Jigging is a fishing technique requiring quite a bit of skill from the angler. The angler needs to work the jig to do the desired presentation, whether that be twitching back and forth along the bottom, or jigging up and then falling back down. For the angler to know if the jig is doing what he/she thinks it is, the angler must be able to feel the jig and control the jig adequately. The angler needs to be able to feel a strike, even a soft strike, and set the hook. The rod plays a large part in feeling a strike, and the line plays a large part in maintaining contact and control of the jig.
Most jigging is done by first reaching the bottom with your jig. You can tell you’ve reached the bottom a couple of different ways: keep track of the line coming off the spool by using metered line and knowing your current depth, or watching for your line to go slack after some time in freespool.
In traditional-style jigging, you’ll most likely be using spoons or jig heads with soft plastics. These work best when they maintain contact with the bottom. Your rod, reel, line, leader, and jig setup needs to enable you to feel the jig’s movements along the bottom and sense a disturbance such as a bite.
In vertical jigging, the jig normally reaches the bottom and then is jigged back up. The angler can vary the speed and twitch the rod in a variety of ways to get the desired presentation. It is critical to have a jig that’s heavy enough to fall on the pause in whatever current you’re facing. Jigs used for a vertical jigging technique are normally long and slender to help keep it oriented vertically throughout the water column.
In slow pitch jigging, the jig normally falls to the bottom, is jigged about 30 ft up and falls again. This jig and fall pattern is repeated over and over until a strike occurs. In this case, the jig normally falls in a wobbly and horizontal fashion.
In all cases, the bites can be soft and it’s up to the angler to sense it and set the hook at the appropriate time.
Jigging Works Best When the Reel is Spooled with Braid
When considering what line is best for jigging, keep in mind a few important factors for jigging: anglers need maximum feel, the jig needs to move straight up and down the water column, and the jig’s action can best be controlled when the angler has constant contact with the lure. Braid is the best main line to use for all types of jigging because it has no shock absorption, a small diameter, and very little stretch. No shock absorption allows the angler to feel soft bites and structure. A small diameter helps the line cut through the water easier to keep the jig in a vertical fall. It also increases the line capacity of your reel to ensure you can store the line needed to reach bottom. No stretch allows the angler to stay in constant control of the jig for a proper presentation and to swiftly set the hook.
Although braid is the best choice for the main line when jigging, its susceptibility to abrasion makes anglers frequently attach a monofilament leader. Monofilament has high abrasion resistance to withstand snags on weeds, rocks, or other harsh structure. If you were to tie your jig directly to your main line braid and get snagged on structure, the structure could break the braided line and you’ll lose your expensive jig, or worse—your trophy fish!
Braid also has a downside of being visible to fish. On the contrary, fluorocarbon fishing line is nearly invisible. For anglers fishing in clear waters, a fluorocarbon leader may be the best choice. I’d recommend reading my complete article on the topic of jigging leaders if you get a chance.
Monofilament Fishing Line: Is It Good for Jigging?
Monofilament is characterized by having a lot of stretch, buoyancy, and abrasion resistance. The diameter of monofilament is also much more than the diameter of braided line. This is partially what causes the buoyancy of mono as its harder for a thicker diameter line to cut through the water and let the lure sink. You can see a brief comparison of line diameters for 10, 15, and 30 lb braid and mono in the table below. These qualities make monofilament great for some fishing techniques, but these are exactly the facts that make monofilament a rare choice for all types of jigging.
| Line | Line Pound Test (lb) | Line Diameter |
| Braid: PowerPro Spectra Fiber | 10 | .15mm |
| Mono: Sufix Superior | 10 | .3mm |
| Braid: PowerPro Spectra Fiber | 15 | .19mm |
| Mono: Sufix Superior | 15 | .4mm |
| Braid: PowerPro Spectra Fiber | 30 | .28mm |
| Mono: Sufix Superior | 30 | .55mm |
Monofilament as a main line is not good for jigging because of its stretch and buoyancy. The stretch of monofilament can dampen the angler’s movements intended to work the jig. This will soften the movement of the jig. If there is a situation, jigging for walleye for example, where you find success with slower and more rhythmic jig movements, monofilament as a main line could work. However, 95% of the time, the stretch in mono prevents the angler from feeling what the jig is doing, whether it’s in contact with the bottom or getting a bite. This makes it more difficult on the angler to perform the actions necessary on the jig and prevents the angler from feeling when to set the hook. Monofilament also tends to nearly float which can prevent your jig from sinking. Since jigging relies on first getting your jig to the bottom, using monofilament can be a frustrating choice when jigging.
Jigging around heavy structure can dictate that monofilament be used for a leader line. A monofilament leader would be a way for the angler to get the abrasion resistant qualities to protect the main braided line and protect the jig from breaking off. In this type of environment, I will always rig my jigs with a mono leader to the braid.
What Pound Test Line Is Best for Jigging?
Once you choose to use braid for jigging, the next decision comes immediately to mind, and that is determining what size line to use. The answer varies based on target species, depth, and jigging style. When vertically jigging for walleye, you’ll want to use 6 to 10 lb test line. When slow pitch jigging for amber jacks, grouper or snapper, 30 lb test braid is best, unless you’re in very deep water where you’ll likely want to drop down to a smaller diameter size, such as 20 lb test, to cut through the water at depth. If you’re speed jigging for larger fish, you’ll be using a heavier rod and reel and a higher strength line, most commonly 65 lb test.
Slow pitch jigging is a new and unique type of jigging. It relies on the lure falling vertically with a wobbling action. If the lure and line are allowed to drift out in the current, the line will likely have too much slack it in and the angler will lose control of the jig. The angler still needs to be able to sense when the jig hits the bottom or when a fish strikes. A light strength line, such as 30 lb test is common because it is a small enough diameter to cut through water and keep the jig falling vertically. Sometimes a lighter strength line is used to cut through deeper water. Slow pitch jigging generally drives the need for specialized equipment where the rod has the right line rating and lure rating, and the reel has a fast retrieve to keep out line slack. To learn more about choosing a slow pitch jigging setup, read my article How I Chose My Slow Pitch Jigging Rod, Reel, and Jigs.
Another type of jigging is vertical jigging. In vertical jigging, the angler will use a jig like a diamond jig and let it hit bottom on the freespool and then jig it up, put the rod tip down as you retrieve and let the lure pause. Fish will often bite these lures on the pause. Vertical jigging is commonly done to target walleye and any strength between 6 and 10 lb test will do.
When jigging for large tuna, the strength of the line will need to be higher to make sure the tuna doesn’t break the line when fighting. Usually 65 lb line is enough and is well suited for the reel size that’s being used. If you’re jigging with a heavy setup with a large reel and extra heavy power, it’s possible you could go up to 80 lb line, but you may experience the downsides of the thicker diameter such as a slower fall rate of the jig. When jigging in deep water, you’ll notice the extra time required to get your jig down to the depth of the schooling tuna.
When bottom jigging offshore or nearshore, you’re likely dealing with deep waters and targeting fish such as amber jacks, grouper, and snapper. You’ll be bottom bouncing with lead head jigs paired with feathers or soft plastics around reef structure or wrecks. Generally, 40 lb braid with a mono leader is the perfect combination for this type of jigging. The monofilament leader line is a must in this situation because of the likelihood of snagging on coral or other structure. Since your monofilament leader will be long, you’ll need want to choose a knot that will slide through the guides easily, some examples are uni to unit knot, FG knot and an Albright knot.
Top 3 Braids for Slow Pitch, Vertical, Speed, and Bottom Jigging
PowerPro Braided Spectra Fiber Line
- Colors: Moss Green, Hi-Vis Yellow, Vermillion Red, White
- Pound Test Available: 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80, 100, 150, 200, 250
- Price: $17 for 150 yards of 30 lb test
PowerPro braided spectra fiber line is one of the most common braids. It's a great beginner braid for any type of jigging, whether its slow pitch, speed, vertical or bottom bouncing. PowerPro Braided Spectra Fiber Line has a proprietary coating called Enhanced Body Technology (EBT) makes keeps the braid smooth, round, and sensitive. It also prevents excessive water absorption which can morph the diameter of your line over time. When it comes to choosing a color, white is nice if you don’t want to ever worry about color fade. Moss green and Vermillion red do well in dark or murky waters and Hi-vis yellow is great for trolling as you’ll be able to see your lines easier. PowerPro is available in a wide variety of strengths which makes it versatile enough light jigging for walleye, heavy jigging for tuna offshore, and everything in between.
Daiwa J Braid x8 Multi Color Line
- Colors: Multi colored (line changes every 10m)
- Pound Test Available: 20, 30 40, 50, 60, 65, 80, 100, 120, 150
- Price: $15 for 164yards of 30 lb line
Daiwa J Braid x8 is a great choice for slow pitch jigging. The pound test available includes 20 and 30 lb test which are the most popular choices for slow pitching. This line is multi-colored and changes color every 10 meters. This is a great feature to help keep track of the depth of your jig. You’ll very easily be able to tell when you’ve brought the jig up 30 ft and when its time to let it fall back down to the bottom. Usually when slow pitch jigging, you are using a depth finder to see the bottom and identify schools of fish. Knowing that you’re at the same depth as the fish can mean the difference between a fish caught and a fish missed. J Braid has a great reputation in the industry for being a high strength and highly sensitive braid.
Jerry Brown Line One Hollow Core Spectra Braided Line
- Colors: Blue, Green, White, Yellow
- Pound Test Available: 40, 60, 80, 100, 130, 200, 500
- Price: $180 for 600 yards of 60 lb test
When jigging for heavy tuna, you’ll need a heavy duty setup. One of the best setups for jigging for large tuna includes 65 lb braid main line, with a spliced on mono or fluorocarbon leader. The hollow core allows you to splice on a leader which is a much more secure connection with no loss of line strength. When you’re fishing for large tuna, you need to have the utmost confidence that your setup can withstand the striking and fighting power of your fish. The splicing works in a similar way to Chinese finger cuffs—the tighter the pull, the tighter stronger the splice gets. When jigging for large tuna, don’t skip out on the strength of hollow core braid.
I hope this article helps you prepare your setup for slow pitch, vertical, speed, or bottom jigging. Don’t leave without reading our article on Shimano’s Butterfly Jigs. Tight lines, y’all!
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