Speed jigging Lakers

[thorne]

Sooo....Have been using the Speed Jigging technique fishing a lot of southern ocean species like Amber Jack, GT's, reef sharks, and the like and it is very, very effective. So last march when as I was getting spooled by a huge Amber jack I wondered if using typical torpedo speed jigging lures would work on Lakers...I know the basic technique is very simular...drop down, jig up, and Lakers being a very agressive, active predatory species, are in a lot of ways very simular to the ocean species these type of lures were designed to target. So I loaded up on 50-250g jigs and hopefully in a week or so I'll be able to try it out. I am very familuar with the typical type jigs for lakers, and use downriggers mostly...but as 58th will attest to...I like fishing "Outside the box"...lol. Anywho....just curious if anyone has given this a shot yet and how it worked out!?

[58thecat]

I have ripped buzz bombs very aggressively with success so can’t see why this would not work.
Lakers are extremely aggressive and will chase just about anything when turned on especially if you are in or around a bait ball!


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[thorne]

Cool!....lol...haven't tried the buzz bombs yet, but if that works...these should be of some success for sure!

[Coiloil37]

That’s not a bad idea. It’ll be interesting to see if those fish respond to it.

The lures I brought from Alberta over here to the salt didn’t work at all. A year ago I sent some lures back for Greg to try in cold lake and they didn’t work very well there either so if the old speed jigging, hybrid or even slow pitch got lakers fired up that would be interesting.

Speed jigging isn’t as technical but what rod/reel are you using?


You should see if you can find this stuff on eBay or something similar. If not I can send some over, it’s like cheating when it’s on a lure. Again, not sure if it would help in Alberta but it drives fish wild over here.

[thorne]

Well in a couple weeks I'll report back and see what happens! I'll give typical slow pitch and speed a go...cause I can now anchor easily and not have to haul up 80-150' of rope by hand...lol...Thank-You Lewmar!

[thorne]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

That’s not a bad idea. It’ll be interesting to see if those fish respond to it.

The lures I brought from Alberta over here to the salt didn’t work at all. A year ago I sent some lures back for Greg to try in cold lake and they didn’t work very well there either so if the old speed jigging, hybrid or even slow pitch got lakers fired up that would be interesting.

Speed jigging isn’t as technical but what rod/reel are you using?


You should see if you can find this stuff on eBay or something similar. If not I can send some over, it’s like cheating when it’s on a lure. Again, not sure if it would help in Alberta but it drives fish wild over here.

Did a little research...and there are a couple forums and bait shops that have posted that ya...this stuff is great! For saltwater species. Not recommended for Trout, bass, carp....so maybe not so much. I although have found something from my old days of salt water jigging on the East Coast....that I tried on a whim, cause why the hell not, and it is by far the best Walleye, laker, pike, perch, burb...basically everything bait I know of! So somethings are interchangeable from salt to fresh!

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

That’s not a bad idea. It’ll be interesting to see if those fish respond to it.

The lures I brought from Alberta over here to the salt didn’t work at all. A year ago I sent some lures back for Greg to try in cold lake and they didn’t work very well there either so if the old speed jigging, hybrid or even slow pitch got lakers fired up that would be interesting.

Speed jigging isn’t as technical but what rod/reel are you using?


You should see if you can find this stuff on eBay or something similar. If not I can send some over, it’s like cheating when it’s on a lure. Again, not sure if it would help in Alberta but it drives fish wild over here.

Yeah I was surprised that they occasionally would hit the lures you sent but as soon as I went back to a tube or spoon it was game on.

It would be nice to send a camera way down to see how they are responding to different presentations.

The buzz bombs would get picked off on the flutter down 99 percent of the time mimicking a wounded fish amongst the bait ball.

I prefer trolling but occasionally I will set up to rest, eat a sammich and rip a jig in the kayak.

Sometimes there is no rest as they know when you’re trying to eat!




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[thorne]

Well.....Been longer then a couple weeks...but finally have proof of concept...Ripping 250g speed jigs commonly used for reef fish in tropical waters is VERY effective for Lakers...lol. Did my first sortie out on Cold Lake today as an official resident, and Me, my Beautiful Bride, and my step daughter all hooked up immediately on our first drop! It was pretty constant and steady after that! Had the Pleasure of doing an RV with 58thecat and his wife on their Yaks in French Bay later on in the afternoon and when he asked how it worked, I dropped one down and did 3 retrieves and on the 4th, Smack! So ya...lol...pretty damn sweet! Still no Amber Jack....but a whole bunch of fun none the less!!

[EZM]

Buzz Bombs and Zingers are perfect for this ..... I think there was really old thread on this - when Minnewanka was in it's hay day some 30 years ago - this was the go to ticket and technique on many days.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by thorne

Well.....Been longer then a couple weeks...but finally have proof of concept...Ripping 250g speed jigs commonly used for reef fish in tropical waters is VERY effective for Lakers...lol. Did my first sortie out on Cold Lake today as an official resident, and Me, my Beautiful Bride, and my step daughter all hooked up immediately on our first drop! It was pretty constant and steady after that! Had the Pleasure of doing an RV with 58thecat and his wife on their Yaks in French Bay later on in the afternoon and when he asked how it worked, I dropped one down and did 3 retrieves and on the 4th, Smack! So ya...lol...pretty damn sweet! Still no Amber Jack....but a whole bunch of fun none the less!!

Yeah you were just showing off for the ladies

I am going to pick your brain when I get back from our fly fishing trip in the mountains on exactly what you were using so I can get a few for ice fishing etc

I was impressed as we all marked a fish while chatting in 40 fow and you nailed him in short order!

[AlbertanGP]

Had to look up "Speed Jigging". Looks like a pretty standard technique for ice fishing for lakers. We've used the technique quite a bit below dams in northern B.C. as well. Any type of jigging will work for lakers IMO. People just get hung up on tube jigs...especially on Cold Lake. Greg's doing people a favor getting their brains to clunk into gear and think about other options over there.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Had to look up "Speed Jigging". Looks like a pretty standard technique for ice fishing for lakers. We've used the technique quite a bit below dams in northern B.C. as well. Any type of jigging will work for lakers IMO. People just get hung up on tube jigs...especially on Cold Lake. Greg's doing people a favor getting their brains to clunk into gear and think about other options over there.

Speed jigging for AJ’s, kings or any other chasing type fish in the ocean is typically stuff like this.




Rip it as fast as you can with a reel that retrieves 1+ meter per crank.

Little stuff to about 300 grams with the little ocea jigger and the 500 - 2000 gram jigs with the bigger model.




Slow pitch is another thing altogether with very similar equipment but slightly different jigs and completely different technique. Some of the jigs in that box are slow pitch jigs.



After that post I made up thread about the S factor I was contacted by a few members who wanted to try it. Perhaps one could provide a report on its effectiveness…

[45-70GOV]

I was in cold lake last month for the first time, and brought along a few salmon fishing items from my time growing up on the island a couple decades ago.
Found some bait balls and had multiple trout smash some big old MacDeeps i had with me.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Speed jigging for AJ’s, kings or any other chasing type fish in the ocean is typically stuff like this.




Rip it as fast as you can with a reel that retrieves 1+ meter per crank.

Little stuff to about 300 grams with the little ocea jigger and the 500 - 2000 gram jigs with the bigger model.

Yeah I knew you guys would use much larger weights on the ocean. But I think the principle is the same...take a chunk of lead and rip it through the water columm as fast as possible with a reel that can pick the line up fast enough. If I'm missing something let me know as I only did a cursory search. The only concern I would have with lakers is they don't have the best aim and if you're really ripping it they will miss alot. I also don't agree with the old addage that you can't reel fast enough to keep it away from them.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Yeah I knew you guys would use much larger weights on the ocean. But I think the principle is the same...take a chunk of lead and rip it through the water columm as fast as possible with a reel that can pick the line up fast enough. If I'm missing something let me know as I only did a cursory search. The only concern I would have with lakers is they don't have the best aim and if you're really ripping it they will miss alot. I also don't agree with the old addage that you can't reel fast enough to keep it away from them.

Ignoring size and weight, the devil is always in the details. The shape of that chunk of lead makes a big difference in the action and subsequent reaction of the fish.

Unless I’m mistaken, the ones I saw in your tackle box looked like what we call slugs




I’m more familiar with using them as a cast and retrieve type lure. They work best here for pitching into bust ups when the tuna have a school of baitfish at surface and it’s a boiling smorgasbord for the predatory fish and birds.

Jigs are more technical. “Speed jigs” are more streamline like the one on the right and a slow pitch (left) is going to flutter more and the many nuances effect everything. Combined with rod action and angler technique it’s as varied as any fishing technique could possibly be.





I’m not suggesting that dropping a chunk of lead to the bottom and ripping it up through the water column wouldn’t catch lakers. I’m just trying to feather out the definition of “speed” jigging as per my understanding of it.

When I used to fish cold lake I absolutely found they’re suckers for any lure moving vertically in the water column, especially trolled lures.

No comment on how fast or slow a laker can catch a lure. They’re not comparable to an AJ for example. Obviously the angler needs to work all the variables out in real time. That’s what separates the wheat from the chaff.

Even here these fish miss a lot. When we are targeting AJ’s and yellowtail kingfish with this technique they’ll hit it several times before they find a hook. The good news is they just keep smashing it until they’re hooked up. The bad news is they won’t hit it if you slow down.

[thorne]

I used actually a bunch of different types...your "Slugs" in the 150-200g in pink and blue patterns worked the best, but I threw a couple "Speed Jigs" in 150-200g and had hits as well..."Slugs" we most effective though...I have them rigged more as a speed jig with the double single hooks at the top and a single on the bottom...dropped them in 80-150' of water...bounced them off the bottom 6-13 times to stir things up, Then jig reel, jig reel, jig reel all the way up. It really turned them on! As mentioned...no AJ or tuna...but still super fun. Slowed the Jig and reel down a bit from AJ speed but definately kept a good pace up through. It was actually the best and most productive jigging experience yet on the Cool Pool! And the 150-200g jigs were great for keeping a pretty vertical line when drifting...so gonna be a solid go to tech. From now on!

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Unless I’m mistaken, the ones I saw in your tackle box looked like what we call slugs

Yeah I wouldn't disagree. Most have a curve in the body like the blue one in the pic so they're more erratic when vertically jigged.

Jigs are more technical. “Speed jigs” are more streamline like the one on the right and a slow pitch (left) is going to flutter more and the many nuances effect everything. Combined with rod action and angler technique it’s as varied as any fishing technique could possibly be.

The slow pitch luire looks like a Kastmaster on steroids. Do you get any action with the streamlined "speed jigs" or do they just come straight up the water column when retrieved? Lakers seem to need something to get them going unless they're really on. That's why just reeling up your tube jig without imparting action usually winds up with just followers in my experience.

I’m not suggesting that dropping a chunk of lead to the bottom and ripping it up through the water column wouldn’t catch lakers. I’m just trying to feather out the definition of “speed” jigging as per my understanding of it.

When I used to fish cold lake I absolutely found they’re suckers for any lure moving vertically in the water column, especially trolled lures.

No comment on how fast or slow a laker can catch a lure. They’re not comparable to an AJ for example. Obviously the angler needs to work all the variables out in real time. That’s what separates the wheat from the chaff.

Even here these fish miss a lot. When we are targeting AJ’s and yellowtail kingfish with this technique they’ll hit it several times before they find a hook. The good news is they just keep smashing it until they’re hooked up. The bad news is they won’t hit it if you slow down.

Sounds like the technique is a lot more nuanced then it appeared at first glance. Thanks for the explanation Kevin.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by thorne

I used actually a bunch of different types...your "Slugs" in the 150-200g in pink and blue patterns worked the best, but I threw a couple "Speed Jigs" in 150-200g and had hits as well..."Slugs" we most effective though...I have them rigged more as a speed jig with the double single hooks at the top and a single on the bottom...dropped them in 80-150' of water...bounced them off the bottom 6-13 times to stir things up, Then jig reel, jig reel, jig reel all the way up. It really turned them on! As mentioned...no AJ or tuna...but still super fun. Slowed the Jig and reel down a bit from AJ speed but definately kept a good pace up through. It was actually the best and most productive jigging experience yet on the Cool Pool! And the 150-200g jigs were great for keeping a pretty vertical line when drifting...so gonna be a solid go to tech. From now on!

They also work well on hard bottom (think shield lakes) where you can just keep clunking them on the bottom to bring fish in, and then start ripping them up once you see they've seen it.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Yeah I wouldn't disagree. Most have a curve in the body like the blue one in the pic so they're more erratic when vertically jigged.



The slow pitch luire looks like a Kastmaster on steroids. Do you get any action with the streamlined "speed jigs" or do they just come straight up the water column when retrieved? Lakers seem to need something to get them going unless they're really on. That's why just reeling up your tube jig without imparting action usually winds up with just followers in my experience.



Sounds like the technique is a lot more nuanced then it appeared at first glance. Thanks for the explanation Kevin.

Yes the knife jigs have an action on their own along with a shimmy and subsequent vibration. Each brand and style has their own action but a significant portion of their erratic movement through the water column is imparted by the anglers rod and technique.

Matching the correct rod with its inherent action and PE rating along with your technique and jig selection for the water your fishing (depth and current) along with the nature and mood of the target species is where the details start to matter. To say it’s nuanced only scratches the surface.

As with many fishing related things, the Japanese are the originators and masters of this fishing style and most useful information comes from them. If a guy was bored I would suggest he start here.

https://anglers-secrets.com/slow-pitch-jigging/

He’s also got a fantastic amount of information on fish care and preparation from the water to the plate.