dragging jigs

for you guys who drag live bait often, what is the advantage(s) to mono over braid?

The larger diameter mono provides the needed lift to properly present the bait near but above the bottom. I’ve tried dragging jigs with braid but it just doesn’t work right in my opinion. Mono with a .10″ diameter seems to be about right.

I think you meant .010″ in diameter

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I think you meant .010″ in diameter

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Absolutely correct. Good catch.

that makes sense, so keeping costant contact with the bottom is not preferred? just close to the bottom with occasional contact?

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that makes sense, so keeping costant contact with the bottom is not preferred? just close to the bottom with occasional contact?

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correct

been dragging jigs for 20 years -experience for me is that I have settled on 8 lb mono with ultralight rods–i just tried braid again 3rd time and it just dont work for me-for verticle presentation it would be fine–took the last braid off my reels last week but that just me–gene

I drag with hard line all the time and it works just fine. I generally go up to 20 lb high vis Power pro which is what is on most of my reels for catfish use.

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Mono with a .10″ diameter seems to be about right.

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We don’t hold that against you James b/c I’m sure every time your forced to talk to BK he talks about that .10 anchor rope he uses for those whisker thingies he tries to catch!

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I drag with hard line all the time and it works just fine. I generally go up to 20 lb high vis Power pro which is what is on most of my reels for catfish use.

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Interesting…do you tie the 20# braid directly to the jig? I rarely drag with more than a 1/8oz jig…generally with a trimmed ringie or mini paddle tail( I am mostly dragging in early spring)

And a point James made a while back…it seems like you can feel the hit better with mono, if there’s slack in the line . A tight line situation like pitching crankbaits or vertical jigging braid would probably have the edge.

Rootski

Tom,

I’m too cheap to put different line on my rods for spring walleyes on the Mississippi. I tie direct and have no issues. Here are a couple draggin walleyes caught the week before you get there each year. I seem to do OK with slightly heavier line dragging and jigging. sux for pitching but I have a separate pitching rod. I also almost never lose a jig as I have enough to bend them. 20lb doesn’t knot up in the wind nearly as bad as lower weight PP and 20 is the size of 6 or 8lb mono. the picture with two fish was from this year and nobody did all that well that night but me.

Talking plastics or livebait. Plastics, mono 8lb sensation all the time with 6’8″ medium action extrafast tip. Livebait, switched to 2lb diameter hardline with 7’6″ medium light action with fast tip. Softer rod allows forgiveness with hardline and lower diameter allows me to fish a 1/16 oz dragging jig in far greater depths-just modify my line out to match distance off the bottom. Basically, learned what James and Dusty taught me and ran with it.

I think there are times when more walleyes will hit when the jig is banging the bottom pretty hard. I have a buddy that fishes jigs from shore using 30lb braid with a 1/4 oz jig and he pounds them. If your fishing the mississippi line diameter makes no difference. As long as you match it with the proper jig size.

A good friend of mine just got back from a popular lake up north where he fished with a guide. They did very well in an area where others were obviously struggling. They were riggin crawlers. His secret…..3oz weights.

I’m still scratchin my head on that one.

It’s kinda funny isn’t it. I would see that setup and think carp or something. What kind of weights were they using? Do you happen to know what depth they were fishing?

Thanks for the info guys. Another question… if you have fish condensed into a small spot and your going to pitch, do you use the same setup and do you allow the current to sweep it across your face or another way?

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Thanks for the info guys. Another question… if you have fish condensed into a small spot and your going to pitch, do you use the same setup and do you allow the current to sweep it across your face or another way?

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RE: the question above. It all depends on where they are relating to the structure. Sometimes it’s best to let the current do the work and sweep the bait in front/over them.

Others they really want the bait coming off the bank towards the channel

For me more times than not, I use the sweeping method.

RE: the original question. I’ve been using (and like) brain when I’m dragging jigs against the current. I then switch to mono when I’m dragging with the current or in no current (lake).

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that makes sense, so keeping costant contact with the bottom is not preferred? just close to the bottom with occasional contact?

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Interesting, since one morning in the landing we can’t mention anymore when I asked what was biting and where, I was handled a couple dragging jigs and a couple scoops of minnows and told to drag that jig across the bottom.

Had one of our better days on pepin.

But years of fishing Canadian waters with basic jigs has got me into a lift and drop method, it was either that or spend most my time unsnagging jigs..:)

I think I’d try both ways imho.

Al