Vertical Jigging For Striped Bass
PHOTO: While slightly more difficult due to the seated position, vertical jigging can also be effective in a kayak.
By Tim Moore
Contributing Writer
Of all the ways to catch striped bass, vertical jigging is one of my favorites. There’s a thrill in feeling the thump of a striper that is directly beneath my boat or kayak, setting the hook. And trying to bring the fish to the surface. Casting to fish, which is also fun, leaves more slack or bows in your line, compromising sensitivity. When you’re vertical jigging, your line is (ideally) straight down, and you feel everything. The fight feels harder, especially in current, and the fish feel bigger.
One of the most common questions about vertical jigging is where to fish. Striped bass are migratory. Once they are finished spawning, which happens mostly during early spring in the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River, the stripers continue their northerly migration with one thing in mind…food. If you find the food, you find the stripers. In New Hampshire, the striped bass arrive sometime between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. This year they were right on time. As we progress into the month of June, more, and bigger, fish will arrive. I asked Jack Houghton, co-owner of Daddy Mac Lures and one of the Northeast’s leading vertical jigging specialists, what he looks for when choosing a location to vertical jig for striped bass. “Presence of bait and moving water,” says Houghton. “When moving water is mixed with bait structure does not matter, although you typically find more bait around structure,” he notes.
Choosing the right jig is as important as where to fish. The right color or shaped lure can make all the difference. Color comes down to time of day and the forage. The general rule of thumb is to use bright colors on bright days and dark colors on dark days. When deciding which lure to use try to match the hatch so to speak. Choose a lure with a good dying action to simulate a wounded or dying baitfish. When choosing a lure Houghton says, “Match the size and shape/profile of the forage, second try to match color. Stripers are opportunistic eaters, a frantically falling or dying bait fish is what they are looking for.” For this reason, Daddy Mac Lures makes a multitude of lures in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and colors. You can really tailor your presentation to what will best entice more or bigger fish to bite.
Probably the most important aspect of vertical jigging stripers is the term vertical. It is imperative that your lure remain as vertical as possible for a number of reasons, most importantly is lure control. Vertical jigs, as the name implies, are designed to be jigged vertically in order to give you the most control of the lure. You can certainly cast vertical jigs, but they shine when jigged from above.
When striped bass are down deep or holding in heavy current vertical jigging may be your best chance at getting one to bite. Sometimes it’s your only chance. You can cover a lot of water by drifting with the current, and often get your lure down below the smaller fish that hang above the bigger ones. Vertical jigging isn’t something that comes naturally to every angler. If you try it one or two times with lack-luster results, keep at it. Change your location and presentation until you learn what works best.
Tim Moore is a full-time licensed New Hampshire fishing guide and owner of Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. He offers guided kayak fishing trips for striped bass. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association and the producer of In Season Outdoors TV. For information on guided trips visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com. You can also follow TMO on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TimMooreOutdoors.
