I was looking over the tips that I have written in the past and noticed that there was not much on "Iron" fishing. I put a small section in the wahoo bombs tip but not much else. Then I saw the post in the discussion board and I said it is time. So here goes.

    Fishing  Iron or tossing jigs is the most enjoyable way to hook fish. You do not have to fight the crowd at the bait tank. You get the feel of "tricking" a fish into biting an artificial lure. Most important you get that "strike" that starts your blood racing. There are three basic methods of fishing the "Iron", surface, countdown and yo-yoing.

    Surface iron is the most visual of the three. You actually see the fish explode on your lure. Just seeing a tuna or yellowtail attacking your jig is worth the effort to fish surface iron. Landing these fish can be a chore. Most surface jig outfits are eight or nine foot rod and a mid-size Newell reel. This combo is great for casting distance but leaves a lot to be desired in fish fight ability. Do not use this rod and reel combo for anything else.  Hooking fish up to 30 lbs. is great fun but anything large and it loses the fun factor. To keep the fun factor try removing the hooks from your surface iron. This way you get all the fun and none of the pain.

    So how do you fish surface jigs? Most surface jigs are lightweight and sink very slowly or in the case of popper not at all. You do not have to use a "surface" jig but it helps. Cast your jig as far as you can to get the longest retrieve possible. The longer the retrieve the better the chance a fish will see your jig skipping across the surface. It is very important to keep your lure on the surface of the water. You may have to crank very fast to keep the jig skipping, but do not worry. If that tuna wants your jig it will get it. With poppers you can use a slow steady retrieve or a stop and go retrieve. As with all jig fishing try different retrieve speed.

    Fishing iron with the countdown method is the most common. Just about any jig can be fished with the countdown method. I prefer to use the Salas 6 X Jr. in blue/white. This one jig has taken every fish you that is encountered on a long range. Tuna, yellowtail and wahoo are the main targets with the countdown jig fishing. Dorado also fall prey to jigs but for safety reason please fish for "dodos" with bait.

    To fish jigs using the countdown method is very simple. Just cast your jig and once it hits the water, start a mental count. When you reach 25, put the reel in gear and start your retrieve. The length of the "count" will depend on how deep the fish are holding. Try different counts to allow your jig to reach different depths. Once your find the right "count" that the fish are holding, it easy to return to the same depth and hook another fish.

    The final method is yo-yoing the iron. Yo-yoing the iron is when you drop your jig over the side and straight to the bottom. If you are fishing off the bottom then you are just fishing a very deep countdown/ retrieve. Many anglers confuse the two so that is why I have separated the two. Yo-yoing is used for yellowtail or bottomfish.

    When fishing for yellowtail let your jig, I like a 6X in blue/white, sink to the bottom. Be sure you are actually getting the jig to the bottom. Tip the bottom once, put the reel in gear and crank as fast as you can. After about 30 cranks, put the reel in free spool and let the jig sink again. Be aware of getting bit on the sink. After a short sink, put the reel in gear and crank as fast as you can again. Repeat this crank, sink and crank again. And finally crank it all the way up. Once on the surface start it all over again. That is yo-yoing for ‘tails. When fishing for bottomfish, use a short retrieve and then let the jig sink to the bottom again. Repeat this as long as you can "feel the bottom".

    Now that you know what iron fishing is, here are a few tips. Keep trying. I see many anglers try for a couple of cast and then go back to using bait. You will not always get into one of those wide open bites where every cast you hook a fish. Iron fishing can be hard work with little results. On two different trips I was the only angler who fished the iron hard. Both times I was reward with a large fish. A large yellowtail from the "boiler" and still swimming tuna (bigeye?)

    Which brings us to the next tip. Change the hooks. Most jigs come with treble hooks. These hooks are fine for yellowtail and small tuna. But if you are after wahoo or larger tuna, switch to a single hook. Single hooks will penetrate easier and grab more of the jaw. Make sure your hooks are sharp too.

    Bring a wide selection of colors. Blue/white or chrome will catch most of the fish but what about the times that they do not. Sometimes just by adding "mackerel stripes" you’ll have the hot jig. You should be ready for the times when the fish will key in on just one color pattern.

    Try different things. Vary your retrieve speed, your sink time or try a different lures. Keep you eye out for who is getting hooked on the iron. Copy what the hot angler is doing. "Fishing Iron" is simple but to become a skillful "ironman" does take lots of practice. I hope I have interested you into try the iron next time. Every time you fish the iron you have saved bait too.

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