Non-Fly Jig Twitching pointers

[SilverFly]

I've been mostly out of the river gear-fishing loop for a couple decades now, and haven't given jig twitching for coho a proper try. I've had some success with weighted flies in frog water and in deep pools, but seems to me there must be some similarities with twitching jigs. What I've heard is they usually (always?) hit on the drop. Beyond that I know squat about the technique.

Mostly interested in rods/reels/lines and presentation techniques. And also any thoughts on how they might behave differently on specific rivers or run timing. Not looking for any spot info, I know exactly where/when I want to try this. Jig colors/sizes also good discussion points.

 

[Stonedfish]

Jigs size would be 3/8 and 1/2 oz.
Colors would be black, purple or blue. I like a chartreuse head with those colors. Just a confidence thing.
4-4.5” hoochie skirt over a jig head in those same colors work well.
Spinning rod would be shorter than 8’.
SF

 

[Divad]

Don’t forget red/white! River jigging I’d take a 7.5 or 7ft. Mainline braid and short leader of fluoro. Get ready for a missile to come back at you too either on a failed take or when you forget how close you are

There are nicer rods out there but I own a medium 7’ Okuma SST with plenty of abuse and still going strong. I’d probably prefer a 7’6” for more of a do it all rod. Find some cheap jig heads when getting back into it cause you’ll lose A LOT.

And all the jig fisherman I run into during salmon season are usually c***s so be an a$$ hat to fit the mold or else you’ll stand out. Don’t want to break any stereotypes.

 

[Chadk]

I've used small crappie jigs up to big striper jigs for coho. I've also taken kings, steelies, and lots of chum of twitching jigs. And tons of humpies of course. A couple SRC and dollies on accident. They all prefer a bit different jigging approach. You also need to account for the conditions. High colored water - you go big and aggressive. Low clear water and pressured fish - smaller and more drab colors - more subtle presentation. I prefer a longer rod with a sensitive tip - something a lot of guys would use for a float fishing rod. I want to feel the jig hitting bottom, ticking rocks, and I can tell the belly of a chum or or humpy vs their toothy mouths quite easily and know when to set the hook or let up a bit. If you are snagging fish - you are doing it wrong. Maybe 1 in 20 are foul hooked. But some guys seem to do the opposite simply because they don't know or don't care... The longer rod tends to let me use lighter line. It also lets me have more of a vertical presentation, which I find helps keep me out of snag (rocks and logs) and also from ripping through fish. I want to drop it on top of them, but not into them. Then jig above them looking for that aggressive fish to come smash it. I don't rip like a lot of guys - where they are 'setting the hook' on each cast. Over and over. Don't be that guy. Finesse works much better. I lift in a steady and controlled way, then let it free fall anywhere from 6 to 18 inches. They prefer to hit it on the drop most of the time. And often will be following all the way back, so keep an eye on them. I've caught so many salmon by being patient and observant (polarized glasses help) and dangling it around a few seconds before re-casting.

My favorite jigs - just a plain or painted jig head on a quality hook. Then slip on a pink steelhead worm cut in half. Kinda like a bass 'ned rig'. Size, length, color varies based on fish species targeted and water conditions.

I cast, let drop and count. I pay close attention and want to hit bottom, and then immediately be ready to pick it right off the bottom and start carefully jigging. If the current is right, you can jig in place for quite a while. But usually it is left, drop slack and reel in a little line, left, drop slack while reeling a little line, repeat. If the bottom is snaggy, I figure out where bottom is (counting method) then begin my twitching a second or so before I should be on bottom. Fresh aggressive silvers are the easiest. Hitting the river on the drop after a big rain is also your best bet. When the river is high, colored, and dropping - I use a bigger jig and fish a big grid pattern and quickly cover as much water as I can looking for aggressive fish. When the water is low and clear, I go small, work the deepest pockets, and jig slowly with minimal movement (2 to 6 inch rise and drop). Kings, chums, steelies - stay deep and jig slow with minimal up and down action. Pinks are right in between the coho and kings/chums as far as jig size and twitching action. Just my 2 cents. Lots of guys do it differently. I began doing this over 30 years ago. Well before I heard the term "twitching" being used.

Also, based on David's combat fishing scenario - I avoid fishing where others are as much as possible. Nothing puts the bite off more than a dozen yahoos foul hooking fish left and right and ripping big ugly jigs through a pool. Find a nice quiet spot and you'll find the fish are much more likely to bite.

 

[SurfnFish]

7’ Okuma SST

likely the best pricepoint line of gear rods in the biz...

 

[brownheron]

I like the Nightmare pattern and I tie them very simple. White jig head. Black rabbit strip tied in at the bend to leave a shank length tail, palmer forward to the head, add a red collar of some sort of feather and call it good. As ChadK notes, a rubber worm works just as good but I have a compulsion to tie my own jigs (and flies). Makes no sense that I'm also fine with fishing the shit out of a big plastic bead...

For the twitching part, I like to create a sine wave in the braid. The same sort of motion but much exaggerated is also a great way to drive a 4/0 through a big wad of eggs when float fishing for springers. A friend told me that...

Same as others have noted, short fast rod, strong braid with a flouro bumper. Keep it deep. Keep a few 1/4oz jigs around for when water is low or you'll be constantly snagged but you might need a lighter rod to cast those if your river requires any distance.

I love the take when twitching jigs, it's often super violent. Best for me is when they actually take it on the initial drop from the cast so you feel it on the very first twitch and hell breaks loose.

 

[LBL]

I tried it for the first last year to great success! The most important factor I found was there to be a wack of fish in the river. Then nothing else seemed to matter….

 

[Wetswinger]

Don't forget. Twitching works well of the beach also. Chartreuse or White hoochie skirts work for me...

 

[Matt B]

My rods and reels for this are Wal Mart grade. I ended up with mono on my jig rod and braid on the small spoon rod. Both 7’ers. They slang the stuff out there good enuff for me at this point. I don’t mind the mono on the jig rod. It’s interesting reading about the subtle approaches. I’m pretty aggressive with my twitch; it is just how I was shown and gets bites for me. So the stretch in the mono isn’t a problem, since I am lifting pretty aggressively, they get hooked. It’s like setting into a brick wall. I don’t snag many fish unless I’m casting into a lockjawed school, in which case I’d try something else. The main thing seems to be dropping the rod tip as quickly as possible to get that dead fall—Thomas’s sine wave? When people don’t do that, seems they don’t hook up.

Yeah hoochies work but why simplify things when I can make them more complex and time consuming?

 

[Stonedfish]

Anyone ever twitch jigs in the saltwater under a float? I'd never seen it done until I ran into a guy on a MA 10 beach many years ago.
The guy was absolutely slaying humpies. He had a small slip float with about a 2' leader under a small weight and a 1/8 oz jig.
He had his bobber stop maybe 3' above his bobber, so about 5' total leader length. He's cast it out, let it settle then draw his rod back 3-4' and let it settle again and repeat. All the hits were on the drop then the float would bury. I think this could easily be effective for salt coho as well. Might be a good technique for kids as well getting the bobber down visual.
SF

 

[Chadk]

Anyone ever twitch jigs in the saltwater under a float? I'd never seen it done until I ran into a guy on a MA 10 beach many years ago.
The guy was absolutely slaying humpies. He had a small slip float with about a 2' leader under a small weight and a 1/8 oz jig.
He had his bobber stop maybe 3' above his bobber, so about 5' total leader length. He's cast it out, let it settle then draw his rod back 3-4' and let it settle again and repeat. All the hits were on the drop then the float would bury. I think this could easily be effective for salt coho as well. Might be a good technique for kids as well getting the bobber down visual.
SF

Crappie fishing method. Many use it for trout. Especially up at Rufus Woods.

 

[Creatch’r]

Kinda like streamer fishing, no wrong way to do it, whatever cadence is getting the bites is the way to do it. And that can change. I think the fishiest part of the presentation is “the turn” where the jig transitions from coming downstream to going against the current in a little arc. Positioning yourself to maximize “the turn” where the fish are holding will definitely result in more bites. When I’m tossing jigs into a pool whether on foot or in a boat, shuffling 5’ at a time up or downstream can help dial in the sweet spot where you are showing them the jig at just the right angle to get maximum bites. You’ll know when you find it. Stay above the fish, they will come get it when they want it. Snagging fish is no bueno and if it’s happening too much something is off, most likely simply too deep. I fish an 8’6” spin rod with 30# braid and 6’ of 20# maxima UG. I’m not sure rod matters all that much. I’ve used the twitch specific rods and wasn’t blown away but YMMV. I like 3/8 and 1/2oz but have fished as heavy as 1oz in big water and as light as 1/4oz in small water or shallow lies. I tie all mine but totally realize I’d probably do just as well with a hootchie or worm but what’s the fun in that?

 

[Matt B]

Anyone ever twitch jigs in the saltwater under a float? I'd never seen it done until I ran into a guy on a MA 10 beach many years ago.
The guy was absolutely slaying humpies. He had a small slip float with about a 2' leader under a small weight and a 1/8 oz jig.
He had his bobber stop maybe 3' above his bobber, so about 5' total leader length. He's cast it out, let it settle then draw his rod back 3-4' and let it settle again and repeat. All the hits were on the drop then the float would bury. I think this could easily be effective for salt coho as well. Might be a good technique for kids as well getting the bobber down visual.
SF

That's basically float-n-fly, right? With some action on it. Sounds deadly.

 

[Pink Nighty]

Twitching jigs is the best upriver salmon method I've ever encountered. Responsible for day of 40+ chinook between the wife and I, and more chum than I can count.

It makes sense. Jigs get right down to fish level and drop fast enough that the fish dont have time to move. They are suddenly appearing coming right at them and BOOM! They strike it because they cant do anything else.

If they're chasing the jig, break out the spey rod you wimps! You've got players in the hole!

 

[Evan B]

Been using a ML action bass rod the last few years for this, but finally treated myself to a Trevala Light action jigging rod. Really excited to run that. Trevalas are my favorite rod ever. I have 6 of them now - the rest I use for tuna and lingcod/rockfish.

 

[SilverFly]

Been using a ML action bass rod the last few years for this, but finally treated myself to a Trevala Light action jigging rod. Really excited to run that. Trevalas are my favorite rod ever. I have 6 of them now - the rest I use for tuna and lingcod/rockfish.

This one?

Fishing Tackle, Lures, Reels, Rods, Gear, Fly | TackleDirect

www.tackledirect.com

 

[Evan B]

This one?

Fishing Tackle, Lures, Reels, Rods, Gear, Fly | TackleDirect

www.tackledirect.com

Yeah that's the ML. My jig twitcher is the L. My tuna rods are M and MH.

 

[SilverFly]

Yeah that's the ML. My jig twitcher is the L. My tuna rods are M and MH.

I'd like lighter for the river, but thinking the ML could serve dual-duty. I can wait til next year for a new jig stick. Forgot what I last used to pitch spinners so dug through my gear. It's a Cabelas 3pc "Salt Striker" spin outfit I got as a travel rod. 7', 10-20# test, med/fast action. Took it to Hawai'i and a few other places. Actually a decent outfit. Based on what everyone is saying so far, I don't think I'll need to get a new rod this fall.

 

[Stonedfish]

That's basically float-n-fly, right? With some action on it. Sounds deadly.

Yep, same premise, just set-up slightly different due to the leader and small weight under the float.
SF

 

[Chucker]

Anyone ever twitch jigs in the saltwater under a float? I'd never seen it done until I ran into a guy on a MA 10 beach many years ago.
The guy was absolutely slaying humpies. He had a small slip float with about a 2' leader under a small weight and a 1/8 oz jig.
He had his bobber stop maybe 3' above his bobber, so about 5' total leader length. He's cast it out, let it settle then draw his rod back 3-4' and let it settle again and repeat. All the hits were on the drop then the float would bury. I think this could easily be effective for salt coho as well. Might be a good technique for kids as well getting the bobber down visual.
SF

That’s how I get my non-fishing friends into a few humpies. I don’t use a slip bobber though, just a weighted bobber of some variety, 4’ leader, 1/8 - 1/4 oz jig (depending on what I have handy). Heavy flies also work.