Geared Up Publications

Jigging may be one of the oldest forms of fishing on the planet, but the new technique known as speed jigging is nothing like the jerk-and-drop we’re all used to.

          The first departure from the normal jigging motion is also the most dramatic—there is none of the sweep up/sweep down motion that we picture when we think of jigging. Rather, it’s a drop, then reel-and-pump motion. Your hands are not used as a pivot point and the rod should remain on more or less the same vertical plane as you do the reel-and-pump. Both port and starboard hands lift up and drop down at the same time, with the right hand (assuming you’re a rightie) setting the pace by turning the crank. And that pace should be as quick as possible. Part of the reason speed jigging works is because the jig’s darting motion triggers a reaction strike from predators, and if you try and do it slowly the fish will react with a yawn. That’s why dedicated speed jigging reels are made with massive gears, featuring outrageously fast retrieve ratios.

The left hand (supporting the rod) simply follows the same circular motion, at the same time as the right hand goes round and round. Since your left hand is supporting the rod, this causes it to lift vertically as opposed to pivoting on a diagonal axis, so the plane of the rod never goes above nine o’clock or below eight o’clock. Meanwhile, the rod butt is tucked into your arm pit; properly designed jigging rods have exceptionally long butts, for just this purpose.

Does this sound like a really weird way to “jig”? Sure does, and at first this technique will feel really clumsy. But after an hour or so you’ll get the hang of it. And you’ll know you’ve got it perfect when the tip of your rod loads and unloads as you crank. Even though the rod is parallel to the water, this motion will cause the tip to bend deeply, then spring back to shape—and this is a great deal of what gives the speed jig the erratic motion that triggers strikes.
          There’s a second unusual part of speed jigging: the equipment. Standard rods and reels simply can’t make the action happen the same way that gear designed specifically for this purpose does. You already know that speed counts, so it’s a given that the reels used for speed jigging must be fast. But also remember that speed jigging allows you to target extremely large fish with extremely light gear, which means they also need drags that are on par with true big-game reels like Tiagras or Internationals, and can be cranked up to put some serious heat on a fish. Narrow-spool versions (usually denoted by the “N” at the end of the model number) may also be advantageous, because they don’t require level-winding. When you’re putting every ounce of energy you have into turning the crank and holding the rod up, that’s a huge advantage. Of course, there’s also a down-side to this feature. Narrow-spool reels don’t have the line capacity of wider-spool reels, and when spooled with 80-lb. braid, a 16N, for example, will be pushing the limits if you’re fishing for big game in depths over 300’ or so. To make sure you don’t get spooled, if you plan to target large pelagics in deep water you may need to either opt for a larger reel or drop line size as a result.

          Rods are another important (imperative!) part of speed jigging. You need a one that’s incredibly light and strong, and just as importantly has a tip that’s very flexible. Enough so, in fact, that the weight of a jig puts a significant bend into the first foot of the rod. The middle and rear sections of the rod should grow progressively stiffer as you move aft, with enough overall lifting power down at the butt to crank up one of your outboards. The action throughout the rod also needs to be fast—unlike a rod used for vertical jigging, where a slow action is often advantageous.

When you combine the action of the rod, the crank-and-lift motion, the fast reel, and the shaped speed jig together, you get that quick darting, bobbing, weaving motion that activates predators. Added Bonus: when a fish takes the lure you’re always ready to set the hook no matter what stage of the jigging motion you happen to be in. In most scenarios, you won’t even have time to set the hook because the fish will smash the lure at high speed like a ton of bricks, doing the job for you.

          Any time you find predatory fish that are schooled and suspended, this is a killer tactic. Remember, tunas hanging just below a thermocline are a prime example. As an example, think of the thermocline—the point at which two layers of differing water temperatures meet—that forms in the inshore waters off the Mid Atlantic coast, somewhere between 60’ and 80’ down, in depths ranging from 100’ to 300’. Find a lump 20 to 50 miles off the beach within this depth range (think: Ham Bone, Hot Dog, Sausages), and you’ve got a fair chance of locating tunas. Look closely at that depth finder, as you hunt for the fish. You see that thermocline? Good. Now turn into the seas and set up a search… wait a sec. Look at those red arches, hanging at 85’. Yup, they’re tuna—get those jigs over the side, fast!

          For a more detailed examination of speed jigging, as well as other forms of jigging including meat jigging, yo-yoing, vertical jigging, and Butterfly jigging, check out Rudow's Guide to Modern Jigging!