How I jig grouper.

[ksong]

some asked me how I jig grouper. This video shows me hooking and landing a grouper on a jig with a long rod.
Groupers are bottom dwellers and they rarely chase a jig far from the bottom, though they sometimes follow for a long distance. The best technique I found is to jig up and down very close to the bottom. With down stroke of my rod, I always feel the bottom. I sometime change jigging speed, but they usually hit while slow jigging. When I get hit, the first thing I do is to crank as fast as I can to get the grouper off the structure instead of setting a hook. Many guys try to set the hook and do nothing for a while to admire what they did. If you do, groupers invariable dive down to the structure and you lose them.
I prefere longer rods for grouper jigging for two reasons. It is much more effective to use longer rods to jig up and down off the bottom and you can cast farther to cove more areas.

YouTube - A Day In The Life!!!

[Snagged]

Thanks Kil

[Uncle Russ]

Great video, Kil. I would have enjoyed seeing more of your actual jigging technique where you did not have the rail on which to leverage your rod.

What length rod were you using?

If you ever have the opportunity, a similar video of your AJ jigging with the short rod would be very helpful to many of us.

Thanks again.

Russ

[ksong]

Originally Posted by Uncle Russ

What length rod were you using?

If you ever have the opportunity, a similar video of your AJ jigging with the short rod would be very helpful to many of us.

Thanks again.

Russ

I like to use 7' - 8' rod for grouper jigging.
I can not jig like young, energetic jigfishermen for Japanese style jigging with short rods as my body can not allow me to do it anymore. I plan to jig even slower with short rods especially after I saw Jerry took helicoptor.
You might saw Dave Irving jig with Jigging Master short rod on the Big E trip.
He is as good as any jig fisherman with Japanese style jigging.
I'll send you copies of jigging DVD by Jigging Master AG guys when I get them, but don't try to copy them as your body is not young either.

[Snagged]

Kil, I noticed that you appeared to be using the reel more than the rod to bring in those grouper, am I correct?

[ksong]

Originally Posted by Snagged

Kil, I noticed that you appeared to be using the reel more than the rod to bring in those grouper, am I correct?

That is correct. I use my long rod as a guidance rather than as a tool to fight big fish.
I rely on the cranking power of reels. If I can not get lines with cranking power alone, I bend forward and backward or turn my body sideways to get lines. I seldom use a fighting belt for the long rod.

[Bellyups]

Thanks Kil. You make it look too easy!

[Capt Richie]

Ksong;
I fish grouper in less that 30ft of water with live bait..I was thinking of building a Wahoo jr ..I have built a few both acid & conventional..(I havent fished or built one for myself yet) Which do you think would be better..I also want to tarpon fish with it & need to cast live mullet..Thanks for any input..

[ksong]

I used Composite GUSA Challenger rated upto 60 lbs for grouper and it was fine. I depends on how big groupers are.
You can't miss grouper bites, so light tips of rods are not important to detect bites. Which Wahoo JR ? Graphite or composite ? If groupers are under 20 lbs, I like Composite, but over 30 lbs are frequent, I prefer graphite. I would rate Composite Wahoo Jr as upto 60 lbs and Graphite as upto 80 lbs.

[Capt Richie]

The wahoo jr compostie..I like to fish composite over graphite rod.. I have been fishing the Challenger PURC70M for fluke & just love it ..That rod has become my favorite very fast.
I fish the keys one to two times a year & wanted a rod for large grouper (Jewfish)..We fish the gulf for them in 20-30ft of water & the fish range from 20 to 150lbs..you never know what going to hit you..I also wanted the same rod for tarpon & deep drop 180' of water or more for snapper & jacks..
After building the Wahoo Jr-C ,thats the rod I think will work.. ..I just havent fished it yet & how well does it cast acid wrapped..We tend to cast live mullet for tarpon..The grouper & deep drop we use from 6 to 10oz egg sinkers

I have had input from the angler I have built the rod for..They love it & use it for tuna jigging & amberjack & grouper fishing NC.. They like the acid better than the conventional.. I guess my main question is acid or conventional for casting live bait..
Thanks sorry for the long post..