[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 2][#002850]My vertical jigging experience is limited to Bear Lake for macks, Flaming Gorge for macks, and the Berry for cuts.
I have discovered that MY technique is very different for each place. On Bear Lake, the mack bite is quite obvious and the hook set must be quick. On the Gorge, the bite is not nearly so obvious and the hook set must be even quicker.
BUT ... the Berry ... for me my technique is quite different. Let me explain: Last year I discovered two things at the Berry: 1) the bite is EXTREMELY light. Just a tiny tiny "tick". and 2) I found that if I tried to set the hook every time I felt that tiny "tick", I would mis hookups 75% of the time. I decided to, rather than a quick hook set, I would "give it to them" first THEN set the hook. In other words, as soon as I felt that tiny "tick", I would let my line go slack for about one second and then set the hook. My catch rate jumped markedly. Now, I only mis 10-15 percent of my attempts.
I am just wondering if any of you Berry beaters have experienced the same thing.
Yea, I've been accused of "over analyzing" fishing stuff too much but I can't help it. I get a kick out of reading your replies and learning from your experiences and knowledge.
Do you have a jigging technique that is a little different that works for you? At the Berry or anywhere else? I'd be interested in reading it. Also, any comments on how I jig at the Berry?
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Fantastic post, coot!
I'd like to hear everyone's response to this. I'm always willing to learn new jigging techniques as well.
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Great imfo, we never jig and its not because we don't like it but never had too jig for fish. That is probably my last choice to fish with. Would like to try it but don't really know how.
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Too often if I give them slack at The Berry the fish swallows the jig too far. I prefer to lift slowly and if I feel weight to set the hook. My biggest challenge is to remember to just snap my wrist (rather than jerking with my entire arm) at Strawberry; whereas, at Bear Lake if one just snaps their wrist too often the hook will not stick in the roof of those hard-roofed macks up there.
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PS -- also as mgb has proven to me many times, if one misses the bite on the hookset at Strawberry quickly reel in your slack line and get ready for another hit. At Bear Lake it is often more effective to drop the jig back down to the bottom.
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[quote kentofnsl], at Bear Lake if one just snaps their wrist too often the hook will not stick in the roof of those hard-roofed macks up there.[/quote]
You would be surprised what a flip of the wrist will do on a roof of a macks mouth
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Question about vertical jigging. What type of jigs work the best at Strawberry and what colors? Also how deep should i let it go rite now?
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I do this. I lift up slow to try to get them to take it,If they don't slam the bait I will take it away really quick and lift the rod to 11:00 o'clock and let it fall quick to the bottom,I watch the line to see if they grab it on the fall if the line stops before I think it should I real in the slack and set the hook,This has worked every time I have jigged up there.for some reason they like the bait freefalling to the bottom.I don't know how many times we have been dropping the bait to the bottom and the fish grabs it before it even gets there.
If you see fish working the surface in the morning,cast the jig to the spot they just rolled,just let it freefall if they don't hit it start to reel in and pop the jig every few cranks and let it fall again right after a pop.just for a second and reel and pop and drop.
almost all the fish I catch I am dead sticking the jig until the fish gets a taste of the chub minnow and then I am trying to get a reaction strike.I also think white and pearl are getting used to much and the bigger fish are getting educated to them,try different colors browns and golds have outfished white and pearl colors more than one time.
Thats my two cents on jigging at strawberry.
If you want to meet up there some time I will show you a few other techniques if your just not catching them vertical.I will be going back up around the 24th,not sure which day but I will be there one of the four days I am taking off?I know the jig master MGB will also be up there some time around that date.Maybe he will chime in?
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]Tight Lines
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Perhaps all snaps of the wrist aren't created equal.
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[quote fishinfool]I do this. I lift up slow to try to get them to take it,If they don't slam the bait I will take it away really quick and lift the rod to 11:00 o'clock and let it fall quick to the bottom,I watch the line to see if they grab it on the fall if the line stops before I think it should I real in the slack and set the hook,This has worked every time I have jigged up there.for some reason they like the bait freefalling to the bottom.I don't know how many times we have been dropping the bait to the bottom and the fish grabs it before it even gets there.
If you see fish working the surface in the morning,cast the jig to the spot they just rolled,just let it freefall if they don't hit it start to reel in and pop the jig every few cranks and let it fall again right after a pop.just for a second and reel and pop and drop.
almost all the fish I catch I am dead sticking the jig until the fish gets a taste of the chub minnow and then I am trying to get a reaction strike.I also think white and pearl are getting used to much and the bigger fish are getting educated to them,try different colors browns and golds have outfished white and pearl colors more than one time.
Thats my two cents on jigging at strawberry.
If you want to meet up there some time I will show you a few other techniques if your just not catching them vertical.I will be going back up around the 24th,not sure which day but I will be there one of the four days I am taking off?I know the jig master MGB will also be up there some time around that date.Maybe he will chime in?
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]Tight Lines[/quote]
Thanks^^^, what type of jig are you using? Tube jig? I have white jigs with feathers, lol. Will these work? Pretty new to jigging for trout. Also where do i get chub minnows? Do i catch em myself?
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My experience (although those who fished with me last Saturday justifiably figure I have no idea what I am doing up there -- and they would definitely be correct for at least that trip) is that ,for example, if the fish are holding at 25' down in 35' of water, often i can move to 25' of water and find them on the bottom. It is easier to catch fish if they are holding the bottom, because one can just quickly drop the jig to the bottom. Otherwise, I just watch my jig and fish on the fishfinder and drop to them, or figure out how far to reel up to them or look at my line counter (which I have on a few of my reels). I switch around some trying different colors; however, the color that seems to work most often are various shades of white. From now until it begins to cool some, except for really early and late when they can be found in really shallow water, most of the day they will be in water from about 30 to 45' deep with them moving deeper in the heat of the day.
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[quote prodigy1290][quote fishinfool]I do this. I lift up slow to try to get them to take it,If they don't slam the bait I will take it away really quick and lift the rod to 11:00 o'clock and let it fall quick to the bottom,I watch the line to see if they grab it on the fall if the line stops before I think it should I real in the slack and set the hook,This has worked every time I have jigged up there.for some reason they like the bait freefalling to the bottom.I don't know how many times we have been dropping the bait to the bottom and the fish grabs it before it even gets there.
If you see fish working the surface in the morning,cast the jig to the spot they just rolled,just let it freefall if they don't hit it start to reel in and pop the jig every few cranks and let it fall again right after a pop.just for a second and reel and pop and drop.
almost all the fish I catch I am dead sticking the jig until the fish gets a taste of the chub minnow and then I am trying to get a reaction strike.I also think white and pearl are getting used to much and the bigger fish are getting educated to them,try different colors browns and golds have outfished white and pearl colors more than one time.
Thats my two cents on jigging at strawberry.
If you want to meet up there some time I will show you a few other techniques if your just not catching them vertical.I will be going back up around the 24th,not sure which day but I will be there one of the four days I am taking off?I know the jig master MGB will also be up there some time around that date.Maybe he will chime in?
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]Tight Lines[/quote]
Thanks^^^, what type of jig are you using? Tube jig? I have white jigs with feathers, lol. Will these work? Pretty new to jigging for trout. Also where do i get chub minnows? Do i catch em myself?[/quote]
I use tube jigs with a 1/8 once jig head,wide gap hook,less swallows and dead fish when there not in the slot.I also use a 1/16th when I want it to fall slow when casting or drifting.you can find some jig heads with lighter wieght heads with big hooks if you search around a bit.
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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Utah_Fishing_Forum_C55/gforum.cgi?post=281895;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]Vertical Jigging at Da' Berry[/url]
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i do something completely differnt. i go small. instead of big jigs with a minnow i use a rat finky or a litle tuff guy below a atractor spoon aka catsmaster with out hook. tipped with a mealy. find a stack and drop. just hold the jig right off the bottom. lift 2 or 3 inches very slowley. when tip bends just a tiny bit set. ice indacators would be deadly. how many of this do you think they have seen i 4 months? none. how many of you pound the fish ice fishing this way? hmmmm something to think about. ken
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Good post Ralph,
And I really can't add much that hasn't already been mentioned, except for one thing, and it is arguable.
Fluorocarbon leader. About 3 feet of it.
Although I cannot say that any test I have ever done was scientific or conclusive, I can and will say that when jigging at Strawberry (or other lakes), the poles with fluorocarbon leader WAY OUTFISH the poles without.
I use 8 lb. P-Line. My favorite outfit is 3 feet of fluorocarbon leader tied onto 14 lb. Fireline (either tied on directly, or with a swivel), on a medium pole, with the drag LOCKED DOWN TIGHT.
'Coot and BC witnessed me missing a fish one day when I set the hook and all I heard was zinging drag, and the fish got away. I had loosened the drag earlier while retying and forgot to retighten it! If you want to use the drag once the fish is hooked, that is fine, but you can't hook em with the drag loose.
Randy
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Quote:I use 8 lb. P-Line. My favorite outfit is 3 feet of fluorocarbon leader tied onto 14 lb. Fireline...with the drag LOCKED DOWN TIGHT.
14 lb? Locked-down drag? That's awfully stout for Strawberry. Or anywhere in Utah for that matter.
What's the reasoning for going so heavy?
Jes' curious. [
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14 lb Fireline (braid) is just as thin as 6 lb. mono...but with no stretch. You can feel every little tap. Sometimes using 6 or 8 lb. mono you can't feel the subtle taps.
I DO NOT recommend 14 lb. mono! I should have emphasized this.
You don't need it for the strength, just for the non-stretch and the sensitivity.
I also use 6 lb. Fireline, when ice fishing, but it is actually too thin and cut's into itself on the spool. The 14 lb. Fireline is just about right.
On the drag, if you want to loosen it AFTER you've hooked the fish, that's fine. Just make sure it isn't loose while you set the hook.
Randy
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Interesting. I buy the logic. Although I
think I feel taps with my Trilene just fine as is.
I really like my Trilene, so until Dukman on the "Line Color" post can post-up some links showing the invisibility of F/C, I'm not gonna change.
But I'll tell you what will change: On the off-chance that F/C is actually invisible, I'm gonna start using F/C leader with a Surgeon's Knot to attach it to the main line.
Good idea, man. Give yourself the day off to go fishing.[
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[quote N.E.T.O.]On the drag, if you want to loosen it AFTER you've hooked the fish, that's fine. Just make sure it isn't loose while you set the hook.
Randy[/quote]
IMNSHO - Randy, if you happen to hook a fish of a life-time at Strawberry or somewhere else you have a good chance of having it break off before you can loosen the drag quickly enough. It is Ok for the drag to slip some while sitting the hook, just not Ok if it is so loose that it spins freely. At least that is the way that I see it.
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Bump and tick. Bump and tick. I always keep in contact with the bottom. Bounce the jig on the bottom, lift 6 to 20 inches off the bottom and use light ticks with your rod a few times and then back to the bottom. Vary the amount of jigs in between the bottom bounces. I do from 1 to 10 jigs but always drop back to the bottom for more bouncing. It is very effective on all species of trout.
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