Jigging Rigs 

Where weight and compactness are essential, vertical jigging is ideal. You can accomplish this with a small lightweight fly reel and a short two foot fiberglass rod or, for that matter, a line wrapped end to end over a paint stick.

While the use of a motor is helpful but not essential in smaller lakes, many anglers prefer using a canoe. Regardless of the type of craft from which you are fishing, vertical jigging can be done very nicely with your standard spinning outfit, consisting of a six- to seven-foot fiberglass or graphite rod in combination with a medium-size spinning reel loaded with low-stretch six- to ten-pound-test monofilament. A reasonably stiff rod is beneficial for setting hooks and feeling soft strikes. It also allows a better feel of the lure and its action. A supple, low-stretch line is very important as it allows coilless descent, keeping you more in contact with your lure and adding to its ability to set hooks firmly with little stretch.

The jigs themselves come in a number of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some require the addition of live baits, others are simply used by themselves. There are those with hair bodies that puff in a pulsating action when jigged, and those that swim, dipping and diving in a circular motion when manipulated. Smaller spoons similar to those used on wire lines are effective, as well as floating minnow baits used with a heavy sinker placed 18 to 24 inches ahead. All of these baits can be effective if you take into consideration the type of food on which the trout in the area are feeding. You would match your bait in size, color, and action to the trout's prey.

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