Description
Fishing with long jigs for kingfish is a sport all of it’s own. Short, powerful jig rods are used to work the long jigs in an erratic motion called mechanical jigging. Salty Dancers are perfect for the job and come in an ideal selection of colours and weights.
How to Fish Long Jigs
Long jigs in the smaller sizes have caught many species, however it is kingfish that are the main target. Long jigs are also the lure of choice for chasing hapuku and bass. The reason is simple; the design of a long jig means it sinks very quickly, getting the lure into the strike zone rapidly. Then, the weighting of the lure means lots of action is imparted by the usual mechanical jigging method.
The tackle of choice is a short and powerful jig rod. It will usually be coupled to an overhead reel with an extra strong drag, such as one of the Maxel models. Some anglers prefer to use very heavy spin reels.
Typically the slow jig is attached with a split ring, leaving the assist hook attached directly to the trace. It is a strong connection. Split ring pliers are used to change the jig.
While the lure can be cranked back at speed to attract the kingfish, mechanical jigging is the preferred method. The basic action is to drop the rod tip while lifting the reel handle then lift the rod tip while dropping the handle. Done properly it is a smooth process that conserves energy and creates a very attractive action for kingfish.
The key is using a sounder to find the kingfish schools then keeping the lure close to the school on each drift.
The Salty Dancer long jig is available in five sizes from 100g to 300g in three popular colours. A lumo version is available in the sizes from 200-300g and they are ideal for jigging in deep water.
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