Jig Fishing

[Tim]

I don't consider myself a jig fisherman, but I am leanring it and like when I do do it. I do it a few times a year. This past weekend, I was out, and my line seems to twist and twist and twist. I don't think it is my reel since my buddy was using one of my rigs with the same reel, and he was not getting the line twist that I seem to get. Yes I was using Deadbolts, and I have seen the posts on these, but since my buddy was using one also and he was not getting the line twist, I really think it was me. Any ideas? I know one of my other buddies ties a swivel to his line, and then adds a 3 foot leader of mono or so, he says that eliminates twist. Can ya help me?

[AquaMan]

You already have the answer. A swivel with a leader will cure that ill.

Good fishing! :-)

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

[RIVERRUNNER]

Just a suggestion, I tied my jigs directly to the solar xt(8#), if you use a leader, go with small high quality swivels. p.s. watch the length of your leader, I like 11/2-2 ft,don't want to take your rod tip out. GOOD LUCK & GOOD FISHIN

[River_eye]

Run your jig through the water and see if it spins. If it is unsymmetrical, it may have a propeller effect wich twists your line while it drops or is retrieved. Other than that, the only suggestion I have is that your line may already be twisted.

River eye

[REW]

My guess is that you simply have the line on your reel in a twisted state.
The next time that you go out on the water - take the jig and all other weights, swivels etc. off your line. When you are running across the lake or up river to your favorite fishing spot - with someone else driving - began letting line out off your spool. As soon as you get about 50 feet of line off your spool, the water will catch the line and will quickly spool your line -- i.e. it will pull all the line off your spool down to the spool knot. With every bit of line off the reel down to the knot - let the line drag in the water for a few minutes. As you are going at speed - this will allow the line to absorb water - and the pressure from the line and the fact that the line is completely straight will take every single twist out of the line.

Slow the boat down to an idle and began reeling your line back in. Make sure that your drag is set properly - to the 1/2 breaking point of the line - and as you reel in the line - insure that your drag is not slipping. If you reel a lot with the drag slipping - you will not be gathering in any line, but only put twists in the line.

After you get the line back in - tie on a jig - there shoud be no swivel necessary. If you are using a standard jig - it is nearly impossible to get any twists from a jig. It simply doesn't twist. Now, if you don't reel a lot against the drag - you really shouldn't get twists in the line. If you end up catching a lot of fish that run the drag out and you end up reeling against the drag - thus putting in twists -- you might have to repeat the untwisting process again. But as a general rule - swivels, while jigging, are totally unnecessary.

Take care

REW

[Fin Addict]

I would say you have one of two issues here.
1) You are catching gobs of fish or snags and cranking the reel w/o gaining line. This will put twist in the line in a hurry.
2) You are moving fast enough that the bait is "rolling out" This will happen w/ nearly all baits if moved fast enough.

Don't add a swivel here. If you are jigging properly you will not get twist and a swivel is 2 more knots to slip, more water resistance and a nice way to break a tip if you reel too far.

[GORD]

Small swivel and 2 ft. leader work good. BUT.... sometimes the problem is on the other end of the line. Sometimes guys get excited and keep reeling while the drag is slipping. That'll twist your line big time.

[reddog]

I may be a minority, but a swivel while jig fishing??? I cant even imagine it, let alone a leader of any type. Maybe, if the fish are really popping, a small snap, but no swivel will ever be tied on. Obviously, improper line installation is the first thing to look at. The post about letting your line untwist in the water is a good one. I have had line wound on by the spooling machines, and it even comes off twisted at times, but after a little boat ride, it all works better. Some jigs will helicopter while casting, but all you can hope for is that they will go opposite ways occasionally, and offset each other.

[RMB]

First question. Who spooled your reels? If you did, did you pay close attention to the instructions for spooling? It's amazing how many folks don't. If you spooled your reels with out paying attention to this detail I'm guessing it's been twisted all along or else as already mentioned, cranking the reel while not gathering line (snagged or too loose a drag) will do it rather quickly as well. Either way, do as REW suggested to straighten it out and you should be just fine. Then make sure you keep your drag tight enough to not spin under nominal conditions and it shouldn't be an issue any longer. A swivel can solve this problem also, but really is unnecessary for jigging, even in current. If you don't already have line twist tie directly to your jig. Remember, the more knots between you and the fish, the weaker your link, and the more chance for failure, which by the way won't happen most of the time, only when you have the fish of a lifetime on. If I had a dollar for every coulda, shoulda, woulda, I've heard after watching someone lose a big fish. I'd be vacationing right now!

[Firetiger(MN)]

You have to be kidding me.