100% - what I'm describing in the first post is seeing all these guys just completely ignoring the drop because they're going so fast.
Non-Fly Jig Twitching - What you all doin!?
- Thread starter Evan B
- Start date
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
What your rod tip does your jig does, i want a 1' -2' drop, the colder the water the smaller the twitch! People sweeping their rod from the water to 12 o'clock are moving their jigs 5' - 8', thats a lot of waisted time in my opinion.
Cover water, I catch more fish than most because my jig is in the zone more. Dont waist time in crap water, but I find Coho in a lot of 0laces people pass up.
Once one has gotten familiar with spots its easy to pick them apart.
Cover water, I catch more fish than most because my jig is in the zone more. Dont waist time in crap water, but I find Coho in a lot of 0laces people pass up.
Once one has gotten familiar with spots its easy to pick them apart.
rooftop
Smolt
Most definitely true. It's honestly changed how I look at "good water" and "bad water."
Oh alright, I’ll give it up as well here, not elsewhere. I don’t twitch in deep pools, ever. Seems to be a complete waste of time. Fast water at the head and also the tail outs. It’s amusing to fish the top alone, catch. Walk by all the guys throwing at the rollers in the deep and then catching in the tail out. Shocking thing is no one ever joins me. I don’t mind
Curious about twitching the NF Nehalem this year, not at the hatchery.
Curious about twitching the NF Nehalem this year, not at the hatchery.
What?! I thought salmon only congregated in pools where there are salmon fishermen standing shoulder to shoulder?
Seriously though, there's a lot of not-so-obvious water that can be very productive. And frequently in not-so-obvious water conditions ... "that's all I have to say about that."
Fish in deep, slow water are too comfortable. You need the fish that are more alert to their surroundings and are on the defensive.Oh alright, I’ll give it up as well here, not elsewhere. I don’t twitch in deep pools, ever. Seems to be a complete waste of time. Fast water at the head and also the tail outs. It’s amusing to fish the top alone, catch. Walk by all the guys throwing at the rollers in the deep and then catching in the tail out. Shocking thing is no one ever joins me. I don’t mind
Curious about twitching the NF Nehalem this year, not at the hatchery.
Timing is key in the deep pools. Fish them during and after a big rain event. Fish are moving and become more aggressive - especially as the water drops and they work out the pecking order for best holding water. And this goes with your comment about comfort vs being on alert/defensive.
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
One of my most productive twitching holes is a big deep eddy across a heavy current. Fish stack up in it and I think are loathe to move out of the way of the jig as theyll end up in the heavy water. I think you nailed it, it's about finding fish that are willing to defend their water. Having only shitty alternatives as escape routes ups the snappiness a bit.
Similar to a tactic I used to do where I'd position directly downstream of fish holding in a soft current. Cast upstream and reel a spinner (or a Steelee spoon) straight into their faces. Bite or flight response.
Question for all you jig twitchers:
Do you guys find scent to be effective? I have made some hoochie jigs for myself and am wondering if scent can make a difference.
The reason why I am asking is because I’ve never really used scent, outside of trolling for Kokanee or trout. When I use hardware in the salt, I never think about putting scent on. But I’m wondering if it can make a difference in the freshwater.
Do you guys find scent to be effective? I have made some hoochie jigs for myself and am wondering if scent can make a difference.
The reason why I am asking is because I’ve never really used scent, outside of trolling for Kokanee or trout. When I use hardware in the salt, I never think about putting scent on. But I’m wondering if it can make a difference in the freshwater.
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Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
In my experience they are reacting to it immediately, dont think they'd have time to use scent to find it. If I was drifting it under a float, sure.
I always add it, any little advantage I can find I will use it. I use the water soluble spray though I use feather jigs only.
rooftop
Smolt
Recently went on an annual buddy fishing trip with some friends who are gear guys. I tied up a bunch of jigs and they held up pretty well. Bottom-left was the most successful, though those rubber worm tails are not very durable. Sadly, about half of them are stuck in LWD on the Satsop and Humptulips now.
Attachments
I am this close to giving up on twitching not because I don’t believe it works, but because I keep loosing my jigs doing it 
. I am usually fishing a 1/2oz jig in froggier water or deeper slower pools. I was wondering if the jig was too deep, but on my last adventure I could clearly see that the jig was positioned well above the fish before catching onto branches or other junk that were too deep for me to see. Should I be tying some lighter ones up? Most of the commercial jigs I see stocked are crazy heavy, I see more jigs 3/4oz or heavier than I do 3/8 oz or lighter
. I am usually fishing a 1/2oz jig in froggier water or deeper slower pools. I was wondering if the jig was too deep, but on my last adventure I could clearly see that the jig was positioned well above the fish before catching onto branches or other junk that were too deep for me to see. Should I be tying some lighter ones up? Most of the commercial jigs I see stocked are crazy heavy, I see more jigs 3/4oz or heavier than I do 3/8 oz or lighter
Losing jigs is just part of the game. That said, I've had far less success in the deep slow pools with jigs than I do in water that's a bit more frothy/moving. I find those big deep pools to hold fish that are too comfortable. I mostly get those to bite something like a Brad's wiggler or big spinner.I am this close to giving up on twitching not because I don’t believe it works, but because I keep loosing my jigs doing it
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
The reason there arent more 3/8 and under is cuz they got bought.....I am this close to giving up on twitching not because I don’t believe it works, but because I keep loosing my jigs doing it
That said, throwing a plastic trailer on your jig will slow your fall rate, pretty significantly with the right plastic. Even a pink worm will cut an inch/second off your fall, a big paddle tail even more so. Second what evan said, jigs arent for deep slack pools in my eyes. I would rather dead drift those with really sparse patterns/eggs or run a thumpy spinner through there. Stealth or shock and awe for that water. However a jig with a really thumpy paddle tail might produce.
Will try that trick with the plastic worm. I have a couple spots where I do pretty well twitching for pinks with 1/4oz marabou jigs and no snags, but I know coho go past as well and folks hook them on dick nites. The waters usually dirty but I guess the depth couldn’t be more than 6-8 feet at the deepest points.
Should 1/4oz jigs be heavy enough for coho as well at that same spot ? Or should I be upping the weights.
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Divad
Whitefish
Booo don’t throw those plastic worms anywhere, and not on jigs especially. I get so sick of finding those everywhere when I body float the rivers in late winter/spring. And on lake bottoms from the bass dudes.
Keep the plastic out and go with rabbit, bou and other materials on your inevitably lost jigs. It’s a matter of when you’ll lose a jig not if. My two cents.
Keep the plastic out and go with rabbit, bou and other materials on your inevitably lost jigs. It’s a matter of when you’ll lose a jig not if. My two cents.
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
This is a very valid point
