Traditional jigging employs an up-and-down motion to attract fish to a line. In contrast, jigging with the best Shimano butterfly jigs happens with short and fast lifts of the rod’s tip with a crank of the reel handle.
The butterfly jigging technique requires a special and the best butterfly jig to work. These are available in two styles – long and regular.
What sets the butterfly jig apart from other jigs is spiraling and darting vertically in the water. Longer varieties move from side to side. This aggressively mimics a fish in distress that fish such as bluefin tuna cannot resist.
4 Best Shimano Butterfly Jigs
If you want to try your hand at butterfly jigging, you should have these Shimano butterfly jigs in your tackle and the best Shimano spinning reel you own.
- Shimano Butterfly Wing-Fall
- Shimano Butterfly Flat-Fall Jigs
- Shimano Butterfly Flat-Side Jig
- Shimano Butterfly Monarch
1. Shimano Butterfly Wing-Fall
The Butterfly Wing Fall from Shimano is designed to offer several falling actions, including cradle swing, backslide, and a wide roll. Designed to act like an injured fish, this jig triggers an instant feeding frenzy depending on your fishing spot.
The wing-fall features of this Shimano jig give it a lifelike appearance that fools fish efficiently. It is available in various colors and sizes and is built with wire construction for extra strength and durability.
2. Shimano Butterfly Flat-Fall Jigs
Flat-Fall Jigs from Shimano are designed to drop down to the bottom of a water column quickly because of the weight it is equipped with. Balanced in the center, it falls with a unique wobbling action horizontally. It remains in the strike zone longer than any other butterfly jig.
The unique Shimano butterfly jig also boasts a Hydrodynamic flat keel design. It comes with two dancing stinger hooks, complete with PowerPro assist hooks. All these combine to allow the butterfly jig to flatten on the bottom.
3. Shimano Butterfly Flat-Side Jig
Shimano Butterfly Flat-Side jig boasts a design for angle-vertical jigging from a drifting boat. The flat-side jig falls to the bottom quickly because of its rear/center weight and swings as it goes down, making it attractive to fish such as tuna—the asymmetric 3D design and the flat half-mirror finish of this lure that this species cannot resist.
This Shimano jig is designed with an off-set eyeball position. You can use two hooks of different lengths to increase your chances of hooking a fish. Once it is jigged, the lure imitates a baitfish in the water, which can attract more strikes.
4. Shimano Butterfly Monarch
The Shimano Butterfly Monarch jig was designed to move in circles in the water, imitating an injured or confused baitfish on the line. It falls horizontally in the water column and will also start to spiral before it reaches the bottom.
This is one of the main reasons this jig is ideal for anglers who want to catch tuna or other bottom-dwelling fish, whether drifting or at anchor. The lifelike scale pattern of the jig is guaranteed to fool any fish you want to catch. Your butterfly jigging can be more manageable if you have this lure.
How to Fish with Butterfly Jigs
Fishing with a butterfly jig is not tricky, whether a novice or a veteran angler. However, if you don’t have the appropriate gear, you can lose the catch of a lifetime. Here are some items that you cannot do without if you are using jigs:
1. Choose the Right Rod
The wrong rod can affect your casting but also cost you several potential catches. Even though the stiff weed guard on a jig can prevent it from getting stuck in a heavy brush, it can also prevent you from getting a solid hookset. If your rod is too soft, getting the hook past the weed guard to the fish’s mouth will be impossible.
Therefore, the ideal rod for jigging is rated for fast action tips and heavy power. It also has to be longer than the traditional variety – a about 7 feet long rod will do.
This is understandable because much of jig fishing pertains to raising the tip of the rod. The longer it is, the more fishing line you pick up as you raise it.
2. Pick the Right Reel
There are more jigging reels today than ever before, and there is a reason for that. The latest ones are being designed with narrow spools. Plus, they have to retrieve ratios that lie between 4.1:1 and 6.2:1.
This is understandable because a narrow reel can accommodate braided lines easily. The line can lie easily across a narrow spool compared to a wider one.
This is crucial when it comes to using different jigging techniques. When cranking the reel and lighter, a narrow spool can also reduce wobbling action so your hand won’t cramp up.
3. Stock or Your Own Hooks
If you are jigging vertically, use assist hooks to increase your hook-up ratio for short strikes. It is simply a J-hook rigged with a strong dyneema or kevlar cord tied to the hook. The attachment offers a loop that can be used for a ring or a lure.
This hook prevents jig-to-leader fouls and cannot be thrown off easily by aggressive fish. The flexible assist hook and the J-hook provide a solid hookset that can be incredibly difficult to throw off.
4. Use the Right Line
A braided fishing line is the best one to use for a Shimano jig. A 50 to 80-lb one will do for vertical jigging. It is sensitive enough to prove invaluable when fishing at a significant depth.
You would want to get an instant feel from the jig. If you used a braided line, the chances of you noticing when the jig is being attacked would increase tenfold.
5. Leader
Use a leader if you’re dropping your jig around the structure and using a braid. It’d suck to get snagged on the bottom and lose a bunch of braids. I like to use mono if using a graphite rod and braid for a bit of stretch to prevent missed hookups.
I often ditch the leader and tie my jig straight to my spool of mono and keep it simple.
Reach Out To Shimano
Shimano USA Headquarters: 1 Holland, Irvine, CA 92618
Shimano Phone Number: (949) 951-5003
Frequently Asked Questions
When you jig from the shore, you have to use heavy lures in deep underwater locations near the shoreline. This includes jetties, piers, quays, docks, and cliffs. The technique employs erratic jigging action, which is often accompanied by free spooling.
Allow the jig to fall to the bottom if conditions permit, but after you lift it, two-thirds of the complete depth. Repeat this process to trigger a feeding frenzy.
Assist hooks are extra hooks on the jig that hook the fish to prevent it from coming off the main hook. They are like added insurance for you getting the fish to the boat.
Jigs can catch fresh and saltwater fish, including yellowtail, grouper, and freshwater bass.
Yes, Shimano jigs can be tipped with cut bait. It will increase your chances of triggering a feeding frenzy. Just make sure it doesn’t affect the action of the jig.
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