Trolling with jig involves pulling a jig behind a moving boat. Because trolling with jigs involve several variables, each of which have the potential to change the way that the jig moves through water, it is important for a person to understand each of those variable and how they impact the jig. When trolling with a jig, the jig does not sink to the floor of the water in a straight line.
Instead, the resistance provide by the water itself, the weight of the jig, how much line is trailing behind the moving boat, and the speed at which the boat is moving forward will cause the jig to move through the water. Because jigs often end up moving too shallowly in the water, many angler may find that their jigs are too shallow due to not accounting for the impact that boat speed and the amount of line can have upon the depth of the jig. The chart provided to anglers displays the different relationships between jig weights, line lengths, and boat speeds to help the angler to visually understand how each of these variable can impact the depth to which the jig will travel.
How to Control Jig Depth When Trolling
For example, the chart displays that light jigs on short amount of line at moderate boat speeds will travel to shallow depths in the water. However, if the angler doubles the amount of line, but the boat speed is held to the same speed, the depth to which the jig will travel will deepen. However, if the boat speed is increased to the same increased level, the jig may not travel to the deeper depth.
Thus, the chart allows anglers to visualize these different possible outcomes of different variables without having to perform calculations in there heads. Anglers dont have to memorize each of the combinations of jig weights, line lengths, and boat speeds that is represented in the chart. Instead, understanding the effect that each individual variable can have upon jig depth will allow anglers to successfully adjust each of these variables to ensure that the jig depth is that which the angler desires.
For instance, adding weight to the jig will increase the depth to which the jig travels. Additionally, adding length to the amount of line will also increase the depth to which the jig travels. Finally, increasing the speed of the boat will decrease the depth to which the jig travels.
Thus, because each of these adjustments to individual variables are certain to impact the depth of the jig, anglers can use each of these variables to adjust jig depth. One of the variables that many anglers underestimate is the impact of boat speed upon jig depth. For instance, the jig may reach depths of twenty feet when the boat is traveling at two miles per hour.
However, increasing the boat speed to three and a half miles per hour may cause the jig to only reach depths of ten feet. This is due to the fact that at increased speeds, the jig begins to plane against the water rather than falling straight distances of twenty feet. Thus, reducing the speed at which the boat is traveling is one of the easiest methods to increase the depth of the jig.
The type of line that anglers use to connect the jig to the fishing boat will also impact the depth at which the jig travels. For instance, line that creates more drag in the water will travel to shallower depths than lines that create less drag. Monofilament lines tend to create more drag in the water than braided lines do, so jigs on monofilament lines will travel to shallower depths in the water than those on braided lines.
Fluorocarbon lines has the potential to sink on their own in the water, which may allow anglers to reach deeper depths with the jig without having to change the weight of the jig or the speed at which the boat travels. The depth zones that the fish use in the water are also important to understand when using jigs. For instance, shallow water species tend to only travel to shallow depths during the early morning and late evening periods of the day.
Walleye and similar species tend to travel to the thermocline during the summer months. Finally, species that travel to deeper portions of the water (and that stay near the bottom structure in their travel) may use the stability of the water at the bottom structure, in terms of temperature and oxygen levels. Thus, anglers can save time by understanding where the fish are in the water and by ensuring that the weight and length of the jig will allow it to travel to those depths.
The location of the fish within the water column will change based off the time of year. For instance, in the spring, fish will travel through the upper portions of the water before the formation of a thermocline. During the fall, however, the water temperatures will begin to cool, leading to the breakdown of the thermocline, forcing the fish to move to shallower waters and become more aggressive in their attempts to secure food.
During the winter months, the fish will move to deeper waters, but will move more slowly through the water. Thus, different amounts of weight will have to be added to the jig during the winter months than during the summer months. The same jig will not be effective during the winter and spring months as it may be during the summer months.
Anglers often make mistakes in their trolling efforts. For instance, adding more line but maintaining the same boat speed will increase the depth of the jig. However, increasing the weight of the jig and increasing the boat speed will have the same effect as each other, the depth of the jig will remain the same.
Additionally, some anglers may choose to use a short amount of line for ease in managing the line. However, insufficient amounts of line will cause the jig to remain too shallow in some cases. Thus, the chart provided to anglers can help those anglers to avoid making these mismatches between variables in the setup of the jig.
To troll effectively with a jig, the angler should first determine the depth zone in which the fish are located on a specific day. Based upon that determination, the angler can choose a jig of the lightest weight that will allow the jig to travel to that depth. Additionally, an angler can use a line counter to ensure that the same amount of line is attached to the jig during each pass of the area that contains the fish.
Furthermore, the angler should use the sonar to monitor the location of the fish. Based upon this information, the angler can adjust only one variable at a time to ensure that the jig reaches the depth of the fish. Thus, if the depth of the jig is even with the depth of the fish, the fish will strike the jig more steadily.