vertical jigging

[Samsonian]

Hi all,

      I rarely lose a fish but when it comes to vertical jigging my percentage of fish that come off it higher. Is this just something that I will have to deal with or are there ways to help this out. I have increased my treble hook size and I think that has helped.

Thanks

[Shad_Master]

You must be talking about fishing with a jigging spoon - I plan on giving this a try this year and will interested to see what kind of responses you get to this.  I have done a little bit of watching others do this and it seems to me that one key is to have a more limber rod than for general jig fishing, but I may be wrong.

[WRB]

Verticle jigging spoons. Use sharp good quality treble hooks like Owner, Gamakatsu or VMC. The rod is very important and you want a 6 1/2 to 7' medium fast action, not too stiff. Set the drag with a scale at about 2 to 3 lbs using 10 to 12 lb mono or fluor-hybrid line. I prefer white chicken feathered hooks like Owner size 2 for 1/2 to 3/4 ox structure spoons. Just lift and reel set and keep the line tight and rod loaded all the time.

WRB

note; remember to fizz your bass or slip a 8 oz torpedo weight in its mouth and lower the weight and bass back down to where you hook it, then retrieve the weight.

[Samsonian]

YES , I'm using jigging spoons. BPS XPS models. I can mark fish about 20-30 feet down . Water temp is 94. I never would have quessed they would be in that hot of water. I'll try a med. action rod and mono . Thanks

[Matt Fly]

I fish a few lakes that are timber filled, and I have started to change my trebles to a less quality hook.    Big bass are holding to the bends in the creeks right now, and those bends are loaded with lay downs and stumps.

  I lost numerous spoons deep this year already due to quality hooks.    By going cheaper, I can now muscle my spoon out of 30 ft of water .

I even drag a spoon right down the middle of a road bed  that produces on bottom.   For the most part, I fish them totally vertical.    I do try to set the boat up to drift, and will not use the trolling motor if I can get away with it.

I haven't lost any fish due to trebles being bent.    

Spooning is a lost art that can load a boat.  

Matt  

[Catt]

If I understand your question is how to stop losing bass once hooked on a jigging spoon?

The common mistake made with jigging spoons is not setting hook hard enough or straight up. Most spoon fishing is done at depths greater than 20' and that's a lot of line to move especially when you consider the stretch of mono.  Once you've set the hook keep tight line or the bass will use the weight of the spoon to throw it.

As for you observations of bass in water temperatures of 94 you must keep in mind this is surface temperatures not the actual temperature at 20-30'.

[Tokyo Tony]

you can also try using assist hooks, although I have yet to find cheap ones...

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20291&rid=&indexId=cat20291&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat20291&id=0018202

[Samsonian]

yes they come off after I hook them. Last Sunday I hooked 5 and lost 2 . Thats pretty much what happend the time before also. I'll try crossing their eyes next time I set the hook. It could be to much line stretch. those hooks look good, Would be harder to throw. l ready to go experiment now!

Thanks!

[Catt]

I use Xcalibur Tx3 rotating hooks on all baits with treble hooks and find them to be difficult far bass to throw.

They also hold in you finger quite well  :'(

[Zel]

I fish a lot with jigging spoons and blade baits. I agree with what Catt said about how to set the hook correctly in those depths. I tell people in my boat, when they are first trying jigging spoons, that you need to set the hook in those depths by raising the rod tip straight up and you need to hit it hard then reset the hook again and do it a third time just for good measure.

[jdw174]

YES , I'm using jigging spoons. BPS XPS models. I can mark fish about 20-30 feet down . Water temp is 94. I never would have quessed they would be in that hot of water. I'll try a med. action rod and mono . Thanks

The surface temp might be 94, but the temp at 20-30 feet is a lot cooler.  That's why they're there and not up top

I've done my share of vertical jigging with Silver Buddies and jigging spoons.  It's important to watch your line.  If you raise the lure and then drop it back and your line starts coiling on the surface....SET THE HOOK!!  Many of your strikes will come as the lure is falling.  I've caught a ton of smallies when I went to snap the lure upwards, only to just about get my arm broken

[WRB]

yes they come off after I hook them. Last Sunday I hooked 5 and lost 2 . Thats pretty much what happend the time before also. I'll try crossing their eyes next time I set the hook. It could be to much line stretch. those hooks look good, Would be harder to throw. l ready to go experiment now!

Thanks!

If you "cross their eyes" your ratio may drop zero. Just reel set by cranking and snapping your tip up. By hook setting with your rod you may move the spoon about 12" at 20', by cranking your reel you will move the lure about 12" the fisrt turn and 24" or so with each turn after the fisrt and the bass will be hooked better than trying to rod set.

Bass ofter just nip at the spoon and most are hooked lightly in the soft tissue of the mouth. The bass that woof the spoon are not coming off regardless how you hook set. If you have a good sonar unit you should be able to see the thermocline near the depth you are catching the bass on outside structure. At 20 feet this time of year the water is more than likely in the upper 70's and is the reason the baitfish and bass are down at that depth. If you are keeping these bass in the live well, put ice in the water to lower the temperature into the low 70's and fizz those bass if deeper than 30'.

WRB