1st attempt at jigging Lakers

[Fish Junkie]

After some discussion a couple weeks ago on another forum about trolling/jigging techniques on the finger lakes, I was convinced to give jigging a whirl.

Armed with a couple bass baitcasting outfits rigged with braid, florocarbon leaders, and a handful of jigging spoons and jigs, my cousin and I entered Keuka lake via the Guyanoga access ramp this morning. At the mouth of the creek we were greated by a blue heron perched on a decaying tree hunkered down as if annoyed by the morning rain. We passed a couple bass anglers fishing the weedline and then started our drift in abot 80 f.o.w. It took maybe a half hour before i hooked the first one, and then after the second and third, we realized that the first one wasn't just a fluke, and that we were actually doing something right. What a blast! We ended the morning 8 for 11. Big fish was about 5 lbs. and we caught almost equal amounts on both plastics on 1 oz. lead heads and the Cabela's 'Real Image' double jointed jigging spoons.

It was truly an awakening to a born and bred Lake Ontario troller. I am already thinking about trying this on the big pond! LOL

[fishkillr16]

it works on ontario we jig the niagara bar in the spring using a 1 oz white bucktail jig tipped with a 3 inch emrald shiner we kill em.

[Fish Junkie]

it works on ontario we jig the niagara bar in the spring using a 1 oz white bucktail jig tipped with a 3 inch emrald shiner we kill em.

Do you ever catch any of the silver fish doing this?

[nbajack70]

those cabellas jointed spoons are great. If you're marking suspended browns, you can jig them too. Just drop 20 or 30 feet below the fish,,,pausing the line as you drop every 5 to 10 seconds. Once you're below the fish, then crank up almost as fast as you can. They will hit it on the fall and on the up crank. We do this with Heddon Sonars too. Jointed spoons and blade baits can be a lot of fun if you find the fish.

[woody 184]

FJ now that is what I am talking about, I am going nut here at work looking at your pics... I am going to try and jig for those bad boys before the end of the year..... Sweet fish.....Dale

[Richard Bullen]

Great report Great day of fishing congrats

[33canuck]

Now that's awesome, I have been trying for a couple weeks to no avail on Canadice. What were you tipping the jig heads with? I was using 4" mister tisters maybe I need something else.

[Pequod1]

Nice job. Jigging is rather addictive isn't it! We caught two at around 22lbs. in the Spring derby and a whole bunch more around 12 to 18lbs. We also caught two kings while we were jigging so it can be done. Now try some of the other finger lakes. Seneca and Cayuga have some nice size lakers and you mught even jig up a salmon there too.

[Fish Junkie]

What were you tipping the jig heads with? I was using 4" mister tisters maybe I need something else.

We didn't tip the jigs with anything. Just a plastic fluke or tube. We actually did a bit better with the jigging spoons. Just keep mixing it up until you find the right combination. Good Luck

[idn713]

what size jig heads did you use?

[Fish Junkie]

1 oz. heads, but if there is a breeze and you start drifting, it might require someting even heavier.

[ray koziatek]

yes to the silvers i spoke with a guy who has been doing it for over 20 years but the conditions need to be smooth (little wind) ,,,ive been thinking about it for the last 5 years next good day ill give it a shot...

[chowder]

I get an occasional landlock when targeting lakers on Cayuga w/ my jigging setup. To get browns on Cayuga you really need to work specific stretchs of structured bottom in 50+-FOW. They are not as easy to nail down as the lakers and sometimes I use a casting approach to target suspended fish.

For those of you who are just trying this technique out I have a couple words of advice; You really need a decent bait casting reel spooled w/ superbraid +12lb FC leader, and a rod w/ some backbone. Biggest mistake is to jig repeatedly! Don't do this. You need to make a drop, jig a couple times w/ out losing contact w/ the jig and then retrieve at a decent pace. Then repeat and repeat. A bow mount motor helps a great deal to keep your line vertical. -Andy

[idn713]

Well I have searched high and low for 1oz jig head and I cant find any. Where do you get them and what brand is best?

[FLXTroutman]

Bass Pro in Auburn had 3/4 and 1 oz lead head by Northland, last time I was there, white with a white zoom fluke or green jig and white fluke, like chowder said drop to bottom, jig up and fall, then reel, steady if you have a good sonar you can see the jig and fish follow, still waters are easiest if you don't have an electric trolling motor.

[33canuck]

Thanks for the info gang I'm going to give it a whirl agian tomorrow AM we shall see what happens

[chuck527]

Well I have searched high and low for 1oz jig head and I cant find any. Where do you get them and what brand is best?

I used to be a die hard troller but I am completely hooked on jigging lakers now. For the price you can't beat Cabelas brand 1oz jig heads. A pack of 25 is less than $8. The only negative to these heads is the hook shank is just a lil short IMO. Cabelas also sells a similiar plastic to the Lunker City Shaker which is good. The nice feature of the Cabelas product is its only 3 inches in length and helps a bit with short strikes on the retrieve. Zoom just came out with a small white paddle tail and they work wonderful as well. I fished with my son in the Red Cross derby and what a blast he had. Sunday he went 8 for 8 in just an hour and took first and second (youth division) with 11.76 being his largest. Getting his fish up to the boat and then it stripped line and took an eighty foot run right back to the bottom! Bass pro does offer an Off Shore 1oz head painted white with pink eyes. We have caught plenty of fish on these too. You can also go to Fingerlakesanglingzone.com and I think you can print an order form right from his home page.

[chuck527]

Just checked Cabelas web site and they have the 1oz jig heads on sale for $2.15 per pack. I can tell you I will be ordering several packs at that price!! Thats like 8 cents a peice.

[Striperhound]

What is the jigging stoke. I was out today and would jig a few times slow lifts let fall then reel up 10 feet, drop and start over. Had many short strikes and could not hook up soft tip on the pole I was using. Also I was using the new zoom super fluke paddle tails at 5 inches they seemed a little long not helping with the short strikes. Is everyone using the 3" soft plastics? Also what depth works best I was mainly fishing 115-135 because the picture was good in those depths. Any help would be great as I learn jigging for LT

[chuck527]

Chowder laid out the jigging action well earlier in the post. You need to reel in all the way unless maybe you mark a fish that chases and goes back down. Many strikes will only be 20 feet or less under the boat. IMO there is no need to use a fluke that long. If they strike and miss just keep reeling. Many times they will hit again and even again. Once you get the feel for it, its a blast!! As far as depth its tuff to say. Depends on what lake, water temp, cloud cover, time of the year. Right now the only time i've been that deep is on canandaigua. But I have also hit them pretty good at 80 FOW on the same day. Nothin pays dividends like a decent fish finder. Alot of times you can fish a spot thats not showing fish but as soon as you drop your jig they start rising off the bottom.

[Striperhound]

so you are basically jigging a few times and then slowly reeling all the way up to the surface, drop and do it over again. I was trying to keep it with in 10-15 feet of the bottishom where I was seeing I have a lowrance HDS 5, I had the sensitivity way up so I could see my line and jig you would see fish come up look and go back down. So the fish will follow up 50-80 feet before striking? The reel up should it be slow and steady or fast?

Thanks guys for all the info, I am fishing Lake George