Gmans intro to Vertical jigging

[gottaflylee]

Gman,

I loved your series on vertical jigging. I've got a boat, but it's only 18', and it doesn't like to go past Long Island Sound. (Sometimes, it doesn't even want to go into the Sound. The boat's afraid. Not me. Really.) Anyway, do you have suggestions on how I can use some or all of your style to work the skinnier water that my boat prefers (maybe to a maximum mid-Sound depth of about 120 feet, but also much shallower at times)? I tried your method as is (without success, but I'm sure that's all my fault), but I think it may have to be scaled back somewhat for my application. Also, I would think I'd primarily be going after stripers, bluefish, and the like (not a lot of 300 pound, 30 mph tuna where my boat will go. Maybe that's what it's afraid of ...) Thanks for any help you can offer.

My 2 cents on you question, I have done a bunch in 50 to 80' of water. What I have found that works for mew is to down size everything. Most of the time it is 40 to 80 pound leader, 20 to 30 pound line, no more that 56 gram jigs, I prefer the narrower jigs more that the wider for the shallower water.. I fish for groupers, triggers, BSB and Flounder for the most part.

Inshore or as I like to call it, Near Shore this is what I find works best for me, you will need to figure out what works best for you, but keep it simple and this should be a good starting point for you.

[Bert Rodgers]

Gman,

I loved your series on vertical jigging. I've got a boat, but it's only 18', and it doesn't like to go past Long Island Sound. (Sometimes, it doesn't even want to go into the Sound. The boat's afraid. Not me. Really.) Anyway, do you have suggestions on how I can use some or all of your style to work the skinnier water that my boat prefers (maybe to a maximum mid-Sound depth of about 120 feet, but also much shallower at times)? I tried your method as is (without success, but I'm sure that's all my fault), but I think it may have to be scaled back somewhat for my application. Also, I would think I'd primarily be going after stripers, bluefish, and the like (not a lot of 300 pound, 30 mph tuna where my boat will go. Maybe that's what it's afraid of ...) Thanks for any help you can offer.

In the Chesapeake we jig for rock and trout (stripers and weakies to you guys) a lot.
Bass Assasins with 1/2oz to 3 oz heads depending on current and depth. We also use
metal jigs (especially when bluefish show up), sting silvers are very popular. No doubt butterfly style jigs will jigs work too. It's done yo yo style more than verticle retrieve.
Mark the fish and drop the jig, you'll get bit.

Bert

[mtlay]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Now I just have to get back out on the water (I tried jigging for tuna in my back yard too, but I kept getting that stuff in the little round cans!)