|
|
Posts: 23
Location: minneapolis | Steve-been lurkin' the website since the muskie central/ jason smith days..a ton of great info. thank you. On to my question..I'm trying to tighten' up my jiggin' presention..I've been using a calcutta 400 & medium/fast action rod and am thinking of going to a spinning rod/reel combo for faster pick up as i feel I'm losing some subtle strikes and don't have has much control. Also, I moved from nylostrand & mono to 80lb flouro & spiderwire stealth. I'm throwing 1/2-3/4 oz jigs with reapers/mojo twin tails or small suckers. Your thoughts? Again thank you for running great website.
Thanks
Mike |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I wouldn't go heavier than 17# mono on a spinning rod/reel combo, you will lose casting ability, sensitivity, and will get irritating 'slap' in the guides if the line is too heavy or is a coated superline. The superlines are actually too sensitive, a bit of stretch in a casting presentation with a jig is forgiving and a good thing if you are as quick on the hook set as some are.
By far the best combo for em is a medium heavy fast action 6 to7' rod, a matching FAST spinning reel, seven strand leader material, and 14 to 17 pound test mono.
I'm glad you like enjoy MuskieFIRST, the thanks needs to extend to everyone who contributes! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | I do alot of jigging and I mostly use a baitcaster, an abu garcia 5500 to 6500 nad use superbraids with a flurocarbon leader. I have no trouble with this rig at all. In fact for beginners I think its best as it makes you slow down. Now steve I believe jigs a little differently then I do and if he uses the gene curtis style of jigging I can see where a spinning rod and reel would work great. Good luck!
Pfeiff
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 23
Location: minneapolis | cool...thanks for the reply..not to argue, but I snapped off a couple of fish with 17 lb mono on the hookset (drag too tight? nick in line?)..went to thirty lb and didn't like the feel, so I switched to 30-50 lb power pro or stealth (felt better with the heavier line) and had better feel of the jig but, I think I am but pulling the jig out on the hookset or can't pick up the slack fast enough. I moved to a lighter drag setting and spooled up some extra line, it seemed to help. But now I feel I'll have more control going to a spinning set-up. Thanks again for reply and advice.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | No way are you putting out 17# on a hookset, that line was bad. You describe exactly the problem with a superline, you are setting the hook when you feel the fish begin to pick it up, and taking the jig away from her.
Stay with the Mono, believe me I've tried everything else. Overall, much higher hook-ups and better landing percentage.
ONE hookset, too, don't pound her with multiples. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | I never set the hook right away! I feel the fish or see the line move and know I have a hit. I then wait for the line to jump again or the fish to start swimming away.....then I hammer them. Easy to set tooooo early.
Let me say this, On that strike where a fish might hit my jig and take off like gangbusters I will set right away. Does not happen often the way I jig.
Pfeiff
Edited by Don Pfeiffer 11/6/2006 10:58 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 23
Location: minneapolis | Steve-I broke my line on the hookset, between my rod tip and the jig (not a bad knot!) I don't want to bring the "super braid vs. mono" argument into this, I'm just looking at specific rod/reel combos you would recomend. I'm planning to try mono again, but I gotta tell ya I really like the floro leaders Thanks again |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Bad line I bet, not a bad knot. I can snap a kitchen chair two feet in the air on a hookset, and can't break 17# line.
Medium Heavy to heavy fast action rod rated for 20# or so. Any spinning reel that matches the reel and balances exactly at the center of the foregrip, preferably with a large spool for fast line pick-up. the more ball bearings the better. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 23
Location: minneapolis | Steve-love the visual of the kitchen chair! I'll make the switch and send you a pic of my next minnetonka fatty on a reaper! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I used to do that at seminars to demonstrate a proper hookset. Gotta have your rod hand on the foregrip ahead of the reel, at the balance point. POW, heck of a hookset. I have a few original Creatures left, drop me a PM. |
|
| |
|
| MikeF, I have been a cult creature guy since 1978. From the start of the season till about mid October, I work weedlines with 7.5" Creatures on a 1/2 oz. Stand-up head. For that rig I built myself a St.Croix 3C70MHXF as a spinning rod. It's 7', Med. Heavy, extra fast action. It's light yet very powerfull. That x-fast tip really lets you snap through the occational weed and clear the jig. It's actually a casting rod blank, but this is the best creature rod I have had since I started doing this. In later fall I go to bigger creatures and 3/4 to 1 oz. heads. For that I have a St. Croix 2S70HF. That one is 7', Heavy, fast action.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 723
| I have been using a J-mac, and unlike jigging and pumping along. I have been using a faster pace reeling them in. moving the bait along steady, with an occaisonal pause in there. I have found the fish just hammer the snot out of it, I am using a 7'6" heavy action fast tip st.croix, 80lb stealth. and a flouro leader about 16" long.
I havent done well with the jigging motion like for walleyes. On real tough days I have pulled a lot of fish out of the thickest slop with these jigs, and most often, that is what saves the day from being a skunker. I am using the 1 1\2 oz jig with a salt shaker tail on it. same as Doug Stange uses, I have found that the use of superline lets me feel hits right away, and allows me to hammer them before they drop the jig. Just my $.02 |
|
| |
|
Posts: 132
| Steve, I love the kitchen chair comment too. I think I'll try that tonight just to see the look on my wifes face when I tell her I'm practicing my hooksets. |
|
| |
|
| I want to see a video of this in action!! that would be great to see. I wouldn't think that was even possible. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2258
Location: SE, WI. | As a long time creature fisherman, I might add my 2 cents. Throw away the floro-carbon leaders. Use the seven-strand wire leaders. The musky could care less if its wire or Floro. The musky will hit the jig if it wants it and with wire, the fish will not bite through. The wire will also free the jig from weeds alot cleaner and Quicker!!! I used to fish bass tourneys with wire leaders because wire cut through the weeds better. I placed first in many bass tourneys, and the bass don't care either if you use wire. Don't loose a fish of a lifetime...Use wire- 25-30lb......JIM |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| I've been known to throw a jig or 50 for muskies, and I must agree with my fellow old fart on this. I have 2 rigs. Both are 7 1/2' St Croix Tidemaster In-shore rods. One spinning, one baitcasting. I have Quantum reels on both, and all of my jig heads are pre-rigged with 27# coated wire leaders that are attatched with a small loop left on the jig head end and a barrel swivel on the other end. I alternate between the 2 rigs depending which shoulder feels better that day. I use jig heads from swimming style to stand up to one of my favorites, the Chompers 1/2 ounce with a fiber weedguard. I use 17# Stren on the spinning and 20# Stren on the baitcaster. Tried Fireline for a short time and went back to mono. Just like the feel better. 17#-20# mono is very good for Creature jigging applications.
Beav |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Any dudes from this past weekends PMTT championship care to join in here? Over half the fishermen, and half the fish were caught jigging from what I saw. Looked like a fair number of fuzzy duzzit fish, but maybe some jig fish too?? Lets hear how you guys scored!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 23
Location: minneapolis | Thanks guys...a ton of good info. I started jig fishing about 13 years ago and have been fine tuning it ever since. I love the feel of that walleye bite ("tick, tick") and setting into a 20lb+ fish. I even tried to "live by the jig, die by the jig" theory and use nothing else all year. I broke down a few times and threw conventional baits, but I did boat 19 jig fish that year. I like to tip jigs this time of year with small (6"-8") suckers and you can feel them freak out when a musky is sniffin' at them. Good luck to all the rest of the year.
Thanks again
Mike |
|
| |
|
| I have been jig fishing for a long time...it is a GREAT way to trigger fish, when nothing else is working, or it is VERY cold and so is the water. I've tried the superbraids, the 20# mono, and spinning & casting rods/reels. My perfect set-up, for me, is a 7'6" flippin stick of my sons, and run a low-pro bass style reel. It has a nice tip, very sensitive, and it can put the hurt to them. I use a 25# 7 strand leader, and I am running all of Bait Rigs combos they sell in their packets. I think we caught 14 fish opening week up in Canada using this technique.  I have found the 17# mono, is, without a doubt, the BEST friend a jig fisherman can have. With Esox Cobra jigs, I've found they have a razor sharp tip, and it doesn't take much to bury the hooks. Secondly, if you're getting to much stretch in your line from the hookset, you are TOO FAR FROM THE FISH!! I have never waited until I felt the fish moving....when the tick came or the line jumped, so did the hook-set come!!
I don't know how to use a spinning rod, so that's out!! LOLOLOLO 
Just my $.02 cents worth!
Donnie |
|
| |
|
Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | I can only say from experience what has worked for me and witing to set the hook has worked very well. The type of creature your fishing would dictate if your going to set now or wait. I use to use wire leaders and still do if fishing in heavy weeds. It does help cut through them.
Pfeiff
Edited by Don Pfeiffer 11/8/2006 2:55 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 921
Location: Apollo, PA | What kind of knots are you guys using with that seven strand wire?? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | I use singlewire for my leaders (70lb test) and use a haywire twist.
Pfeiff |
|
| |
|
Posts: 921
Location: Apollo, PA | Ok, I tried to tie that Bucher knot with the sevenstrand, like he does on his older leaders and i can never tie the darn thing. Whats a good reliable knot for sevenstrand, thats easy??
|
|
| |
