question about jigging the canal

[jmonte45]

First and foremost, you have to have the gear. I throw a 10' 1209 rainshadow custom rod, and have a shimano sustain 8000 on it, lined with braid of course. I usually throw 5 oz of lead, very rarely less than that unless the current is moving slow at the beginning or end of a switch. Obviously, throw it as far as you can, and I usually leave the bail open for 4-6 seconds after it hits the water(also depending on the current). Hold your rod tip up, always have my finger on the line, and once you feel the bottom (watch your rod tip to verify) then start jigging. If at any point you no longer feel the bottom, open the bail for a bit, once you feel the bottom again, start jigging. When your drift is done, reel you line in very fast to avoid getting caught up on the retrieve. I have been fishing the canal for about 3 or 4 years now, and have had good success doing it. It comes easier with practice only, can't stress how much time you have to put in, I fish the canal atleast 3 times a week for hours at a time (including a lot of all-nighters), but the one thing I have to stress, is if you are not on the bottom, it just won't work. Good luck, hopefully it helped, but I am sure a lot of other guys could help as well, as I still consider myself a rookie to it.

[Flaptail]

Veteran canal jigsters ( those before the gorilla jigging craze currently in vogue at the east end and no disrepect but it's not my cup of tea) carried an assortment of jiggery with them from 1oz to 4oz mostly employing 2 and 3 oz jigs. I still go with what I was taught back then and find 2oz and 3 or 3.5's the most effective.

This past few sets of tides I have done well with fish up to 33 pounds ( which was taken on a 2oz jig) this past set over the weekend Stiffy, Sauerkraut and I accounted for near 30 bass on jigs Friday (Sauerkraut) Saturday ( me and Stiffy) and another 15 or so on plugs.

I start with 1.5oz as soon as the tide starts to creep and rarely cast more than 100 to 150 feet from the position I am standing in and don't lead up to any degree as the jig finds bottom quickly. As the tidal flow increases I go to 2oz jigs and when it really gets moving 3's and 3.5's with a 45 degree up current cast. As soon as the jig hits the water ( Now I am really booming it out there) I let the spool run ten yards or so over and then engage the clutch ( I use a Shimano Tekota 600 (casts insane for distance)and a Quantum 40pt conventional both with 50 lb STEALTH on ten foot JK Fisher blanks) With real engaged I wait for the tell tale taps of the jig on the bottom and slowly raise the rod tip and start the rythym jiggging, as soon as the jig starts to slightly swing towards the banks direction I let 30 yards of line go in free spool, re-engage and continue jigging till parralel with the shore.

A properly presented 3.5 oz jig will get you as many fish as any heavier jig and is not as straining on gear. You do not need a bendless telephone pole stiff rod and 80 pound braid. You supposed to enjoy it ( the fight) and this gives the fish a little more in fairnees as well as I see it.

Sunday I had 18 fish, twelve came on the jig and the biggest fell for the lightest jigs. I use 6 inch white sluggos instead of porkrind. At night I would way more rather use a eelskin jig than anything else. Same weights. Strangely, purple 50-s porkrind on a skin jig helps.

Hope that helps.