Types of Micro Jigs- Choosing Micro Jigs to get more bites

In this post I would be sharing with you the different types of micro jigs available and types of jigs you should use to get the most of it.

Here are the 4 main things to consider when choosing/ buying a jig. You could buy all the jigs in the market but it would be useless if you do not know when to use what. 

1. Size/Weight  
2. Shape 
3. Material  
4. Color

Size and weight of the jig

The first thing that comes to mind when you are selecting your jig. This will determine the size profile of you jig and also how fast it takes to reach the bottom. As a rule of thumb I like to start off with the lightest jig I can use and work my way up.  This will give me the smallest profile jig that tend to get more bites. 

How to choose ? 

A heavier jig would reach the bottom faster than a lighter jig and would not be affected by the current as much. If you find that your jig drifting too far by the time it touches the bottom switch to a heavier jig. Do the reverse if your jig is too heavy and you want to let your jig to drift alittle in the current to cover ground




Shape- How to choose the correct shape 

The next step after choosing the size you want to fish with would be the shape. The shape of the jig will determine the jig action when being worked and also if it flutters on the drop. A flatter jig would have more action than one which is cylindrical shaped. Take note that a flatter jig has ore water resistance hence affects how fast i reaches the bottom. A leaf shape jig would take longer than a slim long jig of the same weight to reach the bottom.
How to choose? 
This would vary according to the location. Ask around and find out what works. If you cant get any experiment around till you find what is working. Fluttering jigs has more action and can get fishes to bite when they are not active.

Material of the jig
Not all jigs are made of lead. Another alternative is tungsten which is about 1.7 times denser than lead. What this means is that jigs can be made heavier with a smaller profile. Which is great for micro jigging. This solves the problem when the fishes are only eating tiny jigs but the current is too strong for a tiny lead jig to get to the fishes. A tungsten jig of the same size would weigh heavier and allow you to reach the bottom with out having to change to a bigger profile jig.
How to choose? 
The down side of tungsten jigs is its price. Is it worth the price some may ask? yes if you are making full use of its advantages. If you are caught in a situation where you need a heavier jig to reach the bottom but by doing so the fishes would shy away from the bigger jig, the tungsten jig would shine. Not only will it have the same size or smaller but will get down faster as it is heavier. 

Color-Does Color really matter

Well this is a really up to the angler and down to personal choice. There had been debate over years if fishes can see color. Use what you like. Personally I like using natural colors.
How to choose ? 
If you are unsure of what colors to use ask around what color works. I've personally seen a particular color working well over another but is still up for you to decide. As a rule of thumb bait fishes are normally sliver in color which seems to be a safe bet I go with when I start off for the day.

Tip micro jigging is about being small 
For fishes like sagai. Sometimes a smaller jig is all it takes to get them to bite. The Bait fish they are after are tiny so dont be afraid to go small. 

Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I  did! Do comment if you have any question !

FISHINGJOJO

Refining your MICRO JIGGING style- Secrets of JIGGING style

In my earlier blog post I talked about Micro jigging and how to rig your jigs. In this post we would be going even deeper into the topic and I would be sharing with you the different styles of working your micro jig and tips on how to get more bites. This post should give you and idea of how you could work your jig on the next trip. Do not be afraid to experiment to find what works best for the fishes.

Unlike a conventional fishing lure, a jig is designed to be worked vertically. In a conventional lure the angler would cast his lure out and reel it in and the design of the lure makes it swim. For a jig it is slightly different. Action of the jig is imparted alot by the angler just like a jerk bait and for this very reason a jig used by two different people can have very different actions or bite rates. Remember the last time you were using the same jig as Mr lucky but you just did not get any bites ? On top of that, the depth you are fishing is going to affect your bite rate too. Sounds complicated? Not really, Lets look at the different styles of jigging.

Mechanical Jigging Style  
This is probably the most basic of all jigging styles and most styles revolves around this style but with a slight variation.
Start off by dropping your jig down to desired depth and close the bail. Start cranking in line and dropping the rod once at the bottom give the rod a jerk repeat process. The jerk up is what gives the jig a darting action. Watch this video if you dont quite get me -How to jig

Variation 1 one crank one twitch 
In this style you would make a full crank of the reel followed by a flick of the rod. The pause is short in between the flicks and its almost like a continuous process

What can I get on this method ? 
This method has been productive for me on pelagic fishes such as Sagais , trevally ,queen fish and tengiri . These fishes when aggressive cant resist a bite at a quickly retrieved jig. Sometimes a faster retrieve is need to get a bite and this variation is best suited when the bites are hard and fast. This method is not as effective for bottom fishes as the jig gets worked out of the strike zone too fast. It is still possible to use this method but take note to let the jig back down to the bottom after about 10 repetitions.

Variation 2 Crank twitch pause
Guess what ? Most bait fishes are eaten when they stop. The slight pause gives the fishes just enough time to catch up and have a bite at your jig. In this style a pause is added to the previous style mentioned. How long or shot you want the pause to be is up to you but i typically keep mine below 2 seconds.
What can I get with this method? 
This method has been very deadly on pelagics also for the golden trevally which does not respond as keenly to very fast jig. I figured out this method on a trip when one particular guy was hitting fishes regularly but only him. I noticed him for a while and added a pause to my stroke. Guess what the fish hit on the pause.


Variation 3 Twitch twitch twitch crank 
Using jut your wrist give a few short sharp snaps of the rod with each twitch bring the rod higher. This cause the jig to dart erratically. A pause after that is up to you. Crank up the line while dropping the rod if you want to work the next column of water. If not drop back down and repeat.

What can I get on this method ?  
In this method an angler can work the same column of water repeated if he decides not to crank when lowering the rod. This this method can be very deadly on bottom fishes such as groupers and snappers. The jig can be kept very close to the strike zone and is constantly moving to attract the attention of the predators.

TIP 1 Dont be taken by surprise on the drop 
There is two ways the impart action to a jig. Jerking it up the water column and two on the drop. Many anglers under estimate how a falling jig can be deadly and miss a hook set when taking by surprise on the drop. Just like how a fish would hit on the pause micro jigging is fun cause you never know when the hit would come

Tip 2 fish in the strike zone and you will be rewarded 
There is no point fishing a jig from the bottom all the way up if they are holding 10 meters above the sea floor. Jig it up past the fish and let the jig back down. That way you are fishing twice as much as the guy beside who is working his jig all the way up. If its bottom fishes you are after even more so important to keep it close to the bottom!

Tip 3 Look around and observe 
Just like how I came to know the third method. Keep your eye out for that one person who keeps getting fish. His jig size and color, his line thickness. If its all similar you should be getting fish too if not observe where he is casting to and his style of jigging you should catch on pretty fast!

Conclusions 
In short there are three parts to the technique that can be changed

1. The Lift/Twitch 
2. The Cranking 
3. the Pause 

To this three parts you can change the speed and timing and action. That gives you alot of flexibility to come up with a jigging style that catches fish ember the 3 tips and you would be good to go. The three styles I mentioned in this post are just variations that have worked for me and are by no means a style you should stick to but they can give you a base line to start out with. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I might post videos on the basic jigging styles in future. For any questions feel free to comment!

FISHINGJOJO

How to rig your micro Jig

In the earlier blog I covered the basics of micro jigging. In this series We will cover the ways to rig up the micro jig. Rigging up your jig would make the difference in hook up and bite rates. A jig action is designed to work best with nothing on it at all hence when rigging we want to pay attention to what we are adding onto the jig the lesser the better the jig action also better hook up rates.

Rigging

-Easy switch method 

-Improved EZ switch method 

-Minimalist method 

-Kiasu method 

1) The Easy switch method 

This method requires three things a barrel,split ring, solid ring 

Leader is tied to the barrel swivel

Advantages

-The barrel swivel prevents line twists 

-Jig can be easily switched out via split ring 

-Hooks can be easily switched out to bigger or smaller hooks via split rings

Disadvantages 

- It is a bulky and can affect the action of the jigs. Keep in mind we are using tiny jigs as tiny as 5grams. 

-When a fish is hooked up the solid ring is the weakest point which is a possible point of failure. Beefing up the solid ring could mean affecting the action even more. 

When to use this method? 

This method of rigging is best used only when fishes are Fussy and you have to constantly keep changing jigs and jig sizes. The main advantage is that you dont have to keep retying your leader to the jig and that can cost you fishes . However the two disadvantages is why I would shy away from this style.

2)The improved EZ switch method  

This method requires two things a split ring, solid ring 

Leader is tied directly to the solid ring

Advantages

-Jig can be easily switched out via split ring 

-Lighter than method 1(jig is more lively) 

-Split ring is no longer a weak point 

Disadvantages 

-Lack of barrel swivel can introduce line twist  

-Hooks cannot be easily switched out

-Hinders jig action slightly 

When to use this method? 

This method of rigging is best used when jigs used are about the same size but fishes are Fussy on color and you have to constantly keep changing jigs. The main advantage is that you can change jigs quickly but changing hook size would require retying . This is a method which I would recommend over the conventional method 1.

3) Minimalist method 

This method require no add ons and leader is tied directly to the jig 

Advantages

-Brings out the best action in the jig

-Has no weak points 

Disadvantages 

-Lack of barrel swivel can introduce line twist  

-Hooks cannot be easily switch out 

-Jig cannot be easily switched out 

When to use this method? 

This method of rigging is best used when you are sure of what size of jig and hooks fishes are biting that day. This would bring out the best action and also give no good confidence as there is no weak points. However an angler proficient in knot tying should not find the disadvantages a hindrance and enjoy the advantages of this method with out much downside. This is the method I use on a regular basis as it brings out the best action from the jig. 

4) Kiasu method 

An additional treble hook is added to the jig this method is to be used with any of the earlier 3 mentioned method.

 

Advantage 

-Improves hook up rate 

Disadvantage 

-Severely affects jigs action 

-Increases risk of jig getting stuck 

When to use this method? 

This method should only be use if you are facing huge difficulty in converting bites into hook ups. The disadvantage of having the treble on is way more than the advantage it brings. Paired with method one of rigging can kill the action of the jig entirely. So only add on the treble if there is a real need. 

Looping in of the hooks

This is how you sure the hooks to the jig or the solid ring.

1. Thread line through the jig 
2. Bring hook back into its loop
3. Pull hook end 
4. Tighten  

Thank you for taking time to read this and I hope you found this useful. Feel free to comment or drop me an email if you have any questions.

FISHINGJOJO

What is Micro Jigging?

What is Micro Jigging ? 

This form of fishing has been spreading like wild fire in Singapore and Malaysia in recent years once anglers found it deadly when used on local fishes such as peacocks/ pelagics fishes. I was very fortunate to be able to learn this technique and use it effectively, however I also noticed that many anglers do not fully know how to use this technique and I would like to share what iv have learnt to make you a better micro jigger. As the name suggest, Micro or mikro comes from ancient Greek meaning small or smaller than average scale. In Micro jigging we are using a smaller than average jig. A jig is a lure that is designed to be fished vertically as opposed to the normal lures that are fished through the water horizontally.  

Take a look at the size difference . The bottom jigs are way smaller than the normal jig used. 

Why so small ?

In the conventional jigging, big jig and heavy tackle are used to catch predatory fishes as the jig is meant to imitate a fleeing or injured bait fish so in micro jigging context, it just replicates a smaller bait fish. In our local waters using such big jigs is going to be great for exercise but not so for catching fish for the reason that we just don't have that many huge predatory fishes. But once you start to down size the jigs you open up a whole new world of smaller hungry predatory fishes which were once fleeing from the huge conventional jigs in fear now be the once chasing after your micro jig! 

Local fishes that MICRO JIGGING can be used for 

Freshwater 

• Peacock bass 

Saltwater 

• Sagais 
• Queen fish 
• Giant trevellys 
• Golden trevellys 
•  Chermins

If you notice all the fishes that are stated are predatory fishes that hunt for small bait fishes 

Why is micro jigging so effective 

- It is able to cover the whole water column as it is a sinking lure. 

- It replicates what the predatory fishes are hunting. Small bait fishes 

- Its small size gives it superb hook up rates as fishes are unlikely to miss the hooks 

- Tackle employed are light thus anglers are able to work the lure for long hours unlike conventional jigging which require alot of strength.  

A micro jig replicates a fleeing or injured bait fish when retrieved. Predatory fishes are finely tuned to pick out such odd movements as it signals a easy meal. They are constantly on the look out for such opportunity and the micro jig replicates just that.

How to work the jig 

To start fishing the micro jig begin by dropping it to bottom of the water column. Once it has touched the bottom close your bail arm and start your retrieve. A micro jig can be worked using the mechanical jigging method (refer to video) Micro Jigging

How fast or slow to work the jig is up to you and you should not be shy to experiment with the speed and timing of pauses. 

Tackle for Micro Jigging 

Keeping the set up as light as possible would allow you to easily reach the bottom with the jigs and also feel the bites. This is also the part many people get wrong by using too heavy a rod or line when micro jigging. Below is a rough guide on what to use for local micro jigging for sagai

Rods 

• 3-7lb range 
• rod with a short butt, this will allow you to work the jig with your wrist 

Reel

• size 1000 up to 2000
• a light weight reel would be preferred over a heavy one 

Line 

This is a very important aspect as we are using very light jigs. Pay attention to the thickness of the line more than to the poundage. A thick line will hinder a micro jig ability to reach the bottom during a fast current. As a beginner do not be afraid to use a thinner line, the irony is that many beginners do not dare to use the thinner line and end up not being able to feel when the jig has touched the bottom. I had this problem the very first time I fished and watched helplessly as everyone was landing fishes except me. Once you get a feel of the jig then you can slowly increase line poundage/thickness if you need. If not keep it as thin as you possible can.  

• PE 0.4 - 0.6 

I hope you enjoyed this post and I would be doing more in dept post on this technique. Do comment or email me if you have any questions 

FISHINGJOJO

How to Service a basic spinning Reel (SHIMANO stradic 1000f)

Hi Guys Its been a while since I paid much attention to my trusty micro jigging reel so I decided to give it a service at the same time I took some pictures for you readers reference. This post should help you if you never serviced a reel before. If you have never done it before I suggest you try it on a cheap reel first. Its not that hard once you do it afew times. A more expensive reel would have more parts so if you are not confident get a professional.  Service is based on a Stradic 1000F and this is how most mid/lower end Shimano Reels would be like. When We service a reel our objective is to check the overall condition of the reel checking for rust and also to clean out the old grease and re grease the gears and re oil the bearings.

Tools you will need 

- Appropriate size flat head and phillips screwdrivers 

- Spanner 

- Brush 

- Tooth Brush 

- Zippo lighter fluid (for claening)

-  Reel Grease

- Reel Oil 

- Contact Cleaner 

- 1 Small Container 

How to Start dismantling  

Step 1 

Start by removing the spool from the main body. Most Should not have much problems with this.

Step 2 

Inside the spool is where the drag is kept. It is this that creates the tension needed to stop them monster fishes. It is held in place with a metal clip. Use a screw driver to take it out. *Take note.Use a cloth to cover to prevent it from FLYING out. Take out the washers and lay them out. They alternate between metal washers and the felt. Use a cloth to clean up any residue. You can reassemble it back. DO NOT LUBE unless it is a wet drag as mentioned by the manufacture. I like a tiny flim of drag grease to it it smooth but running it dry is not a problem either.

Step 3 

Removing the spool will reveal the rotor nut. Remove the screw followed by the nut. Proceed to remove the main rotor. Area that need cleaning would be the line roller. 

Step 4 

Underneath the main rotor would be the anti reverse clutch. This is what keeps your reel from spinning backwards. Remove it from the reel body. Take note to loosen screws that holds it down to the reel. You do not need to open the anti reverse. Clean the metal sleeve with a cloth and put this two aside. TAKE Note not to/ very lightly lube this two parts if not the anti revere will not work. If so take it out and wipe clean. 

Step 5 

Pull out pinion gear together with the bearing. Using lighter fluid wash bearing in the container. Use brush and lighter fluid to brush off the old grease. and set aside. 

Step 6 

Start to remove screws on the main body. For the stradic you have to remove the sliver cover which has 2 screws before you can unscrew the main body. Remove the cover and clean. This will reveal all the internal gears. 

Step 7 

Pull out the drive gear and for the stradic there are two bearings. Take them off and wash in lighter fluid. Use brush to brush off grease from drive gear. 

Step 8

Next is the worm shaft which is held in place at the back with a screw and a metal place. Remove Scred and proceed to remove the pins and gears. The worm gear would need to be brushed clean.

Step 9

This is how everything would look like taken apart. Remove all the old grease and wash the bearings.

Step 10 

 Using the brush apply grease to the grease to the gears and add oil to the bearings. As a rule of thumb grease for gears and oil for bearings. Take note IF you are going for SMOOTHNESS not to over grease the gears as this will reduce the performance of the reel same of the oil a drop would do for the bearings. IF Protection is more of a concern. You could be abit more generous with the grease but still not over do it. Start assembling it all back together and you have reel you just serviced. I hope this post has been of use to you and if you have any questions do feel free to drop me an email or post a comment !

FISHINGJOJO

Kulai Nanyang fishing pond

Kulai nanyang fishing pond (PATIN FRENZY)

My very first Blog post shall be  tips on How to use bread as bait and a pond that is very close to my heart ... Kulai Nanyang fishing pond. The go to pond to escape the busy city and to cure my itch. Learning fish this pond was not easy(beginners luck here is not very common) but once you know how to you would be handsomely rewarded with hours of fun. Here is a short guide on what I have learnt over the years there. By the end of this you should be able to catch a patin there too :)

Target fishes 
-Patins
-Patins
-Patins
Yes i wrote it three times cause this pond is stuffed full of them so expect them in abundance but they have other fishes too but dont expect to seem them too often. I have listed them in order of sightings
-Pacu
-Tilapia
-Huruan
-Baung
-Song he
-Soon hock
-Kim bak lor

Recommended attire 
-Long pants for em mozzies
-Insect repellent

Recommended EQUIPMENT 
- Rod stand as the patins here love to bring setups for swims.
- 8-16lb rod
-Size 1000-1000 reel
-Mono line 10lb ( there is a reason for mono)

Bait
Bread can be bought here but additives would be needed if you want a better catch




So presenting you the kulai pond !

The pond has shelters on both sides of the pond so choose one and settle in. The side nearer to the entrance is wider hence you would need to cast further. If you cant cast far just head toward the ends and the pond tapers in and you wont have to cast so far to get to the patins. The pond has concrete pipes in the middle which the patins just love to head to after getting hooked. So do expect to be busted off more often at the back of the pond or when the hooked fish heads to wards the center of the pond. Casting to the center generally gets a better bite rate but also makes it easy to be busted off so make you choice wisely:)

Kulai Nanyang fishing pond tips and techniques - How to use Bread as bait ?

There are two main things to take note when fishing here
-Techniques
-Bait presentation

Method 1- Using bread on a floater
The easiest way for a beginner to fish this pond. It is easy to master and does not use alot of bait and can be deadly. However burst off are common using this method. Use a weighted floater with a 1 feet 20lb leader to a hook owner size 1 or 2 (Big hooks tend to get lesser bites) Look at how I put the bread on my hook for the bomb method and you are good to go.

Method 2 - Using bread without a floater
I call this the patin bomb method. It is bait+labour intensive and takes alot more skill to master but it can produce stunning results if used correctly. It is also the chosen method by the locals and me. There are countless variations of this method but here is mine. Using this method I landed about 13 patins on my last trip

 The rig used for this method is simple with a 20lb braid tied to the hook. This will be attached to the main line with a small swivel clip.

The hard part of this method would be the bait preparation and putting it all together.
Step 1
Making the bait.  Peel the skin of the bread away hitting it afew times makes it easier to remove. After skin is removed you want to shred it up. Leave afew thin big pieces for the hook.

Step 2
 Mounting the bread on the hook. Make it something as seen in the picture pinching it hard near the hook eye to keep it on. THIS IS the most important piece of your bomb and the patins here have a habit of ignoring poorly presented booked baits.

Step 3 
Wrapping it all together. Take a hand full of the pre shredded bread in your hand and place the hook in the middle. Next wrap it up by squeezing it. The trick is to pack it just tight enough for casting but soft enough so when it hits the water it will start to disperse. This will create a cloud of bread around your baited hook that the patin will be attracted to. Too hard and it skins to the bottom like a rock and no magic clould you want. If the shredded bread is too dry add some water to it but not too much it becomes soggy.

The must important part of your bomb. This is the way to bait up for floats too. A poorly baited hook will be ignored by the patins here. Dont be shy to spend more time here to rebait if you feel it issint right.

 Wrapping it all up is something I have refined over the years and takes time to master. What you want is a bait ball tight enough to cast but still dissolve when it his the water. Knowing how wet/dry the bread should be is also something to take note. Too dry it wont stick and too wet it gets all soggy

Presenting to you the patin bomb 

Here are some of the catch I gotten

Kulai nanyang Fishing pond Tips 

• A big piece of bread is not needed as fishes prefer bite size pieces to eat. It will also expand when in the water so make it alittle smaller than what you want it to be
• Using bread in the method taught in this blog post would attract lost of fishes in. 
• Try to keep the bread fluffy don't squeeze it too hard till it become a dough 

And also the the magical rod stand that saves rods but do tie a safety line to keep it on the rod stand.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading my first post and benefited you if you were considering to fish there. If you are planning a trip up the locals there are friendly but it can get quite crowded on weekends, just respect their fishing space and some would not mind sharing afew tips too :)
DO leave a comment to ask any questions!

FISHINGJOJO