Jigging For Kingfish

[Luringbream]

Gday fishraiders, i know theres alot of great 'king' fishers on this site and i was hoping you could pass down some tips on the art of jiggin for kingfish. Recently there was a post in the fish reports forum of a ripper king session in middle harbour using jigs. Ive also heard that jigging can be done offshore at places like 12 mile reef and the peak.

My question is; what type and size of jig is suitable>(both length and weight + pattern), and what are the preffered depths?(can jiggin for kings be done anywhere)

Any help is greatly apprectiated and further tips are welcome..

THanks in advance..

DAN

[netic]

Gday fishraiders, i know theres alot of great 'king' fishers on this site and i was hoping you could pass down some tips on the art of jiggin for kingfish. Recently there was a post in the fish reports forum of a ripper king session in middle harbour using jigs. Ive also heard that jigging can be done offshore at places like 12 mile reef and the peak.

My question is; what type and size of jig is suitable>(both length and weight + pattern), and what are the preffered depths?(can jiggin for kings be done anywhere)

Any help is greatly apprectiated and further tips are welcome..

THanks in advance..

DAN

Mate Jigging for Kings is a very good way of catching them, ordinaraly it is done offshore at places like 12 mile but as you saw last week with Kelvin's post it can also get results in an estuary.

Jig sizes will depend on the depth of water you are fishing.

eg: 100 metres i would use a 250 to 400 gram jig, 50 metres i would use a 100 - 220 gram jig, but this all depends on how strong the current is.

The lightest weight you can use is always the best but you gotta make sure your jig is heading pretty much straight down.

Good brands are River2sea, Daiwa sacrifice and Black Magic have just bought out a new range which look fantastic, Lab jigs are also good.

You want to have a few colours and styles in the box, Lumo's work well, so get a few different ones, but kings will hit a different colour jig from day to day, and some days they will hit everything and other days they wont hit anything, all you can do is be armed with different styles and colours to maximise your chances of getting that monster king

And always remember to only use braid when jigging as Mono has too much strecth and at 100 metres down your 1 metre movement up top will only move the jig 10cm down below

Edited November 14, 2006 by netic

[namesay]

Jigging is really hard work as these kingies LOVE a FAST moving lure. You are pumping and winding a heavy metal jig. IT is not for those who aren't fit or dedicated.

I would suggest that when you jig...anywhere...first find a concentration of bait or the target fish. If you just blindly throw the jig anywhere you will be tired within minutes.

Also everything Netic has said is spot on....one other thing I would add is that jigging is extremely hard on your tackle. It must be up to it otherwise things fall apart pretty quick. The modern jgging gear has made things very easy but it costs more than " standard"gear.

The reels can be overhead or spinning. I prefer spinning reels. They have to have a metal body and not be plastic or graphite. The metal body is stiff and doesn't allow flex into the system. Plastic bodied reels when you put some heavy drag settings on it flex at the bail. This flexing also occurs in the reel seat and the body of the reel. Ultimately it will result in the reel's main shaft bending and the bail arm going out of shape. The next big fish you hook will blow the reel apart or result in the drag ceasing! Believe me it happens....I know from personal experience.

I use shimano stellas and twin powers. Daiwa saltiga range is also great. Thr rods need to light and able to work the jig. I use a shimano t curve jig stick for heavier and deeper waters and a Wilson texalium for shallow waters.

Get the best gear and you'll enjoy your jigging more! CHeers Kelvin

[Luringbream]

Thanks for the replies guys, greatly appreciated. Im heading out this weekend for kingies and i got a pretty good idea where i can find a school, so imma get my sustain and hopefully pull off a kingy or two. Im gettingGgggggd just at the thought of jigging some kingfish! IM PUMPED!! BRING EM ON!!!

I'll let you know how i go..

DAN

[namesay]

Just a small bit of advice...luringbream...I don't know what type tackle you are going to use but I routinely use 50-80lb braid when jigging in deepwater. Typically the leader will be 60-100lb mono.

NOW- if you ever get snagged...this happens a LOT more than people think then you will have upwards of 70-150 meters of braid in the water. I don't know about you but I have not been able to break 50lb braid and have no hope of 80lb. SO unless you want to lose a whole heap of expensive braid, damage your rods and reels, I would suggest you tie on some sacrificial line of a lighter class somewhere so that if you get snagged all you lose is a jig and a couple of meters of mono. Cheers Kelvin

[Guest Saqa]

Just a small bit of advice...luringbream...I don't know what type tackle you are going to use but I routinely use 50-80lb braid when jigging in deepwater. Typically the leader will be 60-100lb mono.

NOW- if you ever get snagged...this happens a LOT more than people think then you will have upwards of 70-150 meters of braid in the water. I don't know about you but I have not been able to break 50lb braid and have no hope of 80lb. SO unless you want to lose a whole heap of expensive braid, damage your rods and reels, I would suggest you tie on some sacrificial line of a lighter class somewhere so that if you get snagged all you lose is a jig and a couple of meters of mono. Cheers Kelvin

As I fish tropical coral reefs a lot I have had this problem many times. Best thing you can do is release some line from the reel and wrap it around a large diameter hand line and use that to apply force. No risk to tackle that way and I have found that the braid just slices through the leader

[namesay]

As I fish tropical coral reefs a lot I have had this problem many times. Best thing you can do is release some line from the reel and wrap it around a large diameter hand line and use that to apply force. No risk to tackle that way and I have found that the braid just slices through the leader

That is a great idea. I don't know how many kilometers of braid I have lost but I now tie some 40lb mono above the leader so that I can break it off when snagged. I know a lot of fishos who do what I do but your idea sounds fantastic...now where is that handline...CHeers Kelvin