I have been using these jigs for a while now and with excellent results. Below I will give some tips on their use and also a video of how I work them.
There have been more than three years since I first fished in saltwater in the UK and I remember among the first lures that I used were of course metal jigs. In amongst them were some japanese madai jigs that I had also bought as they were all the rage at the time in Greece. I had good results on them with pollock especially on Cumbria's St Bee's head. The years passed and I had almost forgotten about these lures as the more 'normal' jigs were perfectly adequate and more generalised in their targets. Moreover I almost abandoned the heavier gear in favour of LRF/HRF.
It wasn't until I started using smaller bottom/slow jigs in lrf that I thought of giving them a go where distance was needed. I also bough some more of them, intended for use on the lighter gear. Most of them where the easily sourced Duel Salty baits that became a favourite of mine. This jig has an offset hook and a small muppet that I though of replacing it with some Berkley Gulp sandeels that I had knocking about imitating the Americans as they do in bucktailing and jigging.
Now the lure had added scent from the gulp and I also noticed it gave the sandeel a nice wiggle on the retrieve. The fish really showed preference to this presentation and I could even adjust it according to species. For example using gulp prawns and jerky slow retrieves with long pauses for wrasse, or slim type soft plastics and gulp for more streamlined 'flowing' presentations targeting pollock on steady retrieve.
They are good to be used as they are but I believe the addition of scent/feel with the softplastics/gulp markedly improves their effectiveness. For those jigs that have muppets on (like inchikus, engetsu etc) I fill the muppet with some scent like pro-cure and it works really well on codling especially.
I work them with three types of retrieve as shown in the video and I usually mix n match to see whats best for the day.
I got reminded today of their effectiveness while fishing in Loch Fyne. There were strong easterly winds and a bright sunny day which put off the fish from feeding and although I tried everything the bites were just not coming.. Caught a few tiddlers early on with the Salty bait, but even that was proving hard to tempt the fish. It was clear that the fish wanted scented lures instead of the usual soft plastics and so I persisted with the Salty/gulp combo hoping that the wind will die down later on and fish would come to the feed.More over codling are tightly shoaled now and if I found the shoal it could be easier to get them due to competition. Another bonus of jigging (even slow type) is that you can cover water fast. Thus I fished all around the harbour with minimal bites until I reached the outside of the wall in the western side that was the most protected area from the wind. The sun was going down and finally the first bites started coming. I then proceeded in catching a fish a cast until sundown! Codling of around the pound mark were attacking my jig and finally provided some fun in a very slow day.
The weather is really going into winter mode now and the fish respond accordingly.I don't seem to get wrasse now and the pollock have quietened down but the codling more than make up for them as they are the mainstay of my fishing now. I'm interested to see how the fishing changes and unfolds for the remainder of my season here.
Tight lines!
There have been more than three years since I first fished in saltwater in the UK and I remember among the first lures that I used were of course metal jigs. In amongst them were some japanese madai jigs that I had also bought as they were all the rage at the time in Greece. I had good results on them with pollock especially on Cumbria's St Bee's head. The years passed and I had almost forgotten about these lures as the more 'normal' jigs were perfectly adequate and more generalised in their targets. Moreover I almost abandoned the heavier gear in favour of LRF/HRF.
It wasn't until I started using smaller bottom/slow jigs in lrf that I thought of giving them a go where distance was needed. I also bough some more of them, intended for use on the lighter gear. Most of them where the easily sourced Duel Salty baits that became a favourite of mine. This jig has an offset hook and a small muppet that I though of replacing it with some Berkley Gulp sandeels that I had knocking about imitating the Americans as they do in bucktailing and jigging.
Now the lure had added scent from the gulp and I also noticed it gave the sandeel a nice wiggle on the retrieve. The fish really showed preference to this presentation and I could even adjust it according to species. For example using gulp prawns and jerky slow retrieves with long pauses for wrasse, or slim type soft plastics and gulp for more streamlined 'flowing' presentations targeting pollock on steady retrieve.
They are good to be used as they are but I believe the addition of scent/feel with the softplastics/gulp markedly improves their effectiveness. For those jigs that have muppets on (like inchikus, engetsu etc) I fill the muppet with some scent like pro-cure and it works really well on codling especially.
I work them with three types of retrieve as shown in the video and I usually mix n match to see whats best for the day.
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| Where short bites expected... |
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| Ling are not that uncommon now! |
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| Engulfed! |
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| Codling on the luminous salty bait and gulp, very effective in deep waters and low light conditions.. |
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| A different rigging... |
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| loud colours are good, especially in deeper water. |
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| LRF style... |
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| Adding scent in the muppet is very effective. |
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| Senkos add more weight... |
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| ...and do work! |
I got reminded today of their effectiveness while fishing in Loch Fyne. There were strong easterly winds and a bright sunny day which put off the fish from feeding and although I tried everything the bites were just not coming.. Caught a few tiddlers early on with the Salty bait, but even that was proving hard to tempt the fish. It was clear that the fish wanted scented lures instead of the usual soft plastics and so I persisted with the Salty/gulp combo hoping that the wind will die down later on and fish would come to the feed.More over codling are tightly shoaled now and if I found the shoal it could be easier to get them due to competition. Another bonus of jigging (even slow type) is that you can cover water fast. Thus I fished all around the harbour with minimal bites until I reached the outside of the wall in the western side that was the most protected area from the wind. The sun was going down and finally the first bites started coming. I then proceeded in catching a fish a cast until sundown! Codling of around the pound mark were attacking my jig and finally provided some fun in a very slow day.
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| Nice codling from today. |
The weather is really going into winter mode now and the fish respond accordingly.I don't seem to get wrasse now and the pollock have quietened down but the codling more than make up for them as they are the mainstay of my fishing now. I'm interested to see how the fishing changes and unfolds for the remainder of my season here.
Tight lines!
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