Deepwater slow pitch jigging

By Kaz Otsubo - Ocean’s Legacy NZ

It was a long day but was worth giving it a go. We headed out from the gulf in the morning. The original idea was to have a snapper/kingfish session somewhere close, but the weather was too good, so we went further and further. 

The first spot was empty so we went even further to a 400+m spot where we saw good sign and started dropping jigs. Yes, you heard me. Jigs in 400+m. We had some electric reels with bait too but three out of four POBs fished heavy metal jigs on manual reels. 

It took around 5 minutes to get down, but as soon as you started working the jig and lifted it a couple of times [missing words?]. Bang! Got a hit! Winding 400+m on a manual reel seems one hell of a task and it is but not as hard as it may sound. 

You take time to gently lift and wind. Yes it takes time but you get use to the rhythm and the most rewarding part is when you see the fish!

We caught so many bluenose and bass. We even left the spot, still biting!

Now, this type of fishing is called deepwater slow pitch jigging (or deepwater jigging). It is vertical jigging using a metal jig. It requires a specialised rod, a specialised jig, a large spool reel and a long PE braid. We use Ocean’s Legacy Elementus Deep rod and Deep Contact jigs that are designed for deepwater jigging. 

The jig sizes we used on that day were 560g/720g so you need to choose a rod that is capable of working these heavy jigs. We spooled 600-700m of PE3.0 braid on manual overhead reels. However, you can use electric reels and still work the jig. And because you are in deepwater, you want to use a thin braid, which will have less pressure from the current and make less belly. 

The jig size and PE size are important as you want to keep the line vertically straight down to work the jig best. If the current is still strong and your line gets pushed away, you may need to control your drift speed. We also use two sets of twin assist hooks. 

When you use a long metal jig, which is supposed to flutter down, fish can bite the jig from either side, so you want to make sure that you have the best chance to hook up the fish, especially when you are fishing in deepwater.

The technique is quite simple. Once the jig hits the bottom, lift the rod, half wind the reel and drop the rod to follow the slack line. When you start feeling the jig weight, repeat the above. You get a hit when the jig is fluttering down most of the time so you must be ready to strike it when you are following the slack line. 

For bluenose, you can work the jig slowly and fast as they chase the jig well. For bass/hapuku, you need to work the jig slowly around the bottom as they are lazy and wait for the bait.

We fished in 400+m, but you can find those deepwater species in 100+m depending on where you fish. You may also encounter some exotic species. One popular species is called gemfish. They are often not target species for many anglers. However, don’t throw them away. They are actually a great eating species!

Lastly, we are specialised in all types of saltwater jigging. We have been known as the leading slow pitch jigging specialists in New Zealand. Please reach out to us if you would like to know more about deepwater slow pitch jigging.