AVET MXJ w/5.8 gear ratio

[Marlinmate]

So for fathers day, wife says get a reel you want. Ordered a MXJ with 5.8 gear ratio.

I put on Daiwa Saltiga 55lb. multi-color boat braid.

What do i do next?

Top Shot? Lb. test? length? knots/connections etc....

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Bert Rodgers]

So for fathers day, wife says get a reel you want. Ordered a MXJ with 5.8 gear ratio.

I put on Daiwa Saltiga 55lb. multi-color boat braid.

What do i do next?

Top Shot? Lb. test? length? knots/connections etc....

Thanks in advance for the help.

Gmans intro to Vertical jigging

Gmans thread has a ton of invaluable info.

Bert

[Sea Draggin]

What do i do next?

Top Shot? Lb. test? length? knots/connections etc....

Bimini in the 55lb braid. You can do a very small one, so it is streamlined.

As a general rule I am using 100lb jinkai windons for everyday use, unless I'm chasing tuna then I use 100lb seagar windons. Loop to loop connection with the bimini.

Connecting to the solid ring on the jig I use a uni knot with the hook oriented outward away from the jig. Stiff rigged hooks will allow you to do this.


Hook Oriented outward





Correct Loop to Loop connection is symmetrical. Incorrect has one side flipped back over.

[Marlinmate]

Thanks Sea Draggin.

How long are your Windons?

I guess what I'm curious about is this. If the 55lb braid (which is color coded every 10m) is buried by 100yds of windon, what good does the color coding do? Unless I'm jigging in 300 ft+ of water I wouldn't ever see the colored line.

[Sea Draggin]

Windons are not like top shots, only about 20' long total. Just enough to give you some abrasion resistance. Braid is actual pretty week when it gets rubbed on the bottom.

[coores14]

it will obviously depend on what you're targeting. for tuna of the yellow or blue variety, the 100lb leader might be needed. However, here in KW, I'd rarely use that. For vertical jigging, we tend to just go with your favorite braid to leader connection, a 4-6 foot length of fluoro in the 40-60lb range, and then your jig. works great for most anything down here....muttons, grouper, blackfin tuna, mahi, AJ's, etc...if targeting monster AJ's over a high relief wreck, maybe then step up the leader size.

didn't the mxj come spooled with a topshot? or was it a backing that I remember you saying?

[Nauti Natured]

Great info Jim ... that was the first I had heard about orienting the hook outward. I imagine that would stop the annoyance of the hook getting hooked around the jig on the way up .... dirves me nuts!

Regarding the color coded braid .... does anyone really actually count the colors for depth on the way down? Sounds great but I have never actually seen anyone do this.

[Bert Rodgers]

So Jim, you have no swivel anywhere on the rig? Any twist issues?


Bert

[Sea Draggin]

So Jim, you have no swivel anywhere on the rig? Any twist issues?


Bert

I fish conventionals, which do not have that issue. So its right for half the folks. If your fishing spinners, you might want to right it differently.

If you take a pair of dikes, you can cut the solid ring off my hooks, pull off the top piece of shrink wrap and re-rig on the swivel of your choice.

I'm just board enough this weekend to do a picture instruction sheet.

[Jared D]

So Jim, you have no swivel anywhere on the rig? Any twist issues?


Bert

I have some jigs that have swivels built in, but then, I have most that do not. I have noticed the same amount of twisting with the swivel as with out (granted, I don't use ball bearing swivels which would do better).

Like Sea Draggin, I also use conventional tackle. I fished w an ET sardine for many many hours last week, and only at the very end of the day, did the line start to appear to have some mild twisting. Fixing it is no problem. Just cut the jig off, and freespool ~100 feet of line out into the current or as your moving between spots.

Let it untwist for about 20-30 seconds, then reel it back on. No more twist issues.