Jig Fishing for Salmon and Steelhead

How to Rig up for Steelhead and Salmon Jig Fishing

Float fishing with a jig for salmon and steelhead is one of the most popular and productive methods for pursuing salmon and steelhead because of the many advantages. The advantages include losing less gear to the bottom, more time spent fishing and ultimately more fish caught, and the action of marabou jigs is hard to beat. The underwater pulsing action drives salmon and steelhead to strike jigs, oftentimes on the first or second pass.

The methods outlined on this page can be used to help with your success when jig fishing for Steelhead or Salmon. These are some tips and techniques that we hope will help in your search for salmon and steelhead. We like to use these jig fishing methods with a marabou or schlappen jig when fishing in the Pacific Northwest rivers for Salmon and Steelhead, but these methods will work anywhere you choose to fish.

First off, to rig up for jig float fishing there are several specific pieces of gear you will want to use. You will want to use a long rod in the 10 foot range, which will be explained later in further detail, a good sliding float, a float stop, a lead alternative sinker like brass, steel, or tungsten(or lead depending on where you are fishing), and a jig.

Some anglers prefer inline sinker weights when fishing jigs but you can also use slip on weights of various sizes tied to or between barrel swivels. The use of a sliding float is helpful because you can adjust the depth that you are fishing at very easily to match the depth of the river. To adjust the sliding float you will need to use a float stop which is essentially just a piece of yarn that is slipped onto the line, tightened, and trimmed. It can be moved up and down your main line to adjust the depth you will be fishing at. This is especially useful when jig fishing lots of varied stretches of water in a day. Usually, you will want to fish your jig 1-2 feet off the river bottom, so it is important to be able to adjust the depth you are fishing to match the specific run or hole you are fishing. Thill and Beau Mac make good sliding floats that offer excellent cast-ability and are easy to spot on the water.

A definite must for float fishing is a floating line like a braided line which is designed specifically for float fishing or other floating braided line. Many companies make floating braided lines which suit themselves well to float fishing. This lets you see and manage, or mend, your line on the surface and will help you with stronger hook sets. The reason for a longer than normal rod becomes apparent when you are jig fishing and attempting to minimize the drag on your float, and while attempting to keep your line off the water. A rod in the 10 foot range will help you immensely with your line control. The benefit here is the ability to mend, or adjust your line on the water as well as pick it up and get a solid hook set when a fish strikes your jig. When float fishing with a jig, a strike simply looks like your float stopping its downstream motion, or going underwater. The general rule is that anytime you see your float go underwater or behave unnaturally, set the hook!

Many anglers use spinning reels while fishing jigs while others prefer casting reels. It is simply a matter of personal preference. Generally we will use a lighter spinning rod outfit when fishing smaller jigs in micro sizes or when fishing lower flowing or smaller water. When using larger jigs or fishing larger water we like to use casting outfits because of the ability to free spool line out downstream while controlling the spool with the thumb. Whatever your choice, it is important to choose a reel that free spools easily to help in feeding out extra line.

It is extremely important to minimize drag on your rig when float fishing jigs, which again brings us back to the use of long rods and floating lines. Throughout your drift you may have to free spool line out to keep the float standing straight upright in the water. If your line starts to drag and the float turns on its side, you aren’t getting a good presentation and aren’t fishing your jig correctly. To help fix this problem throw a downstream mend in your line, like you would while fly fishing, to decrease the drag on your line. This may sound confusing but once you get on the water this method will be intuitive and you will understand why it is necessary. You can free spool line out when drifting downstream but don’t go too far because if you let too much line out you will have trouble setting the hook and playing your fish back upstream to where you are fishing from.

Fishing with jigs for salmon and steelhead is an immensely popular method, and it is only growing in popularity as the benefits become apparent. Less lost rigs to snags, and the fact that fish love the action of marabou and schlappen feathers underwater make jigs a great option.

How to Fish Jigs for Salmon and Steelhead

Here we will go into brief detail on how and where to fish jigs for salmon and steelhead. Fishing jigs for salmon and steelhead is one of the most productive methods available because not only do jigs produce strikes but they are relatively easy to fish, require little on the water maintenance (think re-rigging bait), and they rarely catch up on the bottom. The use of a float to suspend the jig above the bottom gives the angler the chance for a snag free drift where the jig is presented perfectly to the fish every time.

When fishing jigs for steelhead and salmon it is important to keep a couple things in mind. Jigs should be fished near the bottom, so it is important to adjust your float so that you are between 1-3 feet from the bottom. It’s not uncommon however for a steelhead or salmon to move up from the bottom to take a jig though so sometimes fishing a jig 5 feet or more above the bottom is acceptable. Use a sliding float so that you can adjust the depth you are fishing at easily. This simply requires a float stop and small plastic bead. Slip this on your main line before putting the float on and you can then adjust your depth by sliding the float stop. The float is important when jig fishing because it is what gives the jig its irresistible underwater action.

The bobbing action of the float in the current moves the jig up and down and gives it its action. When the jig and weight makes the float stand straight upright in the water, you know you are fishing your jig just right. Anytime your float starts to fall over on its side or starts to drag it is important to mend or adjust your line so that the float comes back to the upright position. A floating line, long rod and good free spooling reel will help you with these line adjustments.

Salmon and steelhead jigs can be suited to any type of water, however there are a couple that stand out as prime water. These include slower runs with a clear current seam where the current slackens or slows. Jigs worked right along the seam, or edge, can produce savage strikes from steelhead and salmon. Other prime places to fish a jig are in pools where the current swirls around in a back eddy. These back eddies can be continuously worked with a jig without the need to recast. It is as simple as letting out more line as the current takes the float and jig away from you, and reeling in as the float and jig comes back towards you.

For this reason it is my opinion that a casting reel is best suited to fishing jigs for salmon and steelhead. It is easy to free spool line out while using the thumb on the spool to keep pressure if needed. However, spinning reels work well for fishing jigs as well and many anglers prefer to use a spinning reel when float fishing jigs.

Popular steelhead and salmon jig styles and colors vary drastically by situation, but I will try to give a starting point for the angler looking to give jig fishing a shot. Generally speaking, when the river flows are higher a larger steelhead or salmon jig in a bright color will work well. Large marabou and chenille jigs in chartreuse, orange, red, and white all work well for salmon and steelhead. Alternatively, in lower clear water smaller jigs in neutral colors like black, olive, white, purple, and pink all work well. Salmon and steelhead jigs with marabou tails or full marabou or schlappen bodies work well because of the pulsing action of the feathers underwater. Schlappen is an oversized hackle feather that gives jigs a great underwater action without making them overly large in length. These same features that make steelhead and salmon jigs so deadly can be applied when targeting for searun trout. Other features to look for on a good salmon or steelhead jig is the use of chenille or egg beads for the body. These can both add a contrasting or complimenting color to a jig and add a little extra enticement for the fish. Another good option to look for is the use of a lead alternative weight for the jig head. More and more lakes, rivers and streams are being regulated lead-free waters so the use of a lead alternative weight is required. Even when not required, it is a good idea since it is more environmentally friendly and decreases the risk of harm to fish and wildlife. Brass bead head jigs make a nice alternative to solid lead jig heads and have enough weight to sink the jig and stand the float upright. Sometimes when fishing a smaller jig an extra lead alternative weight will need to be added 18 – 24 inches up the leader from the jig. Good lead alternative sinkers include brass, steel and tungsten.

Remember, if your float isn’t standing straight upright your jig isn’t fishing properly. Start out by fishing deeper and if your jig is dragging on the bottom, indicated by your float laying down and dragging against the current, then adjust the depth you are fishing at slightly and try again until you get a clean float through the drift. Good luck and happy float fishing!

How to Care for Steelhead & Salmon Jigs

There are several pointers that will help with proper care of marabou and schlappen feather steelhead and salmon jigs and keep you fishing the same jigs multiple times. Without proper care, marabou and feather jigs, like schlappen feather and hackle jigs, will clump up and the feathers will become useless underwater. Once this happens they won’t have the same fish enticing movement that the fish crave. Marabou jigs are delicate, but by using the techniques that I’ll outline here you’ll trash a lot less jigs and spend less money on buying new jigs.

First, never use artificial scents or jellies on any marabou or feather jigs. Scents have oils in them that will ruin the action on a jig faster than you can imagine. In the past, I’ve tried squirting a tiny amount of scent on the head or chenille body of a jig and it invariably works its way down into the feather tail of the jig. If you absolutely must use some scent I suggest rubbing some in-between your index finger and thumb and then lightly applying that to the head of the jig or to the line. Most of the time you won’t need any scent though because the action of the jig will be plenty to keep the fish biting.

Second, always dry your jigs before putting them away. Nothing ruins a jig faster than sitting wet in a tackle box. When jigs are left wet the feathers clump together and will not dry properly. This can ruin the action of the feathers and make the jig much less effective. When I’m out on the water and changing jigs I usually hang the wet ones from the front of my vest, or on my hat. This keeps them separated and won’t allow the colors to run. Since the marabou and feathers used in jigs is dyed, when they are wet the potential for the colors to bleed and run into your other jigs is possible. By separating them I eliminate this possibility and also give them the ability to air dry. After they are partially dry I like to fluff the feathers out with my fingers and separate the clump apart. This helps the drying process and will get your jig back to its original state.

Finally, when I’m done fishing and on the way home I always take any wet jigs that I have and place the hook through the heater vent in my car. By hanging them from the heater vent I can then turn on warm air and blow dry them. After 5 minutes of hot air blowing on them the marabou and feathers are back to their original fluffy state and are ready to go back into the tackle box. Another way to do this is to set up a small fan at home and direct the air flow over the wet jigs until they are dry and fluffy again.

Use these techniques and get more fishing days out of your jigs. The last bit of advice is when storing your steelhead and salmon jigs, store them in a tackle box that won’t crush or damage the feathers and marabou tail. The marabou and shlappen feathers are what give the jigs their fishing catching action so take care of them and they will take care of you.