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Vertical Jigging for Kokanee

Vertical Jigging to Suspended Kokanee

By Pete Rosko

One of the most difficult presentations in sport fishing is fishing to suspended fish.

  1. Use of a fish locator (fish finder) is critical for your success by locating your target species.

  2. A line counter on a bait caster reel is a great method of delivering your offering to where the fish are located.

  3. Another method is to watch the fall of your lure on the screen of your electronic fish locator.  

  4. Since it can be difficult to see the fall of your jig on the sonar screen and to precisely place your lure where the fish are located, another option is to use color-metered braided line at 25-foot increments. (6- to 10-lb. test is ideal for kokanee jigging.) 

How to dramatically increase your catch rate when fishing suspended

First, my sonar screen will show me where the kokanee are located in the water column. 

I only start to fish after I locate the fish marks on my sonar screen. But, it is not consistent in showing me the zig-zag pattern of my Sonic BaitFish™ (SBF) falling in the water column. That’s okay as long as I can see the fish mark on the screen.

Secondly, whatever casting or spinning reel I use, I am 99 percent assured that my presentation will be at the same level of that fish mark.  

That’s because I know how much line comes off every reel that I fish from my techniques above! Paying attention to the exact depth of where the fish are located is critical in my success.

I have found that precise vertical jigging out-fishes any other technique!  

This works because I stay “attached” to those fish marks on my sonar screen instead of passing through and beyond them, as would be the case with casting or trolling.

Previous article Brooks: Best Practices for Ice Fishing for Trout

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