PANDORA’S BOX

By Justin Paynter and Mark Brewitt

(Originally published in the November 2024 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine)

PANDORA’S Box – a metaphor for something that brings about great troubles or misfortune, but also holds hope. And what is life without a bit of hope?
Our country is on the rise, our fellow South Africans have hope in our new government of unity, we haven’t had load shedding for over 150 days, the petrol price has dropped and interest rates are set to be cut…This is all great news because my newest adventure has become a rather costly exercise!
For years I have been toying with the idea of trying vertical jigging (speed jigging) off Durban. Mark Brewitt, a SADSAA angler and Shelly Beach local, has always said that us Durban boys don’t know what we’re missing out on and tried repeatedly to convince me to try it, but I resisted. Mark believed that the potential off Durban and the North Coast region was possibly even greater than at Shelly Beach and other well known jigging spots because of all the structure and wrecks – and lower jigging pressure – along this stretch of KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline.
This year, as the bottomfishing season started to heat up and I was dragged along with my fishing mates, I thought I might as well give jigging a bash while they were bottomfishing.
I pulled out a brand new Williamson Benthos 200g pink jig and dropped it to the ocean floor in 50m of water. The jig hit the bottom, and then the hard work started. I was huffing and puffing by the third drop and quickly decided this was not for me.
On the next drop, the jig hit the bottom, I made one or two winds, and the next second my Daiwa Saltiga was screaming off. No sooner was I able to say “I’m on!” than bang! the fish took me into the reef, and all I was left with was a frayed leader and a bruised ego.
I quickly retied my leader with a PR Knot using a bobbin (in my opinion the strongest knot around), tied on a new jig, and down it went.
Well, let’s just say I went 6-1 on amberjack, and despite R2 000 in lost jigs I had the most fun I’ve had in years. It reminded me of the first time I caught a ’cuda and the excitement I experienced on that occasion.

On my way home, I stopped in at the Kingfisher to stock up on some more Benthos jigs and some really deadly looking Mustad jigs. All my wife heard about the entire evening was how much fun I had. It wasn’t about the amount of money I had donated to the sea that day, it was the slight hope that I might be able to stop one of these steam trains and actually land one.
The next time, I went 5-1 on the ambers and the fish got a little bigger.
Why did I keep going back when I was being beaten so badly? I can’t fully explain it, but I’ll try: One minute your jig is dropping to the bottom, the next minute your rod is doubled over and you are frightened to tighten up the drag any more in case you get pulled overboard! These fish have a special kind of brute force, and nothing we tried could stop them. No doubt some of you reading this will tell me that I should just put one foot on the gunnel, tighten up and pull. Well, good luck and send me the pictures!
It wouldn’t be fair for me to write this article and profess to be a master at speed/vertical jigging. I am still very wet behind the ears, so to speak, and am learning new lessons each time I go out, but if I had to choose one facet to fish for the rest of my life, it would be jigging. The bite, the fight, the brute force applied to fish, tackle and angler is just incredible.
There is no other way to say it: I am absolutely obsessed. I have, however, learnt some valuable lessons, and as a newbie to the jigging game, here is what I have learnt thus far.

LESSONS FROM A NEWBIE
When it comes to gear, quality is everything. Don’t buy rubbish! If something is going to be properly tested, it’s going to be your rod and reel setup. Buy the best setup you can afford, even if you have to save and wait to buy the correct setup. My buddy Graham Joyce learnt this the hard way recently!
Brayden Kane, one of our up-and-coming junior anglers, and I went out with Graham for a jigging session on Graham’s boat, G&T. Graham decided to bring along a “Gumtree rod” that was older than Brayden and I put together. No lies!
I had warned Graham previously about using the right setup, but he told me he was ready. As Murphy would have it, on Graham’s first drop he got absolutely smoked! He was pumping and winding, huffing and puffing and Brayden, like any young adult these days, had his phone out recording all of it.
Next thing – bang! Graham’s rod shattered in his hands!
His one-piece rod instantly became a three-piece with missing guides.
Fortunately, teamwork made the dream work and we ended up landing a 28.2kg brute of a greater amberjack (a Durban Ski-Boat Club record for an amber for 2024.) Let’s just say Graham is in the saving process at the moment, and hopefully Santa will have some new jigging equipment for him at Christmas time.
You can’t just throw money at the problem, but it does help when you lose the number of jigs I did.
It’s very important to understand about pairing the correct rod, reel, braid, leader line and jig type for the application – and also being on the mark.
At this point I’ll hand over to Mark Brewitt who has been jigging on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast for many years. He graciously shared some details on his recommendations for
vertical jigging success:

WHAT IS MECHANICAL
OR SPEED JIGGING?
Vertical jigging loosely describes the use of metal jigs paired with braided line to create an enticing vertical presentation in the water column to catch predatory fish.
With the recent increase in the popularity of slow-pitch jigging, it is important to note that speed- or mechanical jigging differs from slow-pitch as it uses a faster retrieve and jigging style with longer, narrower fast-retrieve jigs to entice a reactionary bite from species like amberjack, yellowtail, kingfish and yellowfin tuna.

SPINNING GEAR VS
OVERHEAD (MULTIPLIER)?
This is always a great debate among jiggers, but at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference.
If you are looking for an all-round, versatile option to jig different depths from 30m to 90m with a range of jig weights, then I would recommend a spinning setup. If you are going to focus on dedicated heavy-duty speed jigging, the multiplier (overhead) setups will provide more power, control and an easier jigging action for that application.
Each one requires some practice to get the correct cadence and rhythm for the right jig retrieve, but the spinning setup will be easier to adjust to for beginner and intermediate jiggers.
Reels require a robust design and sturdy drag system (drags should be around 15-20kg max drag), and leading brands such as Daiwa, Shimano, Penn and JigStar offer very good options in the mid- to high-end categories.

WHICH RODS ARE BEST?
Generally, a good jigging rod should be a one-piece blank with a parabolic action in the 5ft 6” to 6ft class.
Technology has come a long way in the past five years, and there are many great rod manufacturers out there. Without having to go for exotic options overseas, you will find great value locally from Daiwa, Shimano, Assassin, Penn and JigStar.
Be sure to note that jigging rods are also available in spinning and overhead versions and must be matched to the corresponding reel type – don’t use your overhead reel on a spinning rod.
The rod is a vital part of the gear as it has two jobs – to impart a tempting action to the jig on retrieve and to provide backbone and lifting power to get the fish away from the bottom. This is where a parabolic blank is excellent.
Next, make sure that you take note of the ratings on the rod itself. The ratings will usually include the rod length, blank action (medium, medium-heavy, heavy or extra-heavy) as well as a braid rating (in PE) and jig weight rating (in grams).
Let’s say you want to target kingfish, ambers and yellowtail in up to 50m of water with jigs up to 200g in weight. You would then match an 8 000 to 10 000 size spinning reel to a 5ft 6 to 6ft jigging rod with a medium-heavy action and a braid rating of around PE5 (50 lb). This would provide you an all-rounder to jig 30m-50m depths with jigs between around 100g and 200g.
If you were looking to target larger amberjacks and yellowtail in 70-100m of water around heavy structure (reefs and wrecks) you would opt for a 10 000 to 18 000 size spinning reel (or heavy overhead reel) paired with a 5ft 6 to 6ft jigging rod with a heavy action and a braid rating of PE6-8 (60-80 lb) with jig weights from 240g to 400g.

WHICH BRAID AND LEADER?
Due to the aggressive nature of the fish being targeted and the fact that most of the time you are generally jigging in the lowest 10-20m of the water column, there is a tendency to get reefed or cut-off regularly.
A lot of people tend to over-gun their leader in the hopes that a thicker, heavier leader will prevent them from being cut off. The reality is that even 1mm mono easily gets cut off against hard structure. The drawback of a heavier leader is that it also affects the action of the jig and often results in a lower strike ratio.
I much prefer to use a smaller diameter leader to improve my jig action and get more strikes.
A rule of thumb that works for me is to match the leader size to the braid you are using e.g. 50-60 lb mono leader on 50 lb braid, 80 lb mono leader on 80 lb braid and so on. This way you keep a balance and ensure your jig has a good action on the retrieve.
“What about fluorocarbon?” you may ask. Fluoro has many advantages including better abrasion resistance than mono becaasue it’s a harder material, but its two drawbacks in the jigging application are very low stretch and a tendency to crack or shatter under tension after heavy wear and tear.
I personally believe that due to the depths and lower light conditions encountered in vertical jigging there is no visibility advantage to using fluoro, and the higher stretch of mono gives a bit more cushioning to a hard fight on braided line which has no stretch.
To keep it simple, stick with a mono leader of around 4- to 6m.

HOW STRONG IS YOUR BEST KNOT?
When it come to knots and terminal tackle there’s no room for mistakes. Fighting large ambers, yellowtail and GTs will test all your tackle to its limits!
Pick a braid-to-leader knot that has a high strength rating and get good at tying it, even at sea.
My personal favourites are slim wrap knots such as the FG Knot and PR Knot (bobbin knot) that slide easily through the guides. Other favourites like the Bristol and Yucatan knots also work, although their tag ends can be a bit tricky through the guides.
It also helps to add a drop of super glue to the tag section of your braid-to-leader knots just to prevent the knot wriggling loose under heavy tension.
When it comes to tying your terminal tackle (either with a solid ring or a heavy swivel) on to your assist hook, also use a strong knot such as a modified Figure 8, Uni or Palomar knot. Bad knots result in lost fish…

VERTICAL JIG BASICS
Generally speaking, vertical jigs (also called speed jigs or knife jigs) are long, slender jigs usually with flat sides and two attachment points at the top and bottom.
The weighting of the jig is very important, with most jigs needing a fast fall rate and very little side-to-side flutter action. You’re really looking for a vertical darting action. Most successful vertical jigs are centre-weighted or tail-weighted to achieve this. Good examples of successful vertical jigs are the Williamson Benthos and Abyss, Zest Curved Slider and Deep Slim, Kingfisher Pinnacle and JYG Stryke.
The most common weights are 120g, 150g, 200g, 250g, 300g, 350g and 400g. A good rule of thumb is approximately 100g of weight per 25m of water depth, obviously dependent on current.
As for colours, you don’t need to get too technical, but my experience leans towards these colours as personal preference: Pink/silver (everything eats pink!), green/silver (a proven amberjack favourite), chartreuse/glow (for green or discoloured water), and finally my absolute favourite – pearl/silver.
Try to pick jigs that include some glow features such as glow eyes, glow painted edges or dots – they add an extra element that fish love.

WHICH ASSIST-HOOK STYLE?
Good terminal tackle is vital. As Justin mentioned, don’t skimp on quality! Most jigs come with low-quality assists from the factory (to keep costs down); rather get into the habit of throwing those away and making your own assists.
Use good hooks – the fish you are targeting have big mouths and you need strong hooks. The general rule of thumb is that the gape of the hook should be wider than the body of your jig. That generally means a hook in the 8/0 to 11/0 size range for most vertical jigs from 120g to 400g. Mustad and VMC make great jigging hooks while BKK supply top quality pre-made assists.
Kevlar cord is the most popular material for making up your assist cords. The length of assist for a vertical jig is usually no longer than one third of the jig’s body, but having the bottom of the hook about 10mm below the eye of the jig delivers the least tangles and best hook-up ratio. For vertical jigging a stiffer Kevlar cord works best. Cord can be bought from BKK and JigStar.
My personal favourite, although it’s slightly more technical, is using crimped multi-strand steel wire assists with heat shrink.

SINGLE OR DOUBLE HOOKS?
This is up to personal choice, but these fish usually hit the jig with enough force that one hook does the trick. Double hook rigs can have the disadvantage of swinging around and hooking the fish outside the mouth, on the face or in the gill area.
My personal opinion? Use a single hook assist for speed jigging and leave the multiple assist hook rigs for slow-pitch jigging.

HOW TIGHT MUST THE DRAG BE?
If you have bought the right type of reel for the job, max drag ratings will be in the 15- to 20kg range, but jigging at these drag settings on full-lock is not just impractical, it’s actually pretty dangerous! Rather have your drag set at around 75% of max and you can always tighten up once you’re hooked-up, or else palm the reel for extra drag.
The first 5- to 10m off the bottom is where you really need your drag to bully the fish away from structure; once he’s up off the floor you’ll be able to continue the fight with less drag.
Always jig with a firm stance – brace against the gunnel and don’t lean overboard or you may just find yourself taking a swim. Seriously though, respect how hard the Seriola species and kingfish fight and be physically prepared for a wrestle.

WHICH RETRIEVES WORK BEST?
Let’s be honest straight up: Speed jigging or mechanical jigging is hard work. But it is also hugely rewarding. To learn the cadence and timing requires practice, but there are some great tutorials online, particularly on the New Zealand jigging channels, where you can watch instructional videos to help you learn the basic action.
If I had to describe it in simple terms, the concept is one rod lift, half a reel handle turn, one rod drop, half a reel handle turn. This is synchronised, with each hand moving in unison.
The result is a fast pitch retrieve that causes the jig to dart rapidly upwards, triggering an aggressive, instinctive strike response from fish.
Basically, find a showing close to the bottom, and make sure your drift is set up correctly with light or slack current and no wind interference. Drop your jig and free-spool until it hits the floor. Click over the bail or put your reel into gear, and take a large sweeping lift and retrieve to clear the jig off the floor. You don’t want to hook up right on the floor or get snagged. Begin your speed jigging action for 20-30 winds, then let the jig fall back to the bottom on free-spool (while you rest) and repeat.
Generally you don’t want to jig much higher than 10- to 20m off the bottom or above the showing on your fish finder. Stay in the zone and you will get rewarded.
Don’t worry, there’s no need to guess when you hook up – your jig gets smashed and you are instantly thrown into a power struggle! Make sure you pull hard early on to keep the fish away from structure. Once you’ve turned his head, keep pumping with steady pressure until the fish is away from the floor.

EXTRA TIPS
You can never have enough jigs! Make sure you have a good selection of sizes and colours and to try double-up on each; that way, if you lose a winner at least you have a backup.
Be organised – have a proper jig bag, spare leader line, knot bobbin, pre-made assist hooks, split ring pliers and a decent rod-bucket. These will all make life easier and limit time wasted when the fish are eating metal.
Jigging fitness comes with time, and in the beginning it’s normal to feel the physicality of this facet. However, nothing beats that first bump on your jig followed by battling the sheer power of an angry fish determined to cut you off on the reef. It’s an addiction and certainly something that you can’t get enough of!