LAST EDITED ON Jul-26-01 AT 10:20 AM (PST)

Hi all-
I want to get into using Jig sticks to cast out iron. Does anyone have good inexpensive ideas for where to start? Pole, Reel, Irons vs. Live bait?

Also can jigs be used for deep water or is it mostly for surface action? What type of casting techniques are best for surface action?

I saw a couple good anglers on the last Stardust trip use jigs on the stern and they were knocking the cudas dead!! I was also informed that they can work great for albacore too?


Any help is appreciated,

Broom

i was actually looking into getting a jig stick myself. a friend of mine who has been fishing for many years recommended i get a calstar 90j with a newell 338-5. this setup will run you a bit over a couple hundred bucks but is well worth it.

Fishing with surface irons can be a great technique at times. But, it takes practice, practice, practice. There are several types of irons... as an example there are lightweight surface irons, regular irons, and ling cod jigs. The latter being used strictly for up-and-down jigging since they are typically made of heavier metal. Regular irons, such as those made by Salas, can be casted out or jigged up-and-down.

I would suggest maybe getting a used jig stick from a tackle shop or garage sale or something. Calstar and Seeker make good jig sticks. Don't get anything less than 8 feet. For the reel, I would suggest getting something new. Newell makes some really nice reels for casting irons. You probably won't want to use anything that can't handle at least 30 lb. test.

Once you get your setup, try casting an iron (without hooks) in an open field or on the beach. It takes some time to develop a smooth technique. Just be patient and have fun...

if you wanna be a stud, you have to get a seeker ulua 93H. its a 9'3" rod rated 30-60, much like any big jigstick, BUT it has to be the fattest rod of its kind. if you ever see a factory version, the guides look so out of place becuase the blank is so f'n big. the factory cost like $200, but once in a while they go on sale for $100, which is a good price. you could probably get one custom wrapped for $150 give or take, depending on who wraps it and the components.

as for the reel, ummmm a newell 533 with 40# would be a good choice, not overly expensive, like $150.

so there you have your self the MAN's jigstick. its what the deckhands on the long range boat's throw, and you can bounce 30# yellowtails with out fear. When i decide to buy a jigstick, that's what i'm gunna get.

LAST EDITED ON Jul-26-01 AT 11:55 AM (PST)

I did see a sportmart deal for a seeker rod below $100 bucks? I know seeker isn't the rolls royce but for simple Stardust trips do you think it could suffice?

Also some one recommend me a Penn 3/0 reel? I believe it can handle 20-30 pound too. I am not too familar with Newell's reel. What's the difference?

I don't want to sound cheap but 400-500 bucks on a setup is a little pricey? Would anyone recommend putting the money on the Rod vs. the Reel?

Yikes, I am in too deep.

I'd say put the money in the rod. Good rods are the Calstar 90J, 900L, or T100J. The T100J is the king in my opinion. A newell 332 is killer but to save bucks just get a jigmaster 500 and put the newell 5:1 gears in it.
T100's are really hard to come by but a custom one will run you around 200 bucks. The jigmaster is looking at 60 bucks I think? I got mine for 20 bucks at the Fred Hall show about 8 years ago.
You might even check out Graphtec if you can find them. I don't know if they make a big jigstick but their line of rods mirrors Calstar pretty closely for a lower price. Don't buy anything under 9 feet!

In my opinion, the Penn 3/0 is too bulky for throwing irons. The Newells recommended by others on this thread would be a better choice mainly because they are smaller, have smoother drags, better gear ratios, etc.

Who is recommending a 3/0?
That's way too big unless you are throwing a jig on 60lb for tuna.

um rob, just how big do you think a 3/0 is? its almost the same size as a jigmaster...

Any jigstick you're going to use on the Stardust will be for calico bass or barracuda. So, while I agree with leif that the Ulua 93 is one of the sweetest, whoopass jigsticks ever, you don't need it for the half day boat. As for graphiters (900L, 800L, etc.) the tips are generally too mushy to throw iron becuase they're graphite. The bend and spine is also kind of weird for the amount of pressure you want to grind on fish with. I'd reccommend a solid fiberglass stick. If I had to choose three companies to pick a jigstick from, it would be Calstar, Seeker, or Truline. Truline makes some really sweet oldskool jigsticks. That'll probably be my next jigstick. Rob's got it right, the T100 (aka 100J, or T100J) is the stick for 1/2 day to overnight inshore trips. Perfect for surface iron for koods or calicos. I've got a T540 which is very similar to the T100 but it's a little beefier and is more of a yellowtail stick. The 90J or T100 are both great light duty jigsticks. They're made by Calstar, BTW.

Reels-
You either love Newell or you hate em. Some series of reels, according to the year they were made, are good, some are bad. It gets kind of confusing as to which series are good and which are bad. The newer reels aren't as good as the older ones, so I'd suggest finding a later model Newell (don't count on saving any money though...). The 332-5 is a good choice for your application. It's 99 size which is the size of a narrow jigmaster. Also called the albacore special. If you're on a budget, go for the jigmaster, like Rob says. Make sure it has the aluminum spool and not the heavy metal one. If you do get the heavy metal one, I can make it superfree, for a low low price... LMAO. (sorry, you probably didn't catch that joke). IMO, the Newells are better reels, but a jigmaster will get you by just fine. Drags and gear strength and one piece frames and stuff aren't important for calico bass and barracuda because you're not putting a whole lot of stress on the reel. You can catch barracuda with a bass reel for god's sake...
-Brian

Whoops, forgot to mention the Harnells. Check out the Harnell 542. Sweet parabolic jigstick for iron slingin.
-Brian