Taka Taka
Sal, Cape Verde (CV)
Jigging is the fishing technique where an angler fishes a metal lure, called a jig, vertically. This is opposed to spinnerbaits which move through the water horizontally. Basically, a metal lure is dropped to a certain depth (normally the bottom) and then reeled in with rhythmic, jerky moves to attract the predator.
For jigging you can use both spinning and conventional reels. The line should be braided because it has less stretch. Jigging rods are short (less leverage and less fatiguing) and should have the ability to properly work a jig. There are a ton of different types of jigs ranging from long blades, wider jigs for slow jigging, center balanced jigs, inchiku, etc.
The species to target are many but we can say that all the predator species that feed on the bottom can be caught with jig lures.
So for example in freshwater will be black bass, pike, trout and for saltwater snapper, amberjack, GT, kingfish or grouper.
The Amberjack species are a game fish that are found both in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. Greater Amberjack can weigh up to 170 lb (80 kg).
Black bass (Micropterus) is a common name for several species like the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass for example. Famous for its great fighting skills, they are a very sought after game fish. Black bass are found in fresh water in the Canada, United States, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and France. Black bass are mostly caught spinfishing. They can grow up to 60 cm / 25 in.
Cod is a common name for a number of other fish species, like the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and the Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). Cod are caught in colder and fairly deep waters, close to rocky areas, wrecks and drop-offs. Cod can weigh over 50kg.
The Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) also has a couple of other common names such Leopard Coral Grouper or Leopard Coral Trout. It is a close relation to fish from the grouper and coral cod families. They can grow to a length of 23 and 62 cm and the general average has been noted at around 40 cm.
The cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus) is a sought-after gamefish that inhabits the Atlantic coastal waters from Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. This species can reach a length of 160 cm and weigh up to 50kg. Not to be confused with the Pacific Cubera Snapper.
The dentex (Dentex dentex) is a common saltwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and sometimes they appear in the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal. They have very strong teeth to feed on fish, squid and mollusca. Dentex are a great species for sportfishing and are targetted mainly trolling or jigging. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor), also referred to as Doggies or white tuna, is probably one of the most sought after species for sportfishermen, being jigging and spinning the preferred fishing techniques. Apart from braking your back, landing one of these brutal fighting machines is arguably an unforgettable experience. They can grow as large as 250cm (8 feet) and can weigh a whopping 130kg.
Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) are also commonly referred to as dorado, dolphin or dolphinfish. They are recognizable by their bluntly shaped heads, long dorsal fin and their bright colouring, dark blue and green on their dorsal side and yellow on their sides and underside.
Distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, the Giant Trevally - also known as GT - (Caranx ignobilis) is the most wanted species for popping lovers. They can be 1,70 cm long and reach up to 80 kg (175 lb)!
Grouper is common name for all the bass-looking-fish from the Epinephelinae Family. This family also includes sea bass by the way. Grouper are colorful predators who like to live in rocky areas, reefs, wrecks where they can hide.
The king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) or kingfish is a common fish species of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. King Mackerel can grow to up to 40kg (90lb) and have razor sharp teeth.
The ling (Molva molva) is a common fish from the North Atlantic one of the largest cod-like fish. They are a popular species caught around the British Isles, Norway, Island, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Ling can grow up to 2 meters (7ft) long and weigh 40 kg (90lb).
Nannygai is kind of a snapper. Various fish in Australia are called Nannygai.
The pink dentex (Dentex gibbosus) is a saltwater fish distributed from Portugal to Angola, Canary Islands and the warmer areas of the Mediterranean Sea such as southern Spain and the Gibraltar Strait area, Morocco, southern Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. The larger fish are 1,2 m long and can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb).
Talang Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) are a Pacific fish that are highly reflective, shiny and are known to travel in schools. At times they fight so hard that they’ll die due to exhaustion before being released back into the water. They also have pointed spines that can inflict wounds if not handled carefully. Queenfish grow to around 15 kilos, but are most commonly encountered around half that size.
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), also known as Ono (meaning “delicious” in Hawaiian), are found in many subtropical and tropical waters. They’re identifiable by their blue-green upper body which shifts into silver towards their belly. They also have blue vertical striping along their sides. These predators are torpedo-shaped and have long and largemouths with teeth.
The yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) is a type of amberjack found in the Southern Hemisphere. They can grow up to 180 cm (70 in). Yellowtail kingfish can be caught from New Zeeland, Australia to Chile.
Jigging can be done anywhere in the world to find fish in deeper waters. For extreme jigging, you might want to have a look at Madagascar, Cape Verde, Seychelles, Maladives, Mexico, Florida Keys...