PE4 you mean? pe40 is... hmm not something I have seen as of yet?

For PE4, how much drag can you exert? Thats not a very high lb rating. I would presume between 40lb and 60lb, max. For that sort of line rating, you must be fishing 5-10kg max, depending on the rating of the line. I can't see how you could have been nearly dragged out of the boat on that.

The 'technique' that I employ is a combination of the right stance, body balance, tackle, and especially rod, and most importantly of all, body. There's no point having maximumly flash tackle, if the body is not up to it. watch a few videos and try and mimic the stance.

Sharks on jigs is uncommon, because the usually btie off. unless using wire assist hooks, or rear-hook with trebles, etc.

there are more techniques, but thats a start ;)

When I first started jigging the more experience guys I fished with told me to set my drag to full and be ready to fight when I got a hit. Like your Portuguese friend they stressed the importance of keeping the fishes head up to keep him from running. I realize now that this was because we were fishing relatively shallow environ with a rocky bottom that the fish could easily break off on. What I did as I got more comfortable with the initial strike was reel in about 10-20 meters of line in the manner prescribed and then loosen my drag to let the fish run.

Provided that your PE to shock knot and assist hook is rigged well and if you have some distance between the bottom and your strike zone try setting your drag to what you reckon to be about 75-80% full. I think you want the fish to be able to run but you want those runs to be tough enough to tire him out quickly. It's a fine balance you have to strike.

To keep yourself from getting tired out you want to balance your weight with the fishes, so you can sort of lean back a few degrees with you knees bent slightly. Naturally you want to keep one foot in front of the other to protect yourself from falling on your butt if the fish breaks off. I'll see if I can find some pics that demonstrate the sort of position I'm talking about.

Hope this helps

sort of like this?
[img_assist|fid=28788|thumb=1|alt=KC with jigwrex PE8 rod.]

back straight, always in control, body weight in balance and working against the fish (not the muscles), muscles just for lifting, lean back as the fish runs to exert pressure.

Pump iron to drop iron!

Yep, your right KC,(sorry typeing error)its PE4 just checked the empty spool.
Can't get dragged out of a boat eh? Well all you out there who don't beleive its possible, check out Charles Perrys Nautical Dreams video 'Cockpit Chaos' and you will see footage of Stewart Cambell being dragged out of a FIGHTING CHAIR and over the transom by a Blue Marlin while useing (only) 30lb mono!
I've caught many marlin and sharks to a boatside tag and release useing a Braid stand-up belt and harness (fishing alone)so I rekon I've got the fitness and stance about right.
Nice photo of the jigrex curve but with the fish not below you the load on the angler is lessened, the photo is similar to many taken on the San Deigo longrange tuna boats.
No, its the sudden powerdive right under the rod tip that I am finding so difficult to control, its just like a truck being dropped onto the hook. I think Galeintokyo has the right idea, and perhaps as important, the design of the rod blank.
For interest, the end set-up I use is; 60turn bimini on the reel line, a 24turn bimini on the florocarbon leader, joined with double catspaw interlocking loops, and a tuna knot from leader to swivel. All breaks occur between the tuna knot and 4-8inches above, with fraying at the point of break. I measure all leaders at manufacture and after breaking. All leaders are prestretched before use. On a load test this line/leader set-up breaks at almost 100% of the leader test rateing.
Pumping iron eh? Nah rather be pumping fish.

i see... so you are saying that during its 'powerdive' run, you are unable to control it? I can't compare the power of a marlin, but amberhacks and sambos... well I guess I havent tango-ed with an AJ big enough (those 30kg and over club) to drag me overboard yet. I use PE8 (rated to 80lb) on my medium-heavy jigging set-up, and the only problems I have had so far is when I hook bottom, and load up the drag to try and max it out on a Stella to try and bust off. I still assume you're refering to fighting stance for jigged fish; popping and gamefishing are possibly quite different.

If not for fitness and stance, then... I think the last few things left you could look at is rod and drag. I assume you have good enough gear to ensure smooth, unseizing drag? Then it might possibly be that the leverage of the rod is insufficient, putting more pressure on the angler than on the fish.

Apart from that, its hard for me to imagine being dragged over by PE4, simply because at 40lb of line rating, your drag setting should be about 13lb, or 6kg, possibly up to 30lb, or around 15kg (still handle-able) before the line will start to snap under the pressure. At the most, you get 100% knot strength (I am usually happy at achieving 75%, cause braid is just a bitch), so the line snaps, in ideal conditions, at round about 18kg. heavy drag, but still, if you got everything else sorted, possible. otherwise go for a drag rating thats lighter, like us mere mortals ;)

For the jigwrex, the samsonfish was below me, about 110m below me, and as the fight progressed swam off in a direction. This was no mid-surface tuna, it was a sambo just off the bottom.

Sorry buddy, I guess I really can't help you then; you could tie an anchor and drop it off the end of my line, but with a smooth drag at a rating that I can handle, good stance and fitness, and a bit of experience giving you that 'expectation' of a fish's run, combined with a smooth reel and rod, I should'nt be pulled overboard on PE4. Spooled yes, but pulled overboard, no.

Good luck in finding what you are looking for.

Pump iron to drop iron!

FYI, Stewart Campbell was not drag in by heavy drag pressure. He was not in the chair. It was due to his leader been wrapped out the rod tip when he went forward and having slack line, and 400lb leader dont snap as easily as you think......

**Oceanside = Van Staal, Shimano, Penn, Jigmaster rods, etc... **

Oceanside Tackle and Marine
364 South Street,
O'Connor, Perth WA
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Yes KC you've hit the nail right on the head.
You say the problem maybe that the 'rod is insufficient'! The hits I experienced pulled the top ring into the water as the rod folded up completely, a Conoflex boat 20lb IGFA with cropped top and the load on me was tremendous. To further support your analysis I have a confirmed abdominal hernia from this experience. I'm in for surgury later this month, the cost of which could have brought me a top flight rod/reel combo! AND no (slap wrist) I was not wearing a rod belt, a lesson for us all there!
I am at present using a Shimano beastmaster 5.5ft, 60-150gm jig rod, not ideal, but it can stop fish in the 20kg range. The reel is a Saltiga 4500 so at least I have drag reliablity.
Honsu, FYI the intro, signed by Charles Perry, on the 'Cockpit Chaos' video box says "a mistake and bad timing as Stewart Cambell gets snatched from the fighting chair- -by a blue marlin on 30lb test" end quote. Perhaps we'd better leave it there but I am going to watch it again.

I agree with you there Honsu, that bloke was pulled over because of poor technique, allowing the leader to coil around tip. Then BAM!

Just watched some of the I-FISH Dvd's where they were jigging for sambo's and one of them gets pulled over the side when the boat pitched. Not to sure if it was a set up or not (the fact he wasn't wearing his $200 sunnies at the time might be a clue, not %100 though).

I could believe slightly that it might have been due to the pitch, and his rod. Its not balanced, and PULLS the angler forward.

which rod is it? I've mentioned it before ;) ;)

But I wouldn't really know, it just looks stupid. poor technique, or a stunt, or poor gear, whatever, it just makes the angler look like a muppet.

No worries, I'll leave it at that.
Lets get back to the topic, fighting/fishing technique. For me if the fish does take his head down and dogging it, I tend to lend back, bend the knees, like you would using heavy standup tackle, basically keep your body's center of gravity down so you have more leverage on the fish. I'd also try to lock my rod holding arm straight so there's less strain on my forearm. Of coz bend your arms to lift the rod up.

Basically adapt the traditional standup tackle technique to jigging. Otherwise wear a harness system.

**Oceanside = Van Staal, Shimano, Penn, Jigmaster rods, etc... **

Oceanside Tackle and Marine
364 South Street,
O'Connor, Perth WA
Ph# 9337 5682
Fishing/Boating/Dive/Marine
** OPEN 7 DAYS **

Here's a pic where everything I just said above went out the door. Forget any techniques, just pray the fish is not too big to land.

[img_assist|fid=48377|thumb=0|alt=Outermark Topaz 3'6"|caption= ]

**Oceanside = Van Staal, Shimano, Penn, Jigmaster rods, etc... **

Oceanside Tackle and Marine
364 South Street,
O'Connor, Perth WA
Ph# 9337 5682
Fishing/Boating/Dive/Marine
** OPEN 7 DAYS **

What the hell are you playing at Honsu? Hehe.

Well, did you boat it and what was it?

John

lol....just a bunch of rat sambos to 10kg.
Love this multi-purpose canoe stick. 3'6" 3-6kg and able to deadlift 2kg. Btw I was in 90m of water there.

**Oceanside = Van Staal, Shimano, Penn, Jigmaster rods, etc... **

Oceanside Tackle and Marine
364 South Street,
O'Connor, Perth WA
Ph# 9337 5682
Fishing/Boating/Dive/Marine
** OPEN 7 DAYS **

Wow honsu thats one hell of a photo. I've NEVER seen a rod bend that much! If it never broke did it recover from the punishment? I've tested a great many rods and they have ALL snapped before attaining such a curve. I'm gonna keep the picy just to show what a real bannana can look like.
Thanks all for your contributions. Now I'm looking for a rod that "fights the fish and not the angler".

Look for fibreglass rods mick,
an ugly stik pretty much do that

Pump iron to drop iron!

Didn't the (now retired) British shot putter Geoff Capes tie a knot in an Ugly stick in one of the Shakespeare ads many years ago? Yeh I know some of you wern't born then but some of the vets may remember?
I'm gonna get myself one of those Diawa Saltiga SG55S jig rods, they seem to be the right sort of stik to give the fish some! Anyone out there experience of this brand or model. I'm thinkin that the shorter one will give me a better leverage, my mate thinks otherwise so he plans to get the longer version! We can check them out alongside each other. I'll keep yo'all posted on events.
Whats the rep stats you gym jiggers doin?
Forever a sportfishermen.