Big Game line in 50 pound test .

You ’ ll tie the swivel to the end of the braid using a Palomar knot and then knot on a 24 inch section of mono to act as a leader . If you hang up and can ’ t pop the jig loose , the mono will generally break before the braid . Braid is expensive and you don ’ t want to lose yardage to snags .

With rod and reel in hand , it ’ s time to consider some jigs . I ’ ve used everything from chunks of rebar fitted with hooks to super expensive custom molded models . As far as I ’ m concerned when you consider the jig market today in terms of lure effectiveness , stock hardware and cost , the team at Ahi USA turns out one of the very best lines of jigs available .

Ahi basically offers up two different jigs . The Ahi Assault Diamond Jig and the Live Deception jig . Diamond Assault Jigs are the flagship of the Ahi jig line , but Live Deception jigs have a place in your arsenal too .

Assault Diamond Jigs are available in a range of sizes from 1 to 14 ounces . For anglers fishing central and northern California and southern Oregon 8 , 10 , 12 and 14 ounce models are essential .

Why so many similar weights ? Because water depth , current flow and the speed of the drift determine how much weight you ’ ll want to use . You ’ ve got to have enough weight to get to the bottom , but you don ’ t want a jig that is heavier than it needs to be . More about this in a bit .

While the Assault jig is a slightly modified diamond bar configuration . The Live Deception jig is a different beast . It is an “ anchovy ” shaped jig and it has a very realistic look both in your hand and in the water . I carry Live Deception Jigs in 4 , 6 and 8 ounce sizes on lingcod trips .

Some folks say jig color doesn ’ t matter , others think it matters a lot . I ’ m on the fence . Confidence is huge . I fish a few different colors and have utmost confidence in them .

For Assault Diamond Jigs I like glow white , chrome and blue and Baby Red ( a gold and orange finish that looks like a small red rockfish ). In the Assault Deception Jigs I go with sardine and anchovy finishes .

Before I get into fishing technique I ’ ll mention that I ’ m critical of one aspect of Ahi jigs . As crazy as it sounds , I think the hooks are too strong …. This is only the case because for bottom fish I ’ m working the jigs through craggy rocky terrain and it ’ s snaggy . When using powerful gear , it is often possible to free a snagged jig by bending out the hook . You ’ ll never do this if you snag up with the high quality super strong hooks that come stock on Ahi jigs . Conversely , they won ’ t bend out on a big fish either … Everything is a trade off !

Let ’ s Fish !

As a general often broken rule I use Live Deception Jigs in coastal water that ranges from 40 to 150 feet deep and I use the heavier Assault Jigs further off shore in deeper water .

Rule Number One : Selected your jig weight based on the water depth and conditions . If in doubt about the drift ask the skipper to recommend a jig weight . Generally speaking , you can run a jig that is one half to two thirds as heavy as the sinkers the anglers are using on any given trip .

Rule Number Two : Most of the time to be effective you ’ ve got to cast the jig up drift or “ uphill ” from the boat . As a result , the bow and stern of the boat are the preferred spots on a charter boat for jigging because these areas offer the easiest casting .

Casting the jig up current gives it time to sink to the bottom before the boat reaches the spot where it splashed down . This is important because you ’ ve only got a small window of time and a small zone of the bottom where you can effectively jig .

Everybody has their own quirks . Here ’ s how I jig . I cast the lure uphill and allow it to sink on a semi tight line , gently thumbing the turning spool so that I can keep track of the lure . If I feel a tick or if the line stops before it should . I clamp down with the thumb and set the hook . This is called a “ bite on the drop ” and it doesn ’ t happen super often .

Assuming you don ’ t get hit on the way down you ’ ll feel your jig hit the bottom

the Fish Sniffer staff can ’ t wait to get back over to Dunnigan to visit Linc Raahauge ’ s Pheasant , Chukar and Sporting Clays Club . Raahauge ’ s offers the finest looking game birds you ’ ll find at any bird hunting club and it ’ s surprisingly inexpensive to spend a day hunting at this outstanding facility .

Linc Raahauge ’ s Pheasant , Chukar and Sporting Clays Club is owned and operated by Donna Raahauge .

Raahauge ’ s consists of 2,400 acres spread across both flat fields and rolling hills . On crisp , blue sky mornings the golden hills and cackling pheasants lull

with a thud . Using finesse , reel in the slack between you and the jig without moving the jig . If you drag it , you ’ ll snag it .

When the slack is gone , I sweep the jig up high off the bottom and retrieve line quickly at first and then more slowly as the jig settles back toward the rocks and I drop the rod tip . Immediately I repeat the process with another big lift .

Very often I ’ ll feel a fish inhale the jig during the fall after the first or second sweep …. REEL DOWN , SET HARD , REEL FAST !

During the first two or three sweeps of the rod your line should still be running uphill at an angle , but when the boat catches up with the jig the line will go down at a steep angle .

At this point you want constant contact with the jig and you want it working just over the rocks . Forget the big sweeps now . Instead lift the jig a couple feet and lower it without letting slack form .

by Cal Kellogg

you into a sense that you might actually be visiting the much-storied pheasant hunting grounds in the Dakotas rather than California ’ s Sacramento Valley !

Late this fall , on December 2 to be exact , I ’ ll be hosting an exciting bird shoot at Raahauge ’ s for Fish Sniffer supporters . I ’ ll be bringing out a bunch of prizes and Donna will be offering special event pricing along with a BBQ lunch . I ’ ve hosted a bunch of different shoots at Raahauge ’ s over the years and we always have an outstanding time .

If you ’ d like more information visit Raahauge ’ s on web at www . lincraahauges . com or give Donna Raahauge a call at ( 530 ) 724-0552 .

Once your line starts angling out to the downhill side , it ’ s time to burn the jig in and cast again . If you work the lure downhill you ’ ll snag .

I ’ ve been using a new trick this season and it ’ s working . At the end of my cast when the line starts blowing out downhill , I crank as fast as I can for 10 , 15 or 20 revolutions of the reel handle and then I drop the reel out of gear and abruptly drop the jig while thumbing the spool .

I ’ ve had three big lings inhale my Assault Jigs on the drop using this last-ditch maneuver . Apparently , they were watching the jig as it swam off the bottom and couldn ’ t resist hitting it when the jig lost power and started fluttering back to the bottom .

Well that ’ s it for now , but in an upcoming issue I ’ ll touch on jigging again with the intention of giving some upper level tips for both saltwater and freshwater jiggers !