Jigging for salmon is an exciting and effective fishing technique that is gaining popularity among anglers. With the right gear, technique, and location, jigging can help you hook trophy-sized salmon. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to get started jigging for salmon.
What is Jigging for Salmon?
Jigging involves vertically working a weighted lure up and down in the water column to imitate an injured baitfish. The jig’s erratic action triggers reaction strikes from aggressive salmon. While trolling covers more water horizontally, jigging allows you to thoroughly fish a promising area by covering the water column from top to bottom.
Why Jig for Salmon?
There are several advantages to jigging for salmon compared to trolling:
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Feel the exhilarating strike – You get to feel the salmon smash your jig instead of waiting for a trolling rod to bounce
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Actively fish – Jigging is an active fishing style requiring your participation. You get to work the rod and reel instead of waiting for a trolling strike.
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Versatility – Jigging works for salmon in both open water and shallow bays. You can catch salmon anywhere from right under the boat to 300 feet down.
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Fun factor – The hands-on experience of jigging is a rush. You’ll be instantly hooked once you feel the powerful surge of a 20 pound salmon on the end of your line!
Best Salmon Jigging Locations
Prime jigging spots include harbor mouths, river mouths with deep pools, underwater structure, dropoffs, and anywhere baitfish congregate. Focus on depths of 30-150 feet. Ideal areas include:
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Points – Salmon often hold in ambush along points.
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Kelp beds – Find salmon patrolling the edges of kelp forests.
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Trolling lanes – Where boats troll and catch salmon. Obviously an area of active fish.
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Sonar marks – If you see big arcs on your fish finder, drop a jig!
Salmon Jigging Gear
Having the proper jigging rod, reel, and line combo is critical for success. Here’s a look at recommended gear:
Rods
A 7-8 foot fast action medium-heavy spinning rod or baitcasting rod rated for 20-50 lb test line is ideal. The moderate length and powerful backbone help drive big hooks home. Longer steelhead rods can work too but are unwieldy.
Reels
Pair your rod with a quality smooth-drag reel capable of holding 200+ yards of 30 lb braided line like PowerPro. Spinning reels like Shimano Stradic or Daiwa BG work well, as do low-profile baitcasters.
Line
Use braided line from 20-50 lb test. Braid gives you excellent sensitivity to feel bites and provides extra strength to muscle big fish from deep water. Top it with a 3-5 foot fluorocarbon leader.
Lures
Stock a variety of weights from 1/2 oz up to 8 oz to reach fish at any depth. Premium jigs like the Point Wilson Dart or Shimano Butterfly Jigs elicit savage strikes. Carry an assortment of colors like white, chartreuse, green, blue, and silver.
How to Jig for Salmon – Technique
With the right gear in hand, you are ready to catch salmon. Follow these jigging tactics:
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Find Fish – Use your electronics to locate arcs and blobs that indicate salmon. Position the boat or cast your jig to place the lure right in front of fish.
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Get Deep – Determine the depth fish are holding at with your fish finder. Use a heavy enough jig to reach the strike zone and stay vertical as you jig.
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Work the Rod – Aggressively lift the rod tip 1-4 feet in a jerking motion. Let the jig flutter straight down on a semi-slack line. The erratic fall triggers ferocious strikes.
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Vary Retrieval – Switch up jigging cadence every few minutes. Try some lifts more gently. Drop quickly. Pause halfway up. Keep them guessing.
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Stay On Fish – Boat position is key. Use your trolling motor or anchors to stay over fish. Follow fish that sound and relocate.
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Sharpen Hooks – ensure treble hooks are needle point sharp. It’s cheap insurance to replace trebles frequently.
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Watch Line – Focus on line at the rod tip for any pause or ticks that indicate a subtle pickup. Set the hook immediately when anything seems “funny”.
Putting it All Together
The most effective approach is to first troll to find active salmon. Once you locate a school, toss out markers or record the location on your GPS. Get lines out of the water, then thoroughly jig fish each zone you find before moving on.
Troll shallow divers near shore. Work mid-depths off points and ledges. Target deep structure off the shelf. Salmon location and depth constantly changes. Adapt your strategy hour to hour to stay on biting fish.
Jigging Etiquette
When jigging around other anglers, be courteous. Avoid crossing trolling lanes repeatedly. Don’t drop anchors in trollers’ paths. Communication via radio when jigging near trollers avoids conflicts. We all share the water.
Jigging for salmon provides an adrenaline filled experience. With the right jigging rods and reels, sharp jigs, and proper technique, you can enjoy red-hot action reeling in chrome bright salmon. Target fish-holding structure at depths salmon are actively feeding. Keep varying your jigging strategy until you dial in what triggers strikes each day. Invite friends and family – jigging is fun for all ages! Follow this guide and you’ll fill your cooler with tasty salmon fillets in no time.
Best Length Of Jigs For Salmon
I’ve touched on this a bit already, so let me summarize this for you.
When float fishing with jigs, I prefer jigs from 1 inch to 3.5 inches in length, with 2.5 inches being around my go-to length.
When twitching jigs for salmon, I like loner jig from 2.5″ to 5 inches, with 3.5″ to 4″ inches being my go-to length.
If the jigs you buy are not that long, just add a twister tail or paddle tail minnow to the hook to add length.
Float Fishing With Jigs
Jig fishing with floats is not much different than how I float fish for salmon with any bait, with one exception.
The other way that I float fish with jigs for salmon is to jiggle or pull the float as it floats down the river.
To jiggle the float, I will hold the rod tip high and jiggle it, which, if the line is tight, will jiggle the float, and that will jiggle your jig and give it a really cool life-like movement. I have seen salmon crush a jiggled jig so hard that it almost rips the rod out of my client’s hands.
In fact, it can be so good, and they hit so hard that I won’t use this method with beginners because I don’t want them to lose their rod or mine.
The other method is to pull back the float and release it about every 5 or 10 feet. This elevates the jig and then drops it, which causes an up-and-down jigging-type motion. This can also entice salmon to grab the jig.
Sometimes, the salmon are not actually eating, but they will smash a jig out of instinct, or aggression, or because it’s in their territory. Whatever their reason for biting, a jig under a float can be very effective. See Float Fishing For Salmon for more info.
How to JIG for Salmon | Complete in Depth Guide for Beginners
FAQ
What is the best jig for salmon fishing?
The 1-ounce and 2 1⁄4-ounce Point Wilson Dart Candlefish and 1-ounce and 2-ounce Point Wilson Anchovy jigs are all proven salmon-getters, as is the KandleFish jig from Yellow Bird Products, available in sizes from one-sixth of an ounce to 6 ounces.
What is the best rig for salmon?
A standard setup for salmon often consists of a snap swivel at the end of the mainline, a leader from 12-48” to a single hook with egg loop, a corky on the line above the hook, and yarn on the hook (Photo 1).
What is the best lure for salmon?
Our Pros rank ScentFlash UV, Double D Dodger, Rock Dancer, Wiggle Hoochie as top lures for fishing Salmon.
Do jigs work for salmon?
As a general rule, that means use a smaller, lighter jig when the salmon are closer to the surface, when there’s little wind or current or (maybe) when you’re fishing very light, small-diameter line.
Can You jig fish for salmon?
Jigs can work in any type of water anytime the salmon are in the river. Some anglers will also fish the river mouths and the beaches or shoreline beside the mouth of the river, and they can do very well with jigs. There are multiple ways to jig fish for salmon, but there are three methods that are used the most by river guides.
How do you Jig a salmon?
When salmon are being pressured by other anglers that are using popular bait like eggs, worms, or beads, jigs under a float or twitched and ripped through a pool can be the best method. Jigs can work in any type of water anytime the salmon are in the river.
Can You Jig a salmon in summer?
As summer progresses, the salmon move into shallower water closer to shore. This means that you can leave the downriggers at home and get jigging. What is Salmon jigging? Jigging is also known as jerk fishing (and no, “jerk fishing” has nothing to do with that guy who monopolizes the launch ramp on a busy day).
What size jig should I use for salmon twitching?
When twitching jigs for salmon, I will use heavier jig heads from 1/4oz, 1/2oz, and 3/4oz to 1 ounce in the heaviest and deepest flows. 1/2-ounce jigs are my go-to in medium-depth and medium-speed currents.
When should you use a fish jig?
As a general rule, that means use a smaller, lighter jig when the salmon are closer to the surface, when there’s little wind or current or (maybe) when you’re fishing very light, small-diameter line.
Are twitching jigs effective for catching salmon?
Twitching Jigs have become one of the most mainstream techniques for catching Salmon in rivers. If you have tried this technique and want to give tying your own jigs a shot, this post is for you.