The Cayuga Fisher

Jigging for Lake Trout:  Tackle:  The End of it All

Jigging Index  |  Tackle Index  =>  The Jigs

Terminal Tackle:

You are going to get a fair amount of line twist if you don't deal with it properly.  If using mono, fill the reel up, and start fishing.  Don't use a swivel- you want as good a connection to your jig as possible and it's just one more knot that can fail.  It may take several hours for the line to get twisted enough that it becomes a problem.  You'll notice loops forming that get stuck in the rod guides.  This is bad as it stops the descent of the jig!  Even if it pulls through by itself you still don't want this.  At this point, just pull off the last 50-80 feet of line, cut it, and re-attatch the jig.  You can get a lot of use out of a reel full this way.  The relative cheapness of mono makes this the easiest and most effective way to fight twist.

With braid, I do use a swivel.  I don't want to cut line off all the time!  I use a tiny barrel or ball bearing swivel that fits through the rod guides.  Tie this on to the braid, and on the other end, a 6-12 foot fluorocarbon leader of 6-10 lb material.  This helps the line disappear in the water, and the swivel is small enough that it just reels right up through the guides and on the spool.  Fluorocarbon leaders are well worth the expense for all types of fishing, from jigging lakers to fly-fishing small brown trout.  If you have a large fish near the boat and it dives, the swivel can pose a problem (though it's never lost me a fish) as it bangs through the guides.  To prevent this use as short a leader as the fish will allow.  Most of the time 6-8 feet for leader length is fine.  This setup works beautifully!  Rock solid contact with the jig at all times, it maximizes your feel and hook-setting power.

A note on drag: With this setup, it's important to have your drag set properly.  Actually, with either braid or mono it's important to have your drag set properly!  For this style of fishing, I crank it down tighter than I normally would.  Lake Trout have bony mouths and it takes a lot to force a hook through.  Sometimes if I've hooked a brute I quickly dial it down so the fish won't break off.  If you have a baitcasting reel, keep the drag medium-tlight, and thumb the spool on the hooksets for extra power.  I set the drag about 1/2 to 2/3 of my leader's breaking strength.  With a big fish on, I turn it down to around 1/3.  Keeping the drag tight can help get the fish "up and out" quickly and prevent a few lost fish.  Take care though, if it's set too tightly you'll lose fish that either pull free from a hooked lip or break you off.  It's a balance point, but there's a lot of wiggle room to find a drag setting that is comfortable for you.

Jigging Index  | Tackle Index  |  Top  =>  The Jigs