Float fishing with a jig for salmon and steelhead is one of the most popular and productive methods for pursuing salmon and steelhead because of the many advantages. Less gear is lost to the bottom and snags than other methods of steelhead and salmon fishing, and jigs often times out produce other methods. When other methods are failing, jigs are still producing strikes. The underwater pulsing action of marabou jigs drives salmon and steelhead to strike jigs oftentimes on the first or second pass.
The methods outlined in this article can be used to help with your success when jig fishing for Steelhead or Salmon. We like to use these jig fishing methods with a marabou or schlappen jig when fishing in the Pacific Northwest rivers for Salmon and Steelhead, but these methods will work anywhere you choose to fish including the Great Lakes and more.
First off, to rig up for jig float fishing there are several specific pieces of gear you will want to use. You will want to use a long rod in the 10 foot range, which will be explained later in further detail, a good sliding float, a float stop, a lead alternative sinker like brass, steel, or tungsten (or lead depending on where you are fishing), and a jig.
Some anglers prefer inline sinker weights when fishing jigs but you can also use slip on weights of various sizes tied to or between barrel swivels. The use of a sliding float is helpful because you can adjust the depth that you are fishing at very easily to match the depth of the river. To adjust the sliding float you will need to use a float stop which is essentially just a piece of yarn that is slipped onto the line, tightened, and trimmed. It can be moved up and down your main line to adjust the depth you will be fishing at. This is especially useful when jig fishing lots of varied stretches of water in a day. Usually, you will want to fish your jig 1-2 feet off the river bottom, so it is important to be able to adjust the depth you are fishing to match the specific run or hole you are fishing. Thill and Beau Mac make good sliding floats that offer excellent cast-ability and are easy to spot on the water.
A definite must for float fishing is a floating line like Pline Hydrofloat line which is designed specifically for float fishing or another floating braided line. This lets you see and manage, or mend, your line on the surface and will help you with stronger hook sets. The reason for a longer than normal rod becomes apparent when you are jig fishing and attempting to minimize the drag on your float, and while attempting to keep your line off the water. A rod in the 10 foot range will help you immensely with your line control. The benefit here is the ability to mend, or adjust your line on the water as well as pick it up and get a solid hook set when a fish strikes your jig. When float fishing with a jig, a strike simply looks like your float stopping its downstream motion, or going underwater. The general rule is that anytime you see your float go underwater or behave unnaturally, set the hook!
Many anglers use spinning reels while fishing jigs while others prefer casting reels. It is simply a matter of personal preference. Generally we will use a lighter spinning rod outfit when fishing smaller jigs in micro sizes or when fishing lower flowing or smaller water. When using larger jigs or fishing larger water we like to use casting outfits because of the ability to free spool line out downstream while controlling the spool with the thumb. Whatever your choice, it is important to choose a reel that free spools easily to help in feeding out extra line.
It is extremely important to minimize drag on your rig when float fishing jigs, which again brings us back to the use of long rods and floating lines. Throughout your drift you may have to free spool line out to keep the float standing straight upright in the water. If your line starts to drag and the float turns on its side, you aren't getting a good presentation and aren't fishing your jig correctly. To help fix this problem throw a downstream mend in your line, like you would while fly fishing, to decrease the drag on your line. This may sound confusing but once you get on the water this method will be intuitive and you will understand why it is necessary. You can free spool line out when drifting downstream but don't go too far because if you let too much line out you will have trouble setting the hook and playing your fish back upstream to where you are fishing from.
Fishing with jigs for salmon and steelhead is an immensely popular method, and it is only growing in popularity as the benefits become apparent. Less lost rigs to snags, and the fact that fish love the action of marabou and schlappen feathers underwater make jigs a great option.
North Fork Fishing Outfitters offers hand tied marabou and
schlappen steelhead and salmon jigs at great prices. Our eco friendly
brass bead head jigs are a good environmentally friendly alternative to
solid lead jig heads, and are tied on high quality solid hooks for
powerful hookups.
http://www.northforkfishingoutfitters.com
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