Jig Fishing Rivers

[Cody Lubeley]

So far this spring I have spent a lot of time fishing on multiple different river systems and one of the most consistent patterns I have found has been pitching jigs. This bite has been so solid I figured it would be worth making a post about and sharing my results from a few recent outings.

When pitching jigs into current the number one most important thing I have found is dialing in on the right size jig. Having too light of a jig keeps you out of the strike zone while having too heavy of a jig creates a somewhat unnatural presentation in the current. What you are looking for when trying to find the right jig weight is for that jig to float off the bottom and drift in the current for as long as possible, while still being able to feel contact with the bottom. I have found if you can get that jig to float off the bottom for 4-6 seconds before contacting the bottom again you should be about perfect on jig weight. What this does is present the bait in front of a walleyes mouth about as natural as possible as it floats with the current the same way a wounded bait fish would.

The second most important thing I have found is how to work the rod while pitching. For all of my jig pitching I prefer to use a 6'9" Limit Creek Smoothie as it is ideal for any jig pitching scenario whether it be low current and light jigs or fast current and heavy jigs, this rod is built to be the all around perfect jig fishing rod! When pitching jigs in current it is extremely important to not over work the jig. By this I mean popping the rod up and dropping it down. This creates slack in the line which #1 causes the jig to fall much quicker reducing your time in the strike zone and #2 can result in missed strikes if you are not constantly watching the line looking for a hit. A simple lift of the rod to get the jig off the bottom, a crank on the reel to get the slack in and a hold is all that has been needed to trigger my bites lately. This is where jig size becomes extremely important because if you are too heavy your jig will fall right back to the bottom or too light your jig will float above the strike zone. The perfect sized jig head will naturally drift with the current until BAM FISH ON! This presentation has become my absolute favorite for spring time fishing on rivers and I highly suggest giving it a try if you haven't already! Here are a few pictures of fish my boat has seen within the past couple weeks using this presentation.

[bbfenatic]

Great info - thx Lubey....and nice fish....keep up the great work!

[WalleyeChaser]

Great tip! That is my favorite way to fish in the spring also! Lake or river that presentation just is fun to feel that SMACK and setting the hook and game on!

[Eric_Kruger]

Great tip!

[Rick G]

Great post Lubey, you seem to have the technique figgured out. Jig fishing is is my favorite way to get river walleyes all summer long.

[bltbowhunter]

When using this technique do you anchor the boat, or do you drift along down river?

[TruthWalleyes]

I'll 2nd the information. I learned this technique last year from a river rat that can put any tournament's fishing bag to the test. When you're pitching the exact same jigs to the exact same spots and one guy has 15 walleyes, and the other 4...well - i wasn't using the rod technique as you explained. I use a 7'6" ML XF Eyecon which probably isn't too much different from the smoothie.

[TyGuy02]

Great info and thanks for posting. I know I struggle with pitchin jigs in a lake and tried to learn on the Rainy this spring with no success. I'll have to remember your pointers!

[Northlander]

I agree, I love to jig rivers. I also agree on the Limit Creek Smoothie being a awesome and versatile jigging rod. I think its the best jigging rod for the $ I have ever purchased. Actually I find all the Limit Creek Rods I have tried to be good values.

Im going to order 2 more 12' trolling rods for when I want a good spread but dont want to set boards out.

One thing I will add is that I use Suffix 832 or Power Pro for all my jigging and if needed just add a mono shocker leader to it. Way more sensitive than just mono alone.

I can also use lighter jigs with the 832 or PP and that usually means the fish get a better bite at the bait.

[amateurfishing]

thanks for all the great info...I hope to get a chance to try it