Dragging Jigs

I have a question for you guys that are experienced river guys. I don’t spend a lot of time dealing with current because I am on lakes about 90% of the time.
With the exception of the Rainy River the past 5 or 6 years and a few trips to pool 4.
When you guys drag jigs and plastics are you typically going up stream or down? I know speed is crucial to control but I am wondering if most guys slip drift with the current or if you go into it or is it a horse a piece?

Thanks,

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I have a question for you guys that are experienced river guys. I don’t spend a lot of time dealing with current because I am on lakes about 90% of the time.
With the exception of the Rainy River the past 5 or 6 years and a few trips to pool 4.
When you guys drag jigs and plastics are you typically going up stream or down? I know speed is crucial to control but I am wondering if most guys slip drift with the current or if you go into it or is it a horse a piece?

Thanks,

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Holst has a video that explains it in detail from last year with Eric R on p4. Personally I drag both up and down but find a better drag down usually.

Yep. Both ways. Typically have two rods tied up for this with different weight jigs on.

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Yep. Both ways. Typically have two rods tied up for this with different weight jigs on.

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X2 I agree with Mike

Just a heads up dragging jig is not just for rivers it can be a very hot bite on lakes to

Until you get north of the cities, then dragging up will produce better. Spinners pulled up will produce 9-1 easily. Jigs…more like 3-1. You don’t cover water very fast, but up has always been the trick for me.

It could be the way the bait rises off the bottom going up. Seem to get more strikes when the spotlock tries pulling the boat up river, also.

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Just a heads up dragging jig is not just for rivers it can be a very hot bite on lakes to

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Agree – We whacked em dragging jigs and shiners last year on Mille Lacs early season on a few of the reefs.

I don’t know why but I have always had better luck at red wing dragging against the current rather than going with it.

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I don’t know why but I have always had better luck at red wing dragging against the current rather than going with it.

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I’m thinking that has to do with the speed. You can make that bait just hang there going up river and well down you can do the same you just need some thing to slow you down with the current.

We like to drag up river and pitch jig and blades on the way back down. Another method that works well down river is to hold the jig off bottom about 2-8″ and just hold it there for 2-3 minutes then make contact with the bottom and do it all over again

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I’m thinking that has to do with the speed. You can make that bait just hang there going up river and well down you can do the same you just need some thing to slow you down with the current.

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Then you aren’t dragging, you are basically vertical jigging. Dragging downstream requires you to be moving faster than the current. Upstream you need to be making forward progress.

On any given trip, one seems to work better than the other. Some trips it is better pulling up, some better pulling down. I would say the majority of my fish over 8 pounds caught dragging have been going down current though.

And if you dont change up your jig weights for going down current then the boat speed gets adjusted or lines shorted way up to try and keep those jigs off bottom.

I’ve found very active fish, generally in less than 10′ of water, hit aggressively on a downstream presentation. If the fish are neutral, upstream a little deeper takes the nod. Try both ways. As Mike says, lighter jig for down stream a must. Also, the video is awesome!