The Jig: Steelhead Fishing Dynamite

Jigs are fast becoming the number one fishing technique used for steelhead fishing. One reason jigs have become so popular is their ease of use. You find a place you want to fish. You determine the depth of the hole your fishing. Then adjust your float to that depth and you are fishing.

It is a good idea to use a longer steelhead rod then you may normally. I like rods in the eight to ten foot range. The longer rod allows me to keep the line from my float to my rod tip out of the current and presents a more natural drift. You can use the shorter rods though I use shorter rods in the smaller steams that I fish. They are easier for me to control especially when the bank is grown over with willows and other shrubs. I also like to use a swivel and a lighter leader so if I do hang up I do not lose my float along with my jig.

Say the hole has long seam where fast and slow currents come together. You estimated the water to be five feet deep. Then adjust your float so that your jig is four feet below your float when it hits the bobber stop and you are ready. Cast your line up-steam out where the seam of the faster current mingles with the slower current and simply let the current drift your jig down through the hole. Keep an eye on your float if it is stopping or bouncing as it drifts you will need to reduce the depth at which you are fishing. If you see this happening, you should reel in and make this adjustment before you snag up. Jigs like to find a rock and I am sure that they crawl under them just so you will not be able to cast them back out again. Make sure you adjust them so they do not get a chance to hang or you will be tying on a new jig.

Most of the time when jig fishing you don’t need to be right on the bottom. Steelhead will move up quite a distance to take a jig. If you feel that, you are drifting over the top of the steelhead and not getting strikes. You can lengthen the distance between you float and jig a little with each cast. Once you see your float bouncing and stopping again reel in, shorten the distance between your float, and jig by about a foot. You are now drift the hole it what I call the strike zone.

Once you have, the depth set you can start fishing in earnest. Make sure you cover the entire drift buy make three or four cast in the same location. Then Cast out a foot or two farther for three or four cast. You will want to continue this until you are sure that you have covered all of the fishable water. It is important that you make a cast in the same location four three or four times. Steelhead will often just ignore your jig the first time that it passes them. When it keeps floating by, they are likely to hit it just because it is bothering them.

Steelhead fishing has a complex quantity of rules and you will learn that many of them work. However, you will find that not all of them work all the time. It is a good idea if you are fish a drift that you know has steelhead in it and you have not gotten any strikes that you change things up. You may want to try some type of attractant. Try adding a small spawn sack, maybe a small piece of shrimp, or even one of the many scents that are available today. Change colors and the size of your jigs if your old faithful jig is not working.

There will be times where for what ever reason the steelhead are suspend in the river and not hanging on the bottom like normal show do not be afraid of raising your jig off the bottom if you are not having any luck fishing deep.

As with any new technique, it may take you a while to master it. Be persistent and give this technique an honest try it works and works well for many Steelhead anglers. Once you realize how productive fishing a jig is you too will be hooked.

Rigging for Jig Fishing Steelhead

Setting up to jig fish is a simple process. All you need is your favorite jig, a float and enough added weight to balance your float.

To weight your float and jig, you have a choice of pencil lead, egg sinker or a slinky. My favorite weight system is the egg sinker in line with my float and jig. The type of weight you use is really a matter of personal preference though. The important part is that the combined weight of your jig and weight allows your float to ride at the proper level in the river. Most floats come with a colored band near the top this is how much of the float that should protrude above the water.

In selecting the best rod and reel for jig fishing, consider the type of water you intend to fish and the size of jigs you will need to use. For tossing jigs weighing 1/4 ounce and more, a level wind reel I feel is the best bet. When fishing tiny jigs with correspondingly small floats and weights, then I would prefer a spinning reel.

Rods for fishing jigs must be long and light. Long rods are necessary to help keep your line off the water as your float drifts its way downstream. Light rods are needed to avoid fatigue over a long season. I like a bait casting rod in the ten to twelve foot range designed for six to twelve pound test lines when fishing larger rivers. On the smaller steams, I prefer a spinning rod in the seven to eight foot length. If you decide to go with a spinning rod, choose one with a slow action rated for 6 to 15 pound test lines.

The choice of a jig is a personal preference. Here are several thoughts to help you with this choice. In low clear water use small jigs in pale shades. Faded pinks, tan, and pale browns are my favorite clear water jig colors. Choose jigs in the 1/32 to 1/8 ounce size range when fishing clear water. If you are going to be fishing big rivers with strong flows, I prefer larger jigs and bright colors. My favorite jig for big water is hot pink, 1/4 ounce weight. Chartreuse, black, orange and black, red and white are others that I like to use. It is always a good idea to try an assortment of colors, as you will find that a color that works well where you normally fish may not be as good when fishing other areas.

When and Where to Use Jigs for Steelhead

It is easier to discuss the times and places where jigs do not work well than it is to list all the times they will work. The steelhead jig relies mainly on color and action to trigger a strike. Therefore, you can expect them to perform poorly in low visibility water. When the visibility is less than two feet it is time to switch to some other type of lure or bait. For similar reasons jigs do not work well in the fast pockets of water in the rivers. In almost every other steelheading water, jigs will prove to be deadly.

Jigs come into their own in slow moving or still water. Which in my opinion is some of the hardest spots to fish for a steelhead with the conventional drifting techniques? With the wiggle of marabou or rabbit fur combined with a small dab of bait or scent, jigs are deadly. Jigs are the most effective steelhead lure you can use in slow or still water.

Jigs also work well in moderate to fast currents as long as the water has good visibility. In clear water, nothing beats tiny jigs. When tipped with a single egg, a piece of earthworm, or a piece of shrimp they become deadly. In conditions most of us find ourselves fishing, the two to ten foot deep-water jigs work extremely well. Moreover, in a current that is moving at two to four knots the jig will prove to be irresistible to steelhead. As your float bounces along in the wavy surface of the water, the jig mirrors that action right in the heart of the steelhead's den. Few steelhead can resist a brightly colored bit of marabou or rabbit fur that dips and swoops through their living room. Tip your jig with a small piece of shrimp or worm and it is a snack that they cannot refuse.

Jig fishing for steelheads has proven itself repeatedly. Jig fishing is also a great way to start someone out steelhead fishing if they have never been steelhead fishing before. You set them up with a jig show them where they need to drift and tell them that when the float goes under they need to set the hook.

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