Thread: Tightlining speed w 1/16

Brett, drop it to the side of the boat while still visible to you and bump your speed to where you feel it will stay in the horizontal position to you. Do you have a weight below the jig to keep it down in the depth you want to fish while moving forward? Seems to me if you are tight lining only a jig you got to go really slow to get down deep vertically from your rod tip! You may as well long line and go very slow to get low in depth. Just thinking. . Good luck

I use a double rig while trolling, 2 hooks and 1/2 oz sinker with minnows. If I use a rod or 2 with jigs, I use 2 1/16 oz jigheads with a 1/4 or 3/8 oz sinker. My MinnKota 70 Ipilot I generally use speed 1. It really depends on the wind. If it's calm, sometimes the 1 speed is too much and have to drop to 1/2. Sometimes I'll set the cruise depending on how much wind.

Have you tried using curly tail or boot tail plastics on those jigs ?? The resistance of those "tails" should help keep the jig in a more horizontal position.

Or you could possibly use a jighead that had the line eye on the front of the head, rather than on top of it.

When using horsehead or Road Runner heads, with the blade underneath the head, it's almost impossible to keep them "horizontal" on the retrieve ... simply because the resistance of the blade will pull the jig into a slanted position. It might behoove you to check out Snake River's latest creation .... the Rooster Spinner Jig ... which has a spinner blade at the back end.

(as shown in this thread - https://www.crappie.com/crappie/diy-...spinner-2.html )



As far as "speed" when Tightlining .... ... as I consider "tightlining" to be fishing "stationary", and I don't fish stationary (tied up or anchored & fishing vertically). I'm either casting or Pushing jigs, and occasionally longline trolling.

In order to get "horizontal" presentation, the weight at the rear of the bait will have to be proportional to the weight at the head. Like BigDawgg said, your best bet is to hang your bait in the water and experiment with different baits on different jig heads. A 1.5" tube style wont pull the same as a 2.25" paddle tail with the same jig head.
I like this topic, it will give me something to try when the wife just wants to go to the lake and lay out. Probably more productive than enjoying a couple umm.......whole grain beverages!!!

I use a 1/2oz bullet weight with either 1/16 or 1/32 jig heads tipped with a tuffie. The max speed I will go is 0.4mph.


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Originally Posted by BigDawgg

Brett, drop it to the side of the boat while still visible to you and bump your speed to where you feel it will stay in the horizontal position to you. Do you have a weight below the jig to keep it down in the depth you want to fish while moving forward? Seems to me if you are tight lining only a jig you got to go really slow to get down deep vertically from your rod tip! You may as well long line and go very slow to get low in depth. Just thinking. . Good luck

Planning on dragging minnows with basically a bare jig. Its a decorated jig i tied . Not much weight in the back at all. But with a minnow it might be balanced?

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I would think the head is being held up from the fishing line and any weight added to the back of the jig would pull the hook end down making the jig a bit horizontal. Ive caught fish off bare jigheads with minnows when I used to spiderrig. My speed was just "bumping along" before I got a tm with I-pilot. I'd step on the button for the tm and once the boat started moving I'd coast to a complete stop before stepping on the button again. So....less than .1 mph but NEVER over .3 mph (guessing) for me. I always used 1/2 oz weights on the end of my lines.

Brett, Ed Dukes has the mini jig that has a spinner tail jig like the Rooster Spinner Jig. I have thought of trying those long lining or casting. I should have said earlier that we go .4 mph or less when we tight line minnows or jigs tipped with the USMC brand minnows Remus has trained.