Vertical Jigging Equipment Help

[Saiyani]

Hi all,

I am an Englishman living in Sweden and took up fishing about two years ago. When I started fishing I just bought a cheap and cheerful rod from a large store, and managed to catch a few fish with a combination of casting various lures from both a small boat and the shore, and a little trolling behind the boat. I then upgraded to a Berkley Lightning Rod and have been floundering around in my novice way ever since, continuing with a combination of the above methods.

As this summer is approaching I have decided to take things more seriously and hopefully catch more fish So I have been doing a lot of research into all manner of different fishing disciplines as well as looking at effective methods of catching the fish I want to target. Here is a little info about where I am fishing and what I am targeting:

Fresh water lake fishing predominantly in lake Vänern http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4nern

Targeting: Perch, Zander, perhaps a Burbot if one happens by, or even a salmon (often to eat), and inevitably Pike for a little sport

I have access to a couple of boats so will be fishing from these most of the time, filling in any gaps with a little jetty fishing.

During my recent research I have happened across many interesting fishing techniques, but one particularly appeals to me: Vertical Jigging. There are a number of reasons for this. I feel it will be effective for the types of fish I want to catch (YouTube and many online articles seem to prove this theory correct) and I also like the idea of sitting calmly on the water above the fish and enjoying the outdoors which to me is part of the fun of fishing.

So the other day I actually had a go at vertical jigging from a jetty with my Berkley and a minnow style jig. The rod is way too long and awkward for this style of fishing but I still managed to catch myself a perch in just 10 mins of fishing . I am looking to focus much more time on this technique and am planning to buy a new rod and reel specifically for this purpose.

However I am finding it difficult to find much in the way of reviews, information or advice on the specific rods and reels I should buy.
A couple of local fishing stores here in Stockholm have a few specific vertical jigging rods and reels in store. However the gear they do have, I have either not found much info about online to be able to decide if it's any good, or in one case, I only found mostly bad reviews which have put me off considering this products (The Daiwa Megaforce Plus 100 TSHL).

Here are a couple of links so you can see what I have been looking at:

http://www.sportfiskeprylar.se/sv/ar...pon/index.html

http://www.fiskarnas.se/

What I really need help with from you guys is advice on what I should buy. I have found an online store in Germany that has a much larger range of vertical jigging equipment and have come across these two products in particular that I am considering buying:

Shimano Yasei Vertical Jigging Cast 1.85m 7 - 28g

http://www.fishingtackle24.de/produc...rkVerticalRods


Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 7000i Line Counter (meters)

http://www.fishingtackle24.de/produc...necounterSerie

What do you guys think about these products? Would they go well together? Does anyone have any experience of using them together or separately? Would they suit my stated purpose well? Would you recommend any particular equipment other than these that I should look at?

Sorry if I have rambled on a little, but I often see one sentence posts on forums asking for help, but giving out no information for people to base replies on. I find it a little disrespectful. The least I can do if you're going to try to help me is to...well....help you to help me if you see what I mean ? Anyway I will round off by saying: Your help with any or all of the above questions would be greatly appreciated.

Aidy

[cassidyta]

Aidy,

First welcome to the site.
Vertical Jigging is not a technique that I do often, but when I do, I find that it can be quite effective.

I have not used that particular rod, but I have been very pleased with the shimano rods that I own. The one thing that jumps out at me is that while it says cast, the picture has no trigger like the normal bait casting rods we find here in the United States. The guides look like a typical baitcaster, but without the trigger it looks like a spinning reel (baitrunner) As far as length goes, the 1.85 M (6 foot) rod should be okay. I personally prefer the longer rods for verticle jigging. I feel that the leverage meains that I do not have to lift the rod tip as high to move the bait. This is important to me because I don't like having the bait eaten while I am out of position for a hook set. I will say that I am not a fan in having a 2 piece rod for that technique. It is my experience that the verticle bite, similar to a drop shot, can be very subtle. In most cases, a two piece rod means a lack of sensitivity.


I have owned several of the Abu Garcia reels and love them. I think the reel will do fine for your technique. That being said, if you do not need the added line capacity, you may find that a small profile reel to be a little more comfortable.

I really can't suggest an alternative because the models on your side of the world don't always match up to ours.

[M_A_C_K]

For vertical jigging you want a rod that is a light/medium action at least 6-7 foot or more in length... and for the reel you should have a nice spinning reel as it is a finesse technique... like a spinning reel rated for 6-8 lb test.

[Saiyani]

Thanks for the help guys. I noticed the same thing about the rod, it doesnt have a trigger grip in the picture. After doing some research I found that the casting version does in fact have a trigger grip, they have just used the wrong photo on this items discription. The model number etc matches with the trigger grip version though.

As for the reel: I have decided to go with a low profile reel due to the comfort factor. Thanks for the advice, I hadnt thought of that to be honest. Your help is appreciated.