Jigging for Demersals

Have noticed quite a lot of reports and photos lately of people getting into the demersals on jigs.

 

One question i had is are people having more success with jigs that have a plastic squid, or feathers attached to the assist hook, compared to a simple metal jig like a butterfly jig with just a standard assist hook, no fancy decoration around the hook itself?

 

Just curious, pretty new to jigging for demersals and have quite a range of jigs, but few (besides pirates) with dressed up assist hooks.

 

Cheers


hlokk's picture

Posts: 4290

Date Joined: 04/04/08

Never bothered with them

Tue, 2012-05-22 14:07

Never bothered with them myself and still got a heap on jigs. Havent done a back to back comparison though. You'd think the jig is the main bit of the action, not whatever is attached to it. You'll probably get people swearing by either way, but all the other effects including jig choice probably have more effect. Seem rather expensive just to buy the plastic squids sometimes though...

Posts: 917

Date Joined: 04/12/09

 I always use the squid skirt

Tue, 2012-05-22 14:08

 I always use the squid skirt 80% of the time bodie. Find that the fish love them but whitey told me if the current is too high go the plain assists as he believes the jigs action is affected a little. 

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Forever learning with fishing

chrisp's picture

Posts: 1217

Date Joined: 24/05/08

Skirts

Tue, 2012-05-22 14:16

Generally it is easier to get fish on Jigs with the squidly assists and especially good for building confidence when you are starting to get into demersal jigging.I'm a believet that the fish are more interested in the squid than the jig so the jig acts as more of a method of getting the squid to the bottom than attracting a strike through the jigs action and flutter.Once you build confidence in your technique then you can enjoy the challenge of getting them minus the tickler.

Every trip is different however and when the going is tough its best to experiment until something hopefully pays off.

Posts: 254

Date Joined: 19/09/11

spot on id say!

Tue, 2012-05-22 15:45

spot on id say!

Seaquest's picture

Posts: 1132

Date Joined: 22/10/09

Have just started using

Tue, 2012-05-22 15:03

Have just started using skirts on my assits and find I am getting a lot more variety of fish. Don't think it makes much difference with dhuies but other demersals seem more likely to take a jig with a skirted assit.

Keep trying different jigs each drift. If a particular jig doesn't work the first time change it for something different or for a plastic. The amount of times I have drifted over the exact same spot with the same jig and not had a bite, then as soon as I have changed to something else it gets hit straight away.

 

Posts: 179

Date Joined: 24/01/11

 Same as all fishing- keep

Tue, 2012-05-22 17:31

 Same as all fishing- keep changing till it works, fished a charter lasts week i would of changed jigs and assists 20 times through out the day, caught 7 different species from memory and cant say there was a stand out difference.

Cheers Boomer 

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Big hook,

Big bait, 

BIG FISH !!!!!

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

Squid certainly seem to help

Tue, 2012-05-22 17:32

Squid certainly seem to help with unco fish like baldies.

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JohnF's picture

Posts: 2837

Date Joined: 07/07/10

Chrisp is pretty close, but I

Tue, 2012-05-22 19:33

Chrisp is pretty close, but I have had days when no squid assist defiantly outfishes squid assist and vice versa. Definitely squid assists for beginners or if you don't have good jigs. If you have good quality jigs and good technique, it seems a shame to spoil the "challenge" by using squid assists. Must admit, I almost went to squid assists on Saturday when it was slow.

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Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.

grayzeee's picture

Posts: 2283

Date Joined: 09/07/09

whatever puts them in the

Tue, 2012-05-22 19:53

whatever puts them in the esky for me.

most of the time they seem to work better than naked jig, and baldie's are to good a bonus to deny.

suppose it depends what you go fishing for.

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If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am. 

abeldog's picture

Posts: 801

Date Joined: 12/04/10

Agree

Wed, 2012-05-23 18:29

With all the above Bodie.

In the tackle box I have with squid, no squid, fast action, slow action ie Octo.

Depending on the day conditions etc and what you feel comfortable with.

When using jigs, I always starts with pirates, then move to more sleek jigs.

I do prefer to have a squid skirt to attract baldies also.

I also find myself leaning back to plastics

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"People See Things As They Are & Ask Why???

We Can All Dream of Things That Never Were and Ask Why Not!!"( RK )

Bodie's picture

Posts: 3758

Date Joined: 05/11/07

George we really need to

Thu, 2012-05-24 11:24

George we really need to catch up for a fish!!!

 

Plastics only!