I have a question that about jigging for Walleye.  How the heck do you do it?!
I fish mostly with stick baits (Walleye, trout, Pike and bass.)  Frankly I'd rather cast and catch nothing than sit and jig and haul 'em in.  Jigging has always seemed phenomenally boring to me.  That being said on certain lodge lakes I was on this summer (WCPP), I chose campsites that looked like they'd be Walleye havens and judging by the number of motorboats that would show up off our shore, I was right.  So these guys are out there, jigging and catching tons, big and little.  So I’d go out and troll around with my lure at the same depth in the same area and catch nothing.  So I break down and start talking to some of these guys and on one occasion a fella gives me a jig and a swim bait and tells me that the fish are 17 feet down and to just bounce it off the bottom like he and his mates are doing.  So I’m sitting right where they are and attempting to do what they’re doing and still catching nothing.  I’m starting to think, “There’s more to this than meets the eye (excuse the pun.)”  Then after they’ve left I try again.  This time there is a slight breeze so my boat is drifting and I’m wondering, “How do I know where my jig is?  My line is no longer dropping straight down and as I drift,  how do I know how much line to let out?”  and not only that but as I drift, how do I bounce the jig since I’m in motion?  I eventually  gave up and went back to my stick baits and hauled in a 40” Pike, which was fun but I’d still like to at least know how to jig properly.  I may not want to fish that way but right now I realize I don’t even have the choice since I don’t know what I’m doing. 
Anybody want to take the time to educate me on jigging for Walleye?

I'm no expert, but I believe what they were telling you was key - "just bounce it off the bottom ".  Walleyes tend to feed pretty close to the bottom most of the time.  Maintain contact with the bottom or a few inches above to catch walleyes.  You may need to use a heavier jig or anchor if you are drifting too fast to maintain contact with the bottom.  You should be able to feel this with your rod/line.  Walleye's also often hit your jig as it is falling so don't let out much slack when jigging and be ready to set the hook. 

One old fisherman told me the jig is simply an effective way to get the minnow, worm, grub, down to where the fish are (at the bottom).  I too am no expert, but I always try to "bob" my jig off the bottom, adding movement to the bait. 

I too was in WCCP this summer.  We found structure and had a blast just slowing drifting over a sunken island, jigging with gulps.  Dinner was pretty much guaranteed once we found this spot.  I find catching fish via jigging is very satisfying, and requires attention to small "strikes" or even just the line stiffening a bit. 

I mostly troll with crankbait, especially on new water, and have always had fish to eat using this approach.  But more and more, I love the challenge of finding structure and jigging around it for walleye.  Great fun!

Assumption here: it's incredibly helpful to have a depth finder if you want to jig.  Not essential, but very, very helpful.

prouboy

I'm going to chime here as a relatively inexperience angler --- I had no idea how to do this until this summer! I was completely baffled by this "jigging thing" even though it's very popular and effective. I finally took some advice that I received on one of the fishing threads here and researched (via youtube-- no kidding  :) --- a "how to" clip. It gave me enough of the basics that I could start practicing...and I've had enough 'success' (i.e. a fish here and there) to keep working away at it. It IS great fun...and I love hunting down the 'structures' by reading the banks, slopes and lake contour maps (...as I save up for that eventual depth-finder ;)). Jig on.

Kerry:

Some good thoughts above, particularly relative to using a heavier jig. In 17 feet of water, trying to keep the jig near the bottom, a quarter ounce jig is too light. You may need a half ounce jig for that depth. More wind also requires a heavier jig. An asprin head jig will stay close to the bottom in deep water better than a round head or a football head.
Generally speaking, it is easier to keep your jig close to the bottom if you are fishing from shallow to deep. If you want, send a PM with additional questions or post them here.

 

Telling someone how to jig is difficult if not impossible; especially when we are talking about doing it from a canoe.  You really have to spend some time in a boat with someone who knows what they are doing and why they are doing it and ask questions as you watch them fish and as you are fishing yourself.  It's not rocket science but there is a method and technique for optimal results.  I would rather soak a jig than cast a crank bait any day.

PhantomJug wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2013 at 11:26pm:

Telling someone how to jig is difficult if not impossible; especially when we are talking about doing it from a canoe.......  I would rather soak a jig than cast a crank bait any day.

Same here! I fish almost exclusively with jigs but do troll an occasional F-18 rap or sometimes even cast a jig. My biggest NP (45") was on a barbless 1/4 oz. jig with a 2" plastic minnow and 6lb test.

I don't endlessly lift and drop, lift and drop. My technique is more like dragging it lightly across the bottom. Sometimes I get the a hefty tug, sometimes it's a light tap, sometimes just a pressure or tautness in the line, sometimes I just see the slack disappear, sometime the line becomes slack. To be very successful you need to recognize all the subtleties of the bite and get the feel for it then get in tune with how the fish are biting.

Kerry
Jigging is a confidence game. If you believe then you are expecting and if you are expecting then you are ready. What happens to the novice is they are getting bit but don't perceive it and fail to react.

They fail to recognize a bite because they don't "feel" that subtle "tick" when it happens. And why not, you might ask? Simple, they don't place their forefinger on the line. Yup, that's it. To feel that little bite it must come through your finger which is always applying a slight pressure to the line.

So, your holding the rod with one hand (spinning is much preferred) and your forefinger is extended and cupping the line upward toward the rod. Rods now become important.....jigging rods are shorter, lighter and a little bit stiff with some flex at the tip. 5.5 to 6 is ideal and comfortable to handle.

Now you can feel a bite, count to 1 and snap your wrist and your fish is on. Simple!

As per the actual jigging motion? Emulate the creatures in the water. For example, a wounded minnow might make 2 or 3 six inch kicks and then slowly float downward. So, snap your rod two or three times upward about six inches and then gently lower your rod as if your lure is nearly weightless. Strikes often come on the gentle lowering. You do have your finger on the line right? If not they will strike and then spit it out (Puteuy!) and you will have missed Your chance.

Bear in mind that your jig can imitate all sorts of critters. When the water is cold those critters move slower and consequently so should your jig. Visualize a crawfish.....kick, kick, kick and then nearly motionless. Piece of cake!

Vary the action until you find what works wether slow or fast. A friend of mine related an experience he had in sylvania wilderness area. He got the big small mouths to bite through radical jigging......snapping the rod very quickly some 2 of 3 feet in the air and letting it drop very quickly. Reaction bites.....

But consider carefully when to employ your jig. They are not such a good fish finding tool but rather a fish catching tool. Find them with a crank bait and catch them with a jig.

I'm glad you asked that question Kerry. I was in the same boat as you.

Thanks for the feedback all, yours in particular MT, very informative and specific.  So a couple more questions.  I get what you're saying about keeping your finger on the line, MT, and I understand that this is one of those techniques where a spinning rig is really most appropriate.  However, in your opinion can it be executed effectively with a bait casting rig or is that just the wrong tool for the job and a recipe for frustration?  And I still have that other question: how do you do this action off the bottom when you're drifting in a canoe?  I'm not talking about being pushed along by a serious wind but even a lightish breeze and the line is dragging.  So how do I know where my jig is relative to the bottom as I'm drifting along (by feel?) and how to control the action while drifting - just give it a snap or two and let drop pretty much as you describe when the boat is still?

good stuff so far!

i like jigging from deep water and casting into the shallows. i like rubber worm styles (with a little twisty tail) for stuff up to 15 ft deep and then deeper i go with a fluke style plastic. twisty tail grubs work also. i cast out a bit and then let the jig slowly glide to the bottom. with worms, less is more when it comes to action. you want it to wiggle and squirm. flukes im a little more erratic and exaggerated in the movement. i also use monofiliment and when dealing with water more than 15 ft deep with mono, you have line stretch so i figure my rod only imparts about 1/2 of the action on the lure that the tip shows. i use spinning gear. i use my finger on the line as MT advises. i rarely ever go above 1/8 oz jigs. i modify the plastic size to change the fall rate. flukes fall fastest, bigger ribbon tails slower. on rare occasions i use 1/4 oz jigs, but thats only on the baitcaster with braid. too heavy for spinning gear for my taste.

you can do it with a baitcaster too, and i do, when its a heavier jig/bigger lure. i palm the reel and put my pointer finger out over the line and give it a slight bend.

and confidence is a huge part of jigging. a common mistake is trying too hard. start with just a few plastics. i like worms. my brothers swear by twister tail grubs. get a couple confidence colors, white and chartreuse come to mind.

Kerry wrote on Oct 24^th, 2013 at 1:46am:

how do you do this action off the bottom when you're drifting in a canoe?  I'm not talking about being pushed along by a serious wind but even a lightish breeze and the line is dragging.  So how do I know where my jig is relative to the bottom as I'm drifting along (by feel?) and how to control the action while drifting - just give it a snap or two and let drop pretty much as you describe when the boat is still?

rule of thumb:
more wind, more weight. thinner lines have less drag so the need for more weight isnt as large. when its too windy i shore fish the wind blown side

Kerry wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2013 at 8:04pm:

So I’m sitting right where they are and attempting to do what they’re doing and still catching nothing.  I’m starting to think, “There’s more to this than meets the eye (excuse the pun.)”  Then after they’ve left I try again.  This time there is a slight breeze so my boat is drifting and I’m wondering, “How do I know where my jig is?  My line is no longer dropping straight down and as I drift,  how do I know how much line to let out?”  and not only that but as I drift, how do I bounce the jig since I’m in motion?

Jigging while drifting is my favorite. I normally employ a spinner on a 1/4 oz with a twister or another type who's name I forget type tail.

Depending on the speed/direction/structure you are dealing with... A slow drift means you reel in less. A stronger wind means you .. just jig. The movement of the canoe replaces reeling in. That's optimal as far as I'm concerned.

An even stronger wind means bigger motion with a lower aspect with time to let it drop 4,5 6 feet per second at whatever depth.

Near the bottom is the rule of thumb. I count and imagine what the bottom looks like to my jig. Whoop! Ahhhh. Whoop woop! Ahhhh. Walleyes do indeed like the Ahhh moments and if I get a few short hit misses I'll add a treble stinger but normally they just commit and I react. Or maybe I commit and they react. I forget.

Kerry

Study what Maximus Jaximus has contributed.....all good stuff.

But what might benefit you the most is what db has suggested. The spin jig is a blast to fish, is quite deadly, mostly snag resistant and needs very little attention to detail to fish correctly. Plus the fish tend to strike it a bit harder than a regular jig. It would be ideal for use with a baitcaster as well.

The "jig spinner" may be unknown to you. Here is a pic...just attach the jig.
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Kingfisher is a big proponent of the jig spinner (also called a safety pin spinner).

BTW......you can still connect with what your lure is doing with a baitcaster but instead of using your forefinger use the side of your thumb. The line will just glide along and your connection is still there.

The jig spinner works exceptionally well without lots of jigging motions. Sometimes less is more......that is not to say you can't employ lift and drop motions but just drifting along will produce lots of action......plus the lure is very snag resistant and will produce quality fish.

A few additional thoughts concerning jig spinners......

White curly tail grubs and silver blades will catch lots of fish......but I am partial to copper or gold colored blades. I also like to remove the cheap swivels and replace them with ball bearing swivels.......they spin much freer.

Also be sure to check your knots. You are tying to a double wire and the physics are not so good. Light line is a no-no unless you first add my favorite light line connection, a fas snap.

As per weight.....if they are shallow and in the weeds 1/8 works well....15 ft use a 1/4 and 3/8 or 1/2 if searching the deep. If the wind is up and your drifting don't be afraid of a little heavier set up. I like a 45 degree angle while drifting. More than that and its time to go heavier. Less than that then go lighter. You should be able to lift and drop and have some slack line (indicating your lure is on bottom) rather easily. Your target window is 12" to 18" off bottom.

I am also a big fan of underspin type jigs. Buckeye brand offers premium hooks and ball bearing swivels.
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Fantastic guys, great advice all around. 

Once again, MT, there's stuff you talk that has no interest for me but when you get to fishing, I gladly lend you my ears.  Thanks much.  Your descriptions are really helpful (in fact I'm going to cut and paste your posts here for future reference), I'm getting a pretty good visualization of what this jigging process looks like and can't wait to try it out next summer.

Those Buckeye spinners that you recommended, MT, look very attractive.  Am I assuming correctly that they essentially work the same as the Jig Spinner, except, of course, that the jig in the former is integrated.  If the Buckeye's have better quality swivels then I'd be inclined to just go with them in a variety of weights.

And by the way folks (religion and politics be damned  ::)) this is why I love this site!

How do you know where your jig is? Critical question. Partly experience. Partly feel. Partly analysis. The experience part you'll have to get yourself.

Feel. If you never tick the bottom and feel the jig bump, you probably are not close to the bottom. Slow down. Use a heavier jig. Use lighter line. Or some combination.

Analysis: A little high school geometry. What angle does your line enter the water? How deep is the canoe (I never carry a depth finder in the backcountry, so an educated guess is needed here)? With those combinations, how much line do you need to hit the bottom? When you cast, the jig hits the water and you tighten the line between the rod tip and the water, the jig will swing back toward the canoe rather than drop straight down. If you think the jig is directly below where it landed and it did not sink on a loose line, you're wrong. This is where your finger on the line is important as fish often hit on the initial fall, but you can feel a strike with pretty slack line -- if you are paying attention.

Using the guidelines above, you should have a good idea where your jig is, how close to the bottom it is, whether casting from deep to shallow or drifting along.

Many tournament bass anglers fish jigs on bait casting equipment all the time.

I like to drift with a jig set-up. I like those stand-up type jigs. I use braid but keep the drag light enough I don't jerk the jig out when I get a light bite.
Finger on line really telegraphs when your using braid.
I know I'm tickling bottom by watching rod tip.
It will literaly vibrate when your hitting bottom, next to no movement if your just trolling.

For a little flash or casting from shore, I'm partial to the Blakemore Road Runner jigs.
Reel in as slow as you can and you'll be near bottom.

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@MT, you're in my head! we think too much alike sometimes

before this past years trip i stumbled along a heap of mismarked jigs at scheels. i felt dirty as i paid $12 for a normally $60 pile of northland jigs, but i couldnt help it.

i brought with me on the trip 2 jigs that were somewhat new to me. the northland whistler jig and the northland thumper.

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the whistlers worked really well for jigging for walleyes and the thumpers seemed to be pike magnets. i used flukes on the thumpers as they were a bit heavier and jigged them off of a deep ledge from shore mainly.

i too carry safety pin spinners for a couple reasons. 1st, they are nice search tools as they are quite difficult to snag. 2nd, they are great for areas with pike as they tend to be highly resistant to bite offs.

spinners can also be used to slow the drop of your jig. a colorado blade (wider and cupped more) has a lot of drag whereas a willow blade (thinner more streamlined) has less. so if you find yourself out of lighter jigs and ones you have seem too heavy, tie on a colorado spinner and a bit larger plastic.

as much as i love silver, pike love it more. i carry gold spinners, just like MT.

i find drop rate to be the most important part of jigging. im partial to a gliding drop. i dont like fast fall rates. id rather it fall slow and flutter than dart to the bottom.

Jaximus, I am also partial to using Nortlhland Whistler jigs in gold or pink. I tip with 3 inch twister tails or Impulse tails. Or Gulp minnows in 4 in size. Sometimes Slimer leeches. When not in the Q ... I will go with live crawlers, leeches or minnows.

I used to go much lighter and use 1/4 oz but I have had greater success with going heavier. 3/4 oz. is what I use  most often. Unconventional ... Yes ... But proven. Bigger walleyes and it is a lot easier to keep your jig vertical when fishing deeper flats or drop offs up to  25 to 30 ft.

The propeller really displaces water and attracts eyes especially in the stained big water lakes I like to fish.

I usually Lindy rig crawler or minnow  harnesses or troll hard plastic lures to locate walleye schools and then jig once I  find where they are.

I use both mono and braids but the last few years I have been using braid. Low stretch and thinner diameter braid allows me to feel the bite better than mono. I still like  8 lb Trilene XL but I have to admit braid is hard to beat for me.

Good fishin' 

Quote:

"safety pin spinners ... areas with pike as they tend to be highly resistant to bite offs"

That's a very good point! Nothing more heartbreaking than reeling in line that, in an instant, has nothing attached to it anymore.

Kerry turned me onto these........I will take the liberty to share them. I really like what is offered and have already pulled the trigger. Thin wire, ball bearing swivels and quality blades. Usual safety pin offerings are the very definition of cheap.

Kudos to Mr Kerry :thumbup

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I don't know anything about jigging (yet) but I know quality!
I meant to suggest you wait a couple of weeks to buy those, MT.  Tackle Warehouse does a 20 percent off Black Friday week but I don't suppose it amounts to much anyway.  I, however, plan to do my entire one-stop jig shopping - spinners, jig heads (all weights and sizes) and grubs - through Tackle Warehouse.  I've found it's essential, when it comes to buying fishing gear, to get more than I need or will likely ever use.  That's my contribution to the, make that your economy.

The kahara safety spin spinners showed up. A few observations........

I am biased......they are my style. However, they might not be for everybody. I noticed the wire is thin. I like thin wire spinnerbaits as you get more vibration but the thin wire on the Kahara might be susceptible to being broken if pressured to hard. If you are using braid for example. Thin and I am assuming heat treated make for a certain amount of brittleness.

But for a finesse bait they are impressive IMO. The willow leaf blades will do nicely in moving water applications.

mastertangler wrote on Nov 13^th, 2013 at 2:38pm:

The kahara safety spin spinners showed up. A few observations........ I am biased......they are my style. However, they might not be for everybody. I noticed the wire is thin. I like thin wire spinnerbaits as you get more vibration but the thin wire on the Kahara might be susceptible to being broken if pressured to hard. If you are using braid for example. Thin and I am assuming heat treated make for a certain amount of brittleness. But for a finesse bait they are impressive IMO. The willow leaf blades will do nicely in moving water applications.

I'm curious how these hold up in the hands of a experienced fisherman?

I went to link and out of curiosity clicked the 1 and only review they had posted.


Quote:

Comments: Piece of junk I was tying my knot and it snapped in half. I guess the people that made this figured you wouldn't catch any fish on it anyway so why make it so the wire does not snap!

Their either confident that the guy just got a "flyer", or else  :-/

MT's observation might be right on the money.

What I wish I could find would be something like the Kahara safety pin spinners but with tungsten wire.  Terminator makes tungsten wire spinners but they're fixed (you can't change off the jig.)  Does anyone know if there is such a thing?

Further scrutiny.......

I bent the wire around a little and it doesn't seem to be heat treated but it is a bit fragile. Put some pressure to it with some 20lb braid and you just might bend it out. I tied some heavy line to it and tried to break the wire, no dice but I did disfigure the wire.

But like I said.....it is my style. Tie some 6 or 8lb xt to it and a forgiving rod and it is quite a finesse bait. I also like the blades......a bit thicker and heavier than most blades, definitely premium stuff. I think with the right gear these could be killer.

I use snap barrel swivels (for extra shininess and simplicity) so the Kahara KJ wouldn't work for me, no loop to snap into at twice the price. They run well enough w/o considering knot placement.

I can't remember any of the cheap ones I use ever failing. Rocks get hungry too but I love the jigs with bend-back-able hooks on 8# test mono and I broke a nice mid weight graphite rod trying to mussel in a lunker (snag) on 8# test one windy day. The rust rubs right off.

I did some looking, and can't find any mention of tungsten wire safety spinners. You find titanium spinner rigs, but I read more than a few negative reviews about them.

Seems they do break because while being light/strong, they don't flex like steel rigs and over time they'll break.
For the price, you can get traditional steel wire rigs that will take the wear and tear.

IF your really gung-ho about trying using titanium/tungsten wire for safety spin type rigs, you could get a spinner maker tool and try bending your own? Cabelas sells a tool and you could find the wire on-line.

I found these safety spin spinners.
You could also use Johnson Beetle Spin's and get two uses from a single lure.

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db wrote on Nov 14^th, 2013 at 8:08am:

I broke a nice mid weight graphite rod trying to mussel in a lunker (snag) on 8# test one windy day.

How many clams did that rod cost?  ;D ;D

Are we overcomplicating what would otherwise be a no-brainer? Perhaps, grab a 99 cent safety pin spinner and stick it on our jig. Now we are looking at them for 3 bucks and out of tungsten who knows how much more. And for what.....is there a difference?

A good friend of mine is a guide for Roland Martins Marina........in the spring he invites me to fish for shell crackers which are basically an outsize bluegill. We sight fish for them while they are on the beds.......drift over them and throw tiny beetle spins. Fun and engaging.

He tells me what size and color beetle spin to get and lb test. I get out fished 2 to 1. I'm no dope (well mostly ;)) and I say "hey wait a minute........what gives?" I grab his beetle spin and immediately notice that he has swapped out the regular barrel swivel for a tiny ball bearing swivel. It made a humongous difference....... (we are still friends  ;D ).

Would it make a dif in canoe country? Probably or probably not.......maybe or maybe not. It all depends I guess on conditions. Probably not worth worrying about, slap a cheap one on and fuggedaboutit. Bear in mind, however that the double wire loop (depending on brand) make a lousy connection to tie mono to and you might want some sort of snap. More hardware........

Thanks, ST.  Those Hildebrandt spins look fine and I might swap the swivels for the ball bearing type.  I think I will order some of the Kahara spins as well, just to check them out.
What I've read about the titanium wires agrees with what ST is saying.  Their strength is their weakness - titanium is strong but brittle.  So that sounds like a hype to avoid.

Quote:

"How many clams did that rod cost?   "

I've managed to forget thank you. It was a Cabela's XML so not all that much I guess. It was a lot to me though. As long as I don't break it's exact replacement the same way my education will be worth it.

Yup, I think you guys are over thinking it by my standards buy hey, so what, go for it. Whatever works.

Quote:

"Jigging is a confidence game. If you believe then you are expecting and if you are expecting then you are ready."

We all use the lures we have confidence in. I justified replacing the graphite rod simply because it's a joy to use compared to what I used before. I don't think fish much care what rod I use or how much confidence I have in my lure. I do know that when I tie to the spinner directly, I need to adjust where the knot ends up after each fish or it will run funny. I don't think a fish knows that my shiny snap swivel isn't part of the lure anyway and I only bring the one rod so....

FWIW - I believe that the direction of my retrieve in relation to the angle of the sun matters quite a bit with different lures on different days and prefer the gold blades on ocassion. Do they make gold snap swivels? Eh, whatever works.

I still say lure manufacturers target fishermen while catching fish is a happy bonus. As a kid I bought a mail order fish caller thingy. It had a light and a chum chamber ... I think it vibrated or ticked too! I can still see the look on my Dad's face as I deployed it - and waited for it to bring us a boatload of fish.

Quote:

I do know that when I tie to the spinner directly, I need to adjust where the knot ends up after each fish or it will run funny.

I was told by an old guy that fished spinners exclusively and just killed on his lake that you needed to tie directly to spinner period.

I tried various quick connect methods because I didn't want to re-tie every time I switched lures/type of bait.

Everything I tried ended tangled in spinner so I tied direct.

The old fisherman used to take a small piece of waterproof black electricians tape and wrap a few turns in the crook of spinner where you tie on.
Said it enabled the knot to cinch down tight and eliminated adjusting it every cast.

Seems to work, but I'm wondering if there is a way to use some sort of quick connect set-up so you don't have to re-tie every time or worry about line moving on wire?

I love jig fishing, find a hump or reef and bump all over it.
I especially like to fish these spots when it is not too windy.
I use a spincast, when I cast I will watch my line fall to the surface, as the jig sinks I watch where the line enters the water, it appears to be being sucked down and racing back towards the rod tip. It is very obvious, when the line goes limp you have reached bottom. From that point I just sneak the jig along the bottom with the occasional twitch. I love to feel the the jig working through rocks and staying in touch with the bottom. If I feel resistance I apply slightly more pressure, with enough experience you will feel a little 'give' or not. If it feels mushy I set the hook. Sometimes it doesn't pan out as a fish and you just wedged your jig in a bunch of rocks.
This brings up the next technique to master, trying to slingshot the jig from between the rocks.
   

Sinnerbaits vs spinners.......apples and oranges. Bent arm spinnerbaits, includinging the safety pin style we are so focused on have 2 different wire configurations used as the tie off point. One is an "R" style bend (such as the Kahara) and require a direct tie off lest the snap continually slide up the arm and foul.

The other is closed and either option (snap or direct tie) is used. There are some advantages to a snap system as the freedom of the loop permit an instant alignment of the spinner itself. Picture, if you will, a direct tie off......any curve in the line will need be absorbed before your lure runs true.

For example, make a long high cast on a windy day and a large arc will be formed in your line. On a direct tie there is little or no freedom and the lure must follow where the knot leads. This can be particularly debilitating to true "spinners" which might not kick on at all.

Having said all that  ;) I am still a fan of a direct tie on spinnerbaits but am careful to avoid large arcs in my line.

Jim J Solo wrote on Nov 14^th, 2013 at 2:20pm:

db wrote on Nov 14th, 2013 at 8:08am: I broke a nice mid weight graphite rod trying to mussel in a lunker (snag) on 8# test one windy day. How many clams did that rod cost?  ;D ;D

As one who has also snapped a nice rod on a lunker (snag), it makes me feel slightly better knowing it has happened to other more experienced anglers than me...   :'( :(  :)

Now if I could just keep from dropping (losing) entire rods and reels in the  lake (done that twice in the past 5 years), I'll really feel better...  :'(   >:(   ;D

As for the advice on this thread, thx for the info...I've actually been  jigging more and more on recent trips as I gain experience...good helpful hints on technique and tackle here....but I think there's a reason I don't buy really expensive fishing stuff for the Quetico anymore...

db,
Going for the mussel/muscle joke.

ya know clam, oyster  :-[

Thought it was a pearl, but I guess it was a dud  :'(

Jim J Solo wrote on Nov 15^th, 2013 at 3:44pm:

db, Going for the mussel/muscle joke. ya know clam, oyster  :-[ Thought it was a pearl, but I guess it was a dud  :'(

Wasn't bad Jim.......as far as cephalopod jokes go (I got a chuckle)


pine_knot wrote on Nov 15^th, 2013 at 1:05pm:

Jim J Solo wrote on Nov 14th, 2013 at 2:20pm: db wrote on Nov 14th, 2013 at 8:08am: I broke a nice mid weight graphite rod trying to mussel in a lunker (snag) on 8# test one windy day. How many clams did that rod cost?  ;D ;D Now if I could just keep from dropping (losing) entire rods and reels in the  lake (done that twice in the past 5 years), I'll really feel better...  :'(   >:(   ;D

Now there is an admission which takes some character. Care to share how it happened? It could prove to be a learning experience for everyone.

I have a tale of a lost rod, a loomis at that, which happened out of a canoe in the everglades. Well it happened like this.........paddling along, nice sunny day. I had placed my rods on top of my cooler in my dandy plastic coleman canoe and yup, you guessed it, while I was switching sides I knocked the blasted thing over. I immediately pulled to the side of the small canal and started considering my options. I had an acquaintance in our town who was a diver but I thought it unlikely I could get him to feel around on the bottom in an alligator infested backwater.

So I took my other rod, put a treble hook on and about the third cast I hooked the very tip top eyelet. I will never forget the sight of that rod slowly materializing out of the water. How cool was that?

Jim J Solo wrote on Nov 14^th, 2013 at 2:20pm:

db wrote on Nov 14th, 2013 at 8:08am: I broke a nice mid weight graphite rod trying to mussel in a lunker (snag) on 8# test one windy day. How many clams did that rod cost?  ;D ;D

Doh! The sun was in my eyes! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  :thumbup

pine_knot wrote on Nov 15^th, 2013 at 1:05pm:

Now if I could just keep from dropping (losing) entire rods and reels in the  lake (done that twice in the past 5 years), I'll really feel better...  :'(   >:(   ;D

I was in the stern when I saw my bow man throw his rod away while casting. He'd been casting to one side mostly when he switched sides. Instead of just releasing his index finger to let the line out, he opened his whole hand. I was kind of in shock, but yes he did it.  :o
He was a bit of a goof, intelligent, but not much common sense.

Jim J Solo wrote on Nov 16^th, 2013 at 3:36pm:

pine_knot wrote on Nov 15th, 2013 at 1:05pm: Now if I could just keep from dropping (losing) entire rods and reels in the  lake (done that twice in the past 5 years), I'll really feel better...  :'(   >:(   ;D I was in the stern when I saw my bow man throw his rod away while casting. He'd been casting to one side mostly when he switched sides. Instead of just releasing his index finger to let the line out, he opened his whole hand. I was kind of in shock, but yes he did it.  :o He was a bit of a goof, intelligent, but not much common sense.

P_k, you must not be the only one. ;D
Of course like a PFD or a seat belt, they only work IF you remember to put them on. ;)

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I ran across these while looking for more safety spinner options.

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Hildebrandt makes these as well and they also have a 2 bladed model.

You could attach these to stickbaits as a flasher and a little extra protection from toothy critters if your not using a leader for that purpose.

I also found that Bass Pro carries both type but you can get a much better price if you look around.

The spinners come 2 in a pack and in Nickel/Gold.