Jigstick Preferences...

[EricM]

Hey Guys,

I'm looking into getting a new jigstick for throwing surface iron, megabait type baits, and heavier iron for possible yo-yo'ing in a pinch. What are your preferences when it comes to fishing a jigstick from a kayak? Long for longer casts? Shorter for ease of casting? What?


Thanks


Eric

[Siebler]

Most people on kayaks tend to fish a 7-8 foot rod and really it works fine. I however fish a 9' stick, mainly because that is what I am used to and I can cast much further with it. Just dont get something too light. The larger irons like the 7x or 45 really should be fished on 40+ line with a tight drag. You are not going to break 40lb on a fish (especially on the kayak) becasue your drag on most reels does not have the stopping power.

Just remember that if you want to yoyo, the shorter rod will be much better. I have got quite a few YoYo 25lb+ YT on my 9'3" Ulua and they have absolutely kicked my butt. That is why I wrapped my Super Seeker 7' rod specifically for Yoyo and heavy bait. I usually keep 50lb on this stick.

My suggestion is get a 8'-9' Jig Stick for just surface irons, surface megabaits, big poppers, whatever. pair it up with a Neweel 332 or 338 or one of the Daiwa Sealines. Then get a 6'-7' stick that will handle 40-60lb for fishing heavy bait and YoYo. It works much better this way IMO.

[THE DARKHORSE]

Originally Posted by bassboyc

Most people on kayaks tend to fish a 7-8 foot rod and really it works fine. I however fish a 9' stick, mainly because that is what I am used to and I can cast much further with it. Just dont get something too light. The larger irons like the 7x or 45 really should be fished on 40+ line with a tight drag. You are not going to break 40lb on a fish (especially on the kayak) becasue your drag on most reels does not have the stopping power.

Just remember that if you want to yoyo, the shorter rod will be much better. I have got quite a few YoYo 25lb+ YT on my 9'3" Ulua and they have absolutely kicked my butt. That is why I wrapped my Super Seeker 7' rod specifically for Yoyo and heavy bait. I usually keep 50lb on this stick.

My suggestion is get a 8'-9' Jig Stick for just surface irons, surface megabaits, big poppers, whatever. pair it up with a Neweel 332 or 338 or one of the Daiwa Sealines. Then get a 6'-7' stick that will handle 40-60lb for fishing heavy bait and YoYo. It works much better this way IMO.

I usually don't respond to these threads about jig-stick preference, since most kayak anglers are sold on the shorter rods. I understand the leverage aspect very well, and no doubt a big Yellowtail will kick your ass on the long-rod (that's the fun part). But.....I usually here the "short rod is better for surface-iron on a kayak" from guys that don't even catch Yellowtail on the surface-iron . Nothing against the guys that are sold on the shorter rods for surface-iron from the kayk, do as you wish. The facts are the facts though, and without a doubt you will cast farther with a 9' jig-stick. The whole purpose for a jig-stick is distance, to allow Yellowtail enough "follow time" to commit to the jig. Sure, if you cast near a foaming school of Yellowtail destroying everything in their path, a seven foot rod may do, I guess. The reality of the situation is these sights are far and few between, and breazers just below the surface are the norm. Even if you make a perfect cast on a school of Yellowtail with your 7'-8' rod, they don't have enough "follow time" before they see the kayak. Again, do as you wish, and leverage is good when pulling on giant fish, but I'll take a Yellowtail kicking my ass on the long-rod over watching Yellowtail turn away right off my bow anyday . What ever you do, don't go whippy/flimsy on the long-rod. With length you need to balance that with a little beef (rods rated 30 (40) 60 are best), to minimize the dreaded "professional over-run", and only fish #40 . After using many different kinds of jig-sticks, I settled on the exact same stick as the gentlemen above. In my opinion, they don't get any better, just more expensive. The Seeker Ulua 93H is on the heavy side, but it's perfectly balanced to throw any jig a mile (especially the Salas 7X ), with enough power to handle any fish in the ocean, or Knothead. I use it for the yo-yo all the time, and yes a 30 lb + Yellowtail will kick your ass on it. Just like when you catch a Yellowtail this size on the surface-iron, no difference, as every Yellowtail goes straight down after slamming the jig anyway. For surface iron, I also fish a tight drag to insure a good hook set, it's an isntant sleigh ride, and the fact that your kayak is moving after hook-up there is less pressure on the fish anyway. For the yo-yo, I fish a slightly lighter drag as they usually have an inferior hook placement compared to eating a surface-iron that they followed.

Eric, I read your earlier post, and you mentioned being a little tight on cash, but don't underestimate the value of a good jig-stick (Bloody Decks used). My advice is go cheap on a couple of heavier shorter bait rods 40-60 lb, and one can act as your yo-yo set up in a pinch. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on the winter action, and you can catch your beloved Calico Bass anytime. Good luck!

[Useful Idiot]

I use a Calstar 850L (900XL with 6" slammed in the door of my truck).