The jigging rig
A jigging rig is a metal jig dropped straight down on heavy braid and a fluorocarbon leader, worked back up off the bottom with the rod. The leader joins the braid with an FG knot, and the jig and its assist hooks hang from a Palomar to a solid ring. It catches kingfish, tuna, snapper and cod in deep water.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid (8-strand for a clean drop), PE 1.5 to PE 4 (around 20 to 60 lb): lighter for snapper and slow-pitch, heavier for kingfish and tuna |
| Leader | Fluorocarbon, around 40 to 80 lb, two to four metres: 40 to 50 lb for snapper and cod, 60 to 80 lb for kingfish and tuna |
| Connectors | A solid ring (tied to the leader) and a split ring (linking the ring to the jig eye), rated above the leader |
| Jig | Metal jig, 100 to 300 g (3.5 to 10.5 oz): roughly one gram per foot of depth is the starting point, then heavier in current. Long slim shapes for fast jigging, leaf or flat shapes for slow-pitch |
| Hooks | Twin assist hooks on short cords at the head: 3/0 to 4/0 for 100 to 200 g jigs, 5/0 to 7/0 for 300 g jigs |
What it's for
Kingfish, tuna, snapper and cod in deep water, from a boat. This is the rig you drop straight down to fish holding deep, over reef, wrecks and drop-offs, where a cast lure will not reach. A metal jig falls fast to the bottom, then you work it back up with the rod and the fish takes it on the move, usually on the drop or the lift. There are two styles on the same rig. Fast vertical jigging, a hard high-speed lift for kingfish and tuna that chase. And slow-pitch jigging, a slower lift-and-flutter that lets the jig hang and wobble, which is deadly on snapper and cod that pick rather than chase. It fishes off Sydney Harbour and Hervey Bay for kingfish and tuna, in Tokyo Bay for the bay species, and in the cold Arctic water off Sørøya for big cod.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom, the way it hangs straight down under the boat. The main line is braid, PE 1.5 to PE 4 (around 20 to 60 lb) depending on the fish, off the rod. It joins the leader with an FG knot, the slim braid-to-leader join. The leader is fluorocarbon, around 40 to 80 lb, two to four metres long. The leader ties to a solid ring with a Palomar knot, and a split ring links the solid ring to the eye of the metal jig. The jig is a long metal slug, 100 to 300 g to suit the depth and the current. Twin assist hooks on short cords sit at the head of the jig, where the fish hits it. The defining detail is the assist hooks at the head, not a treble at the tail, so the jig flutters freely and the hooks stay in the strike zone on the drop.
How to build it
- Tie the braid main line to the fluorocarbon leader with an FG knot. It is the slimmest, strongest braid-to-leader join, so it runs through the rod rings on the drop and the lift and holds a hard-fighting fish. Leave the leader two to four metres long so the abrasion-resistant fluorocarbon takes the rubbing on the bottom and the fight.
- Tie the end of the leader to a solid ring with a Palomar knot. Then open a split ring and link it through the solid ring and through the eye of the jig. The solid ring takes the knot and the split ring lets the jig swing and flutter freely, which is the action that draws the take.
- Fit twin assist hooks on short cords to the same split ring at the head of the jig. The hooks should hang just past the centre of the jig so they sit in the strike zone as it falls. A jig hits at the head on the drop, so the hooks go at the head, not the tail. You are ready to drop.
How to fish it
Drop the jig straight down under the boat and let it fall to the bottom on a fairly tight line, watching for a take on the drop. Once it lands, the style depends on the fish. For kingfish and tuna, fast vertical jigging is the way: lift the rod hard and reel as you drop the tip, in a quick repeated pump, so the jig darts up through the water and triggers a chasing fish. For snapper and cod, slow-pitch jigging suits better: a slower, smoother lift of the rod that loads it, then let the jig fall and flutter on a controlled line, pausing so it hangs in front of the fish. Either way, most takes come on the drop or the pause, felt as a tap or the line going slack, so stay in contact and lift into anything that feels different. Keep the line as near vertical as you can; if the boat drifts and the line streams away at an angle, you lose contact and the jig stops working, so go heavier or reposition the boat to hang it straight down again.
Where this rig works
The jigging rig is dropped wherever fish hold deep over reef, wrecks and drop-offs. Across the atlas it is fished in Sydney Harbour for yellowtail kingfish off the deeper marks; in Hervey Bay, Queensland, slow-pitch for snapper over the reefs and fast for the tuna; in Tokyo Bay for the bay species on a light jig; and off Sørøya in Arctic Norway, where heavy jigs reach the big cod and coalfish over the drop-offs close to land. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses a jigging rig will link to this same page.
Jigging rig questions
Both drop a metal jig straight down and work it up off the bottom. Vertical jigging is a fast, hard pump that darts the jig up to trigger chasing fish like kingfish and tuna. Slow-pitch jigging is a slower lift then a controlled flutter on the fall, which suits snapper and cod that pick rather than chase.
Braid of PE 1.5 to PE 4 (around 20 to 60 lb), lighter for snapper and slow-pitch, heavier for kingfish and tuna, joined to a fluorocarbon leader of around 40 to 80 lb with an FG knot. Use two to four metres of leader so the fluorocarbon takes the rubbing on the bottom and the fight.
Match it to the depth and the current. Roughly one gram of jig per foot of water is the starting point, so 100 to 300 g covers most depths here, then go heavier in strong current until you can feel the bottom and the line hangs near vertical. Too light and the line streams away at an angle.
At the head, on short cords from the split ring, not as a treble at the tail. A jig hits at the head on the drop, so head-mounted assist hooks sit in the strike zone where the fish takes it, and they let the jig flutter freely. The hooks should hang just past the centre of the jig.
Two. An FG knot joins the braid to the fluorocarbon leader, the slim, strong braid-to-leader join that clears the rod rings. A Palomar knot ties the leader to a solid ring, and a split ring links that to the jig eye so it swings free. Wet both knots before you pull them tight.