my pricier jigs.

You're right, SPJ isn't a poor man's method, quality rods, jigging reels, & jigs can run high, but knowing what I know now, I can safely say it all can be done effectively on a budget if you know what works.
Deadly Sebastes assassin.

coralsea

#13
Try  Shimano Flatfall :)
no pain-no gain

Ron Jones

Granite Groupers!!! LOLLLLLL
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"