Reels for slow pitch jigging
Basically you need an overhead reel that retrieves about 75cm per crank or more at the depth where you are fishing. Say, you have the reel with 85cm max retrieve per crank. That is the speed when line is fully loaded. When you let out 100m of line, the speed may be down to 75cm per crank.
Plus, you would like the handle arm to be long as 85cm.
Slow pitch jigging utilizes 1 turn pitch, as well as 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 turn pitch. It depends on the depth of your field but at least 80cm max retrieve length, if possible 90cm or more. You can always make your pitch smaller, but you can’t make the pitch bigger than 1 turn.
When we give a pitch, we normally accelerate the reel turn. It’s easier with a longer handle, longer than 80mm. Long handle also creates more power to help you with the heavy jig, the deep water, and fighting with a big fish.
Ocea Jigger by Shimano
#1 popular reel for slow pitch jiggers. It’s got the speed and the power, fine balanced to perfection with Shimano’s X-Ship technology. Also, it’s got silky smooth drag.
1500PG is a bit too short of the speed. 1500HG is better for slow pitch jigging. It’s perfect for light games. But the handle length of 70cm is just too short for jigging. You would want to change it to longer handle.
2000NR-PG seems to have enough speed. But 2000 series have narrow spool, which means it loses its speed quickly when you go deep. The most popular model is 2000NR-HG. The speed is outstanding and it’s also got enough power to help you jigging in the deep. The reeling is light and powerful instead of the gear ratio of 6.2.
Model | Gear Ratio | Max Speed | Handle Length | Max Drag |
---|---|---|---|---|
1500HG | 6.3 | 97cm | 85mm | 7kg |
2000NR-HG | 6.2 | 117cm | 92mm | 10kg |
4000HG | 5.1 | 117cm | 98mm | 18kg |
Shimano is releasing Ocea Jigger Limited in 2014. The key feature is the reverse drag. It loosens when you turn it forward and tightens when you turn it backward. In slow pitch game, we set the drag as tight as possible. And when we can’t stop, we set it free to let the fish swim to prevent the line from friction to the bottom edge. Shimano figured you can loosen the drag faster when you turn it forward. Also, 1500 series have longer handle of 85mm finally. 1500 series have round knob, and 3000 series have t-bar handle as in the photo.
Apparently, Shimano is finally changing its direction more toward slow pitch jigging. This is their test marketing for the future models.
Blue Heaven L50 by Studio Ocean Mark
For some, this is the best jigging reel on the market. SOM have really refined this little monster reel. The speed, the power and the controllability meet all the needs that slow pitch jiggers would look for.
In 2013, they released the special model for slow pitch jigging, L50Hi S2T (picture below). In spite of the high pricing, JPY135,000, it was sold out right away. Along with better reeling power and the stronger body, they refined its sensitivity to perfection with high carbon materials.
Following the success of the slow pitch model, as of April 2014, it is speculated that they are remodeling the current model for better drag system and sensitivity and it’s to be released sometime after June 2014.
Model | Gear Ratio | Max Speed | Handle Length | Max Drag |
---|---|---|---|---|
L30Hi | 6.3 | 99cm | 85mm | 7kg |
L50Hi | 6.3 | 110cm | 95mm | 10kg |
L80Hi | 6.3 | 113cm | 110mm | 14kg |
L120Hi | 5.4 | 116cm | 110mm | 25kg |
Hope the information helps you! Good luck!
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Hi , thank you for such a wonderful write up. First of all I am very new to slow jigging. As compare to the reels above, which accurate reels are good for slow jigging? And what are your comments on accurate reels for slow jigging.
Best regards
Kelvin
Hi Kelvin
Thank you very much for your interest in slow pitch jigging.
Can you tell me the model of your accurate reel?
I ‘ve got a Boss 870 and a BX600 2 speed.
Accurate Reel just had a official dealer in Japan last year. There’s only few feedbacks from the jiggers but I think they will do better. I’m curious about the reel too. I know Accurate has been around for a long time for big games. The Twin Drag feature seems very interesting.
There are some variations of BX600 series. The spec seems like this.
A: 600 with 4:1 gear ratio has the speed of 83cm per crank.
B: 600 with 5:1 gear ratio has the speed of 91cm per crank.
C: 600 with 6:1 gear ratio has the speed of 120cm per crank.
A should be good for shallow water. B and C are recommended for slow pitch jigging.
Hi totos,
Did you even try accurate BXJ-400 ( Ratio 6,1:1 & weight 480gr)?
I very confuse to choose the reels for slow jigging,
Please help me to choose between Ocea jigger 2000hg 2017 or accurate BXJ-400
And the reason why??
Doumo arigatou gozaimas
I don’t know Accurate reel. The spec is very similar. But the drag is something I don’t know from the spec and is the most critical function for fishing with a light line. I trust Ocea Jigger. That’s all I can say.
Thanks for the info totos… Now will be doing research on the rods. And tomorrow I will be trying shore casting on light weight Damiki backdrop jigs
Hi Totos,
what about saltiga Z20 for slow pitch jigging ?
5.4 gear ratio and 10kg of drag .
and which is better 1500 hg or 1500 hg limited
many thanks
Hi Hani. Yes, Daiwa Saltiga Z20… It’s got the speed of 90cm retrieve per crank. Efficient for slow pitch jigging. But the line capacity of only 300m of PE1.5. I would use it only for shallow water light game.
In case you haven’t got Saltiga Z20 and you are comparing with OJ1500, I would definitely recommend OJ1500 over Saltiga Z20. Ocea Jigger has the convenient functions like spool lock and super free spool, which are very useful in slow pitch jigging.
OJ 1500HG Limited is longer handle and reverse drag. Reverse drag feature is liked as much as unliked by anglers, but 85mm handle is definitely an advantage. But OJ1500HG is almost sold out of the market.
The line capacity for saltiga z 20 is pe3 300m and pe2 400m maybe at pe 1.5 would load 500 to 600m not pe 1.5 300m
Hi,
What about Ryoga Bay Jigging 2025PE-SH? For light shallower water jigging with PE 1.5 line
Thanks!
Hi Don.
2025PE-SH has the speed of 87cm per crank and the power of 7.4 gear ratio.
It’s OK. It’s compatible to slow pitch jigging.
But compare it with OJ2000HG. The speed of 117cm per crank and the power of 6.2 gear ratio. OJ is much faster and much powerful. It means OJ can move the jig in tougher conditions (= faster), and can move a heavy jig with more ease (= more powerful). Along with other features and quality, Ocea Jigger is rated much better reel for jigging.
If you have a choice, grab a Shimano.
Totos
For reel Daiwa Ryoga 2025PE-SH which suitable rod to match this reel?
Hi Haidi.
The rod is not to be decided in a match with reel.
The rod model selection depends mainly on the following factors.
– What is your main depth range? If you narrow it to a 30 meter range, what would that be?
– How is your boat operating while fishing? Free-drifting? Drifting with sea-anchor? Or controlled drift by the captain?
– What are your main targets? Pelagic fish? Demersal fish? Or both?
Woùld like to know…
How many gram jig required and what the series no of reel (exp.2000. 3000, 4000, 5000) below rod
1.PE 0.8 – 2.0
2 PE 1-3
3.PE 2-5
Please advise..
Thanks and regards
Haidi
Hi what do you think about the Shimano Torium 16 for light slow jigging?
HI Totos,
Nice write up. Really help me a lot on slow jig.
Got a question here, intend to buy a OJ1500HG. However there is no more stock near any of my area. Would a OJ1500PG work fine?
Hi Remote 16.
It depends on your field.
If you are fishing mainly at 50m or shallower, OJ1500PG has sufficient spec, the speed of 78cm and the power of 5.1 gear ratio. But if you fish deeper than that, i recommend to get OJ2000NR-HG. Or OJ2000NR-PG is still good if 100m is your maximum depth.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for your reply. Last questions here, how about Jigging Master PE 2? I am unable to find the line retrieve info online even after much seach.. Would you recommend this reel?
Hi Remote 16.
JIgging Master is a taiwan company, not competing in Japan market. I really don’t know. If you want to be sure, you should ask them about the speed.
What if you jig on much deeper water like 150 to 200 meters. What model of ocea jigger would fit?
Even when you are on the spankered boat and the captain keeps you vertical, the ocean has multi-layers in this kind of depth and you will have line slack (= water resistance). Just different degrees by the tide. Ocea Jigger 2000NR-HG will do the fine job. There’s no bigger model of Ocea Jigger.
But if you are free-drifting, you need a super friendly condition to do vertical jigging at this depth. If you do have the condition, OJ2000HG will do fine. If not, you can’t really stay vertical and it’s not the matter of the reel.
Hi Toto
Love your site, you have so much good information here.
How does the Ocea 2000NR-HG compare to the 2014 limited Ocea Jigger in 3000 HG size.
Is it much bigger? Would you still recommend the 2000NR-HG?
I am not sure which to get, they didn’t release the limited ocea jigger in 2000 size. 🙁
Thanks Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Tony.
Here’s my report on FB.
https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseAnglersSecrets/posts/588539894567199
Only thing about the limited model is whether or not you can get used to the reverse drag.
Most slow pitch jiggers have the tightest drag set possible to start with. When you hook a fish and decide that you can’t stop it, you free the drag to let it out. And then about the time the fish swims away horizontally, you bring the fight back on. It’s much easier fight than when the fish going vertically down. It’s the decision and action in an instant. If you tighten the drag by mistake, that will be the end.
Hi,
What do you think of the Daiwa lexa 300 HSLP or the Alutecnos Gorilla 6V ?
Hi Paul.
This Daiwa reel is no good for any jigging, I think.
If you are keen to Gorilla 6V, find out the speed if it’s got at least 85cm per crank. It doesn’t sell in Japan and I don’t know. But it seems it’s quite expensive. If I’m not mistaken, it’s more than $600? I would rather buy OJ2000NR-HG with no hesitation.
I am curious why you think daiwa lexa 300 is no good for jigging. it has 32 in line retrieve 7.1 gear ratio, power handle and 22 lbs. drag and readily available in U.S.. It’s line capacity 240 yds 40 lb braid.
there is also lexa 400. It has 38 in line retrieve, 25 lbs drag, and line capacity of 300 yd 55lb. braid. Fish in the U.S. colder waters not as powerful as in warmer tropics. Not as much stress on the reel.
Hi Jcool3.
Let me rephrase myself. I would not recommend it if you are thinking of a reel to buy to start slow pitch.
Slow pitch utilizes 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 cranks to dance a 200g jig in 100m deep for example. You would want, not only the speed, the power and the handle length. Knowing other jigging reels, I would probably feel frustrated with making actions with this reel, and very worried in case for hooking a strong runners like amberjack and yellowtail.
I’ver personally gotten all of my California Yellowtail on a Lexa 400 on the yoyo jig up to 28lbs. A 100lb bluefin was caught on one in socal in 2015. What are you worried about?
That is awesome. You catch such big fish with this reel.
But let’s leave out the fighting the fish part for now. I know I was the one who brought it up. It’s my bad. But the weight of your catch involves a lot of other factors other than the reel power, since it also depends on what kind fish it is, how heavy the line and how much you have, how skilled the angler is, and also that the boat can follow up the angler.
I don’t know this reel. I just see the spec. And I do know some similar reel of this kind from Daiwa Japan. I can’t be sure about everything out of the specs.
I am pretty sure you will know this reel is not made for slow pitch jigging once you actually do it. But you need to make this decision before you start. So I’m trying to make as much sense as I can. If I’m not good enough, you just need to find it out yourself.
The gear ratio is 7.1. One handle turn cranks the spool 7.1 times. And the retrieve length is 32 inch or 81cm per crank, which is OK for slow pitch jigging.
Ocea Jigger 1500HG, for example, is 6.3 gear ratio. High gear ratio means you lose power and gain speed. Lexe has less power. Lexe sacrifices its power by high gear ratio for speed, but the fact is that its speed is not that much. Ocea Jigger 1500HG has 96cm per crank. Much more than Lexe. It means that Ocea Jigger has more cranking power, and more speed (retrive length per crank).
Plus the handle of Lexe is too short. It is designed for steady retrieve. Not for powerful and rhythmical crank of slow pitch jigging.
However, if you already own Lexe, you should go ahead and start slow pitch jigging with it. Because there’s so much to it than mere reel specs. But if you are buying a reel, for slow pitch jigging, I don’t recommend it. That was what I meant.
Hello,
LEXA-HD400XSL-P, Could you tell your valuable opinion for that new reel?
Thank you so much mate.
Please see my previous comment. Thank you.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for your reply. First of all, my apology for my terrible english. In France we only speak french 😉
Yep the Gorilla 6V is very expensive, almost 700 US Dollars. The ratio is 6.2.1:1, but I can’t find the retrieve…
I’m in Reunion Island (french dependency / Indian Ocean) and we can’t find any good rod or reel here ! I plan to buy the Tenryu Horizon SL HSL66B-M, follow your advice and pair it with OJ2000NR-HG. Do you know a good online japan fishing shop that ship worlwilde ?
Love your blog ! Keep up the good work !
Hi Paul.
No apologies. My English is broken just as bad. At least we can communicate!
Yea, OJ2000 is the most popular reel for slow pitch jiggers. It’s a sure thing.
I can help you shop and ship your order to you with 10% handling fee. But sending 1-piece rod is pretty costy. But you can send 3 rods for the same price. Better get your friends involved if you can.
Send me your info through Contact form.
Talk to you later.
Totos
If I am going to do slow pitch jigging and fast pitch jigging do you think the Shimano Ocea jigger 2000 NR-HG or Shimano Ocea jigger NR-PG will be better suited?
Hi Edward.
Without doubt, OJ2000NR-HG. It’s a high gear model but the power and the smoothness are amazing. I can high pitch a 260g jig with it. I can long fall a 500g jig with it. I can do 200m deep with it. No question.
Hello sir,
First of all, Congratulations for your wonderful website. Slow jigging is kind of new here in Brazil, at least to me.
Would you recommend any spinning reel? The fishing spots are not so deep, I would say between 35 and 80 meters.
Thank you.
Hi Newton. Thank you very much for your compliment.
Here’s why overhead reel.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/what-is-slow-pitch-jigging/
If you insist on starting with a spinning, you may as well try. You can be creative.
But if you are buying one, I strongly recommend to get one overhead tackle. Once you learn the technique, you can be creative. But it is best you build the foundation first. With spinning tackle, I’m pretty sure you’ll be doing hi-speed jigging before you know it.
It will be like asking what driver to buy when you are learning how to pat on the green.
Hello from Turkey,
Just starting slow jigging in these days. The only problem is to find the right material in the market. Anyway , For jigging ,I feel more comfortable with spin type reels ,can you raccomend a spin type reel for slow pitch? I have Stella 5000 sw xg. Would be ok to start ? Saw that Poseidon rod is available in spin type reels right ? Thank you ..
Hi Ediz.
Slow Pitch Jigging is done by overhead tackle for a number of reasons.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/what-is-slow-pitch-jigging/#
But it does not mean that you can’t do slow pitch with a spinning tackle. In fact, there are a lot among slow pitch principles that you can apply universally to any vertical games. Whatever tackle you use, if the jig moves in a way that fish likes, you’ll get contacts.
But I still do recommend to get an overhead tackle for slow pitch to start. Because this is the way you will learn the most about this technique. Once you learn, the variations can be done easily.
Now you are trying to start with a spinning tackle. I do not recommend to buy a new spinning reel for it. You have Stella 5000XG. One of the best spinning reels in the world. Start with that and see if you can keep exploring.
Poseidon Spin Jerker was produced by Sato Sensei before you established slow pitch jigging. It’s a good rod. But this is not a “slow pitch rod” for a spinning reel.
Good luck.
Totos
Hi Boss.
still confused what do your recommend with evergreen slow jerker-603-3…..ocea jigger limited 1500hg or ocea jigger 2000NR-HG.? which model is considered better limitted 1500 or 2000nr-hg..i can’t consider 3000hg as it is very wide spool.
Hi Ahmed.
OJ1500 Limited or OJ2000NR-HG. Hmmm. It’s a frequent question.
One consideration is the power. The reel works on the jig weight and the water influence. The water influence is the depth and the current. For one example, if you fish with 200g+ jig in 100m+ mostly, OJ2000 would be better. But the water influence is hard to scale, so it’s hard to say.
The other consideration is the speed. If in you’re in a situation where you get a lot of line slack in the water, you would like to have 117cm retrieve per crank of OJ2000NR-HG. You get a lot of line slack like when you are fishing in the deep and when you fishing on the free-drifting boat without sea-anchor.
But if you don’t give a damn to what I’m bubbling about here, OJ1500 when you are fishing shallower than 80m mostly, OJ2000 when deeper mostly.
Hi Totos,
I really like this website, and what you have done for the slow pitch jigging fans out there. those new and old!
Me and my some of my friends have been jigging for about 3 years now. And we’re looking into changing our gear a bit. Hopefully gonna buy some major craft crostage slow pitch rods soon. And what i would like to know is, what is your recommendation on the Avet JX for slow pitch jigging.
Thanks
Hi Athhar.
Thank you very much for your compliments.
Unfortunately I don’t know about the reels that are not in Japan market.
Find out how much this reel retrieves per crank. You would want approx. 75cm speed “at the depth” you are fishing. If you are fishing in the shallow, you want the max of 83cm or so. If you are fishing in 100m or deeper, you would want 90cm or more.
That is the only requirement which is particular to slow pitch jigging. Other quality can be ignored or substituted.
Good luck.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for the quick reply.
The Avet JX that i’m looking into has a gear ratio of 4.6:1 with a handle length of 3 inches and a retrieve speed of about 36 inches, which is about 91cm. So that means it would definitely have the cranking power and a good line retrieve even to jig deeper than 100m. We usually jig starting from about 40m and sometimes go upto 200m here in Maldives.
I’m currently using an Avet MXL 5.8 which is the youger brother of the JX, and since it’s not a jigging model i find the spool width a bit wide, plus the drag is a bit low too. And line managing tends to get in the way of my jigging sometimes.
I used a spinning reel before i got the MXL. And i have to say conventional reels are the best for jigging! It gives a much better connection and control to the jig compared to a spinning.
Thanks again. Cheers and happy jigging!
Hi Athhar.
It sounds like the reel has enough specs.
If you like overhead better, it means you are listening and pay attention to what the line got to say. You’ll enjoy this game bro!
Hi Totos,
Yeah the specs sure says so! I still can’t make up my mind though. Still looking for a light weight reel that has the drag capabilities and would hold about say 500yds of 50lb braid.
But thanks a lot for the information you’ve given. Will let you know when i decide on one. hehe!
When we started jigging here, we only knew about 2 or 3 guys who were jigging at that time. And they all were into speed jigging. So we basically had to learn everything on our own. Through the internet mostly, and experiment with different techniques. And that is how we came across this website too.
Btw, love the detail on the youtube videos you’ve posted. All the gear and explanations. Hope to see more soon!
Thanks
Like to check for comparing Ocea jigger limited 3000PG and Saltiga Z30 ?
Thinking which one to get so asking if there any good advice ?
Thank
Hi Joe.
I recommend OJ over Saltiga for slow pitch jigging for various reasons.
I wonder why not OJ1500HG but OJ3000PG you are thinking. They are about the same speed, about 97cm retrieve per crank. OJ3000 has much power of course, but OJ1500 is cheaper and many slow pitch anglers prefer OJ1500HG for shallow and light slow pitch jigging.
What is your main depth range? And how is your boat operating while fishing, free drifting or drifting with sea-anchor?
hi Totos.
firstly i would like to thank you for your effort of making a wonderful & useful site for anglers,well im from UAE/DUBAI,i do alot of high speed jigging in oman,in dubai our max depth is 35m so i was thinking about low speed jigging,im looking for an overhead reel from ocea jigger but dont know which one to go for,i want to be able to use it in other parts of my country where i also go jigging in which the depth goes upto 200m+,the rod im looking at buying from malaysia is STORM GOMOKU rod or NAJOR CRAFT if its avail in malaysia since we dont have those brands in dubai,please advise what will be suitable for me to use in both depths,looking fwd for your prompt reply.
Hi Salim.
Yes, the rod is always the trouble to get started. Gomoku is not a slow pitch rod. I don’t recommend Majorcraft.
You obviously need 2 rods. 35m to 200m is too wide a range to cover with 1 rod.
If you are only thinking to get the rod locally, you should get a Majorcraft for 35m. Get started, learn the game and get used to the actions. And if you decide to get serious about it, import fine rods from Japan I will help you. You can save money till then. And maybe by then more rods will be available in your area.
hi totos,
I was just going through the comments and saw that you said you wouldn’t recommend a major craft rod. why is that?
Hi Athhar.
I don’t recommend Class C rods listed here.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/rods-and-reels/
When you know what slow pitch rod is, you can tell they are not just by holding them. They are not highly resilient and flexible as they are supposed to be. And they are not made in Japan. The consistency of the quality is in doubt. I’ve seen a couple of anglers breaking the rods when they strike at the contacts.
But it does not mean that you can’t practice slow pitch with these rods. If you want to try it out, you should find these rods worthwhile. The more you get into the game, the more you would want the real slow pitch rods. I would encourage you to upgrade it.
When your field is shallow and your jig is light, the light model of these rods may work just fine. So it is actually not a bad idea to start with the light Class C rod, then get a medium or heavy Class A or B rod, and alternate these 2 rods for different tactics for a while. And when the time comes, you can replace C rod with a better one.
hi Totos,
funny thing is, when we saw those rods in the C class category, me and one other friend bought two giant killing rods. and my friends’ rod broke 2 days back. and it was at strike when he tried to hook the fish too! hehe!
anyway, as you said I think it’s a good rod to start learning maybe. I haven’t been able to test out my one yet. will send you some pics when I get some.
thanks!
Oh, no. I’m sorry to hear that for your friend. I hope he doesn’t give up on slow pitch.
Good luck to you Athhar.
Hi, what do you think about the reel wiki jigging from jigging master?
Jigging Master is not in Japanese market and I’ve never seen it. So I don’t know.
The spec looks sufficient. 6.2 gear ratio, 95cm per crank. The reel is not just about that, though. The gear, the ball bearings, the drag, the sensitivity. You need to actually use the reel to know these things.
But the spec is good enough to do slow pitch jigging.
Hi. I have a trinindad 14A.. Some people say it’s technically an OJ. Is this true?
Hi Yazz.
Yes. Trinidad 14A is made by Shimano USA, and it’s equivalent to Ocea Jigger 1500. It’s not made in Japan and the materials are a little different. But the design and the spec is the same.
Hi Totos Sensei,
I like this website and gain a lots of information on slow pitch jigging. Now I have Saltiga Z40. This reel, is it suitable for slow pitch jigging? Or it too big. If suitable, what is the suitable rod spec for this reel? Thanks.
Hi Sham.
Saltiga Z40 is a bit heavy but I think it’s manageable. 4.9 gear ratio, 92cm retrieve per crank. It’s enough speed and power for slow pitch.
The rod selection doesn’t really depend on the reel. The determining factors are the water influence and what kind of tactics you want to play in it. The water influence you will get is determined by the depth, the current, your line, and how your boat is operated (free-drifting / drifting with sea-anchor / spankered drift).
Also check out this page.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/faq-how-should-i-match-the-rod-to-the-jig/
congratulation to your very informative website. I am a new beginner to slow pitch jigging and would like you to recommend a setup for 30-80m water , jig we use typically 40-100g in west malaysia waters. Rods and reels recommendation will be very appreciated.
Hi Firezab.
I assume you are drifting with sea-anchor at 30m to 80m of water.
Slow Jerker 603-3
Ocea Jigger 1500HG
Shimano EX8 (or Super Fireline) PE1.5 x 300m
Seaguar FXR #10
Jig
– Gawky 180g, 220g
– Rector 130g, 150g, 180g
– Gawky 140g, 170g
– Spunky 100g, 130g
– Arc 200g
If you are not allowed to put on sea-anchor, Slow Jerker 603-4 and 1 class heavier jig weights.
Hi totos, i got abu garcia salty stage revo Lj. Can i use it slow pitch jigging?below are the spec.
Maximum Take-Up Line: 87cm
Gear Ratio: 7.1
Weight: 295g
Maximum Drag Force: 6.5kg
Maximum Intake Line Winding: -200m issue PE3
Spool Diameter: 39mm
Ball/Roller Bearings: 6/1
Hi Akra.
Hmmm. Sounds like a high gear ratio for not so fast speed. But I think you can start with that in the shallow water, probably up to 60m. When you go deeper and use jigs like 200g, it will probably become hard to do.
Hi Totos さん、
Will a calcuta conquest type J be more suitable for a light game on pslj603-2, or pslj603-3?
When slow pitching with these setup with 180g class of jig, have you also experimented to do normal jigging using normal vertical jig? In the meantime also feel for contacts?
Regarding Calcutta Conquest Type-J, the HG model is not bad for shallow light jigging. If you haven’t bought it, Ocea Conquest HG model is probably what you should get.
Suppose you use Slow Jerker, Conquest reel, PE1.5, and you are vertical, yes, the sensitivity is there. But what you are most easily to lose in those factors is the staying vertical part. If you have a line slack, and your line is loose, there’s no way you can hear the jig.
Dear Totos,
I have an Okuma 5ii 2 speed reel. It is suitable for slow pitch jigging?
Thanks,
Hi Turkish Angler.
I don’t know this Taiwanese reel. As long as it retrieves about 75cm per crank “at the depth you are fishing”, it meets the minimum requirement for slow pitch jigging.
Hello Totos, kudos to a terrific site! Seeking some advise between a 1500 HG limited or a 3000 HG limited. We usually fish at around 150 mtrs. I already have a couple of 2000 OJ’s so I’d want some variety. I did consider getting LD’s but the auto-engage of the ocea’s are just unbeatable. Also what’s the lightest slow-pitch jig that you can use on PE-3? Thanks and more power!
Docjun
Hi Rolando.
Thank you for your compliments.
It should be OJ3000HG Limited for the power you will need under such water volume at 150m. Jig weight doesn’t really rely on the line weight. We use 500g jig on PE1.5 at 200m to 300m deep sometimes.
What concerns me is that even from our spankered boat which keeps you alined with the jig, we use PE3 for high pitch jigging only. PE3 will have much more slack line in the water, and we need strong impacts of high pitch to move the jig. Of course it depends on the currents at the time, but slow pitch may not be able to move the jig on PE3 at 150m deep.
Thanks again Totos! It took me and my wife some time to accept and embrace lighter lines for slow pitch jigging, but it all makes perfect sense. Ocea Jigger 3000 HG it is! If you can recommend any reputable sellers of this reel we would greatly appreciate it!
Hi Rolando.
Send me a PM and I’ll send you a quote.
Cheers.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for this terrific site, you just made slow jigging fishing more interesting that the normal speed jig we are playing. Nice and detailed explanation. Because of your webpage, I got poisoned and bought 603-4 without thinking of which reel to pair first. Haha. Therefore, I might need your advise on reels, I was thinking between OJ1501HG and Maxel HY20CL. There are 2 things that I like about is Maxel is that the reel has thumb bar spool release and packs a 13kgs drag. Any comment on this reel?
Hi ND.
Thank you very much for your compliments. I’m glad that my site helps you switch to slow pitch jigging.
If your main field is shallower than 80m, OJ1500HG. If deeper, OJ2000NR-HG. It’s kind of hard (short of power) for OJ1500HG to dance in 100m and deeper.
Maxel… A chinese maker. I don’t know about it.
Would you need 13kg drag anyway? 13kg drag on maximum line load means that it is a far tighter drag at the depth you strike. 13kg max drag is when you set the adjuster free. In reality the max drag will be much more because you tighten the adjuster to get the appropriate drag at strike position. Can your line take that?
Also, big weight drag capacity means you can’t adjust for a small amount.
We use light line for slow pitch and we change the drag pretty often during the fight because of that. I think I would like OJ better for the silky smooth drag.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for clearing out my doubts, looks like OJ1501HG will be my choice then, im not sure Maxel is China brand cause their website seems from western. It just seems easier to lock spool using thumb bar rather than level strike to me.haha.
Hello Totos,
Thank you for such an useful website for anglers. I am also interested in slow pitch and inchiku. I am setting a reel an rod combo. As i understand from your comments shimano ocea jiggerand pposeidon slow jerker are your favourites. But their prices are high for my budget for now. Dou you have any alternatives cheaper? I can invest for 150-200usd for reel and 120-180 usd for rod. Doyou have any idea about Abu Garcia SALTY STAGE Revo LJ-.3 and major craft crostage slow pitch rods? I will buy Jdm products.
Hi Kemal.
I always have a mixed feeling here. Everyone has budget. And a lot of time you can’t afford what I recommend and you want to buy.
The rod has got much more to do with the slow pitch than the reel. I recommend to get at least Class B rods. The reel is only required to retrieve 75cm per crank at the depth you are fishing. But it can be a little less if it needs to be.
But on the other hand, the creativity is the heart of slow pitch. Basic principles can be applied to any style of vertical game. It’s not that everything has to be this or that way. Even with the spinning tackle, you can apply some principles and be productive.
This is true especially in the fish rich environment. You don’t have to stay vertical. The line can be PE4.0 or heavier. The rod and reel can be anything. Just keep letting the center-balanced jig fall, and you can be devastating.
Slow pitch was born for the purpose to catch fish at the times no one else is catching. And it was born to do so in the highly competitive waters around Japan. You probably don’t have to follow in every details to be successful in your fields.
So, your rod needs to be Class B and better. It also can be Class C. Or it can be inchiku rod even. But please understand I can’t recommend which class C rod is better. I still don’t recommend Class C rod.
Your budget also depends on your motivation. If you are convinced that slow pitch works and you like the game, you can easily go beyond the budget. The budget is just the limit that you set in order to stop you from going crazy. If you go crazy, the limit is nothing. hahaha.
So I think it’s a wise idea to start with the tackle you can get easily. And then if you decide that you are crazy about it, you can save up and upgrade your tackle. But start with the light rod like power 3 in the shallow waters which have better chance to stay more vertical. When you upgrade, you can get a descent power 4, 5 or 6 model and go deeper. And you can still use the power 3 rod for a variety for soft action tone.
But I have a mixed feeling here also. I believe you can learn the most from the best tackle…
Hi. I have a Talica 10 II.. Some people say it’s technically an OJ. Is this true? How it work for slow jigging?
Hi Juan.
Talica is not Ocea Jigger. Trinidad by Shimano USA is Ocea Jigger. Talica is Talica. But we don’t have Talica 10 model. I think it’s the same as our Jigger LD 2000. I have Jigger LD 2000. I like it. But as far as the power and speed, I still recommend OJ2000. But if you already have Talica 10, sure, why not? Give it a go to slow pitch.
Hi all, do you know where I can get a bar and handle for the jigger ld or talica 10? Not very sure what model it is I’m looking for from ocean mark.
Hi Totos. Thanks for a great web site with lots of information. Where I fish, I fish no deeper than 50m. Would the Ocea Jigger 1000 work? Is this reel the same reel as the 1500, with a smaller spool?
That’s right Darrin. And yes, it should be good for 50m depth.
Thoughts on the new model Saltiga overhead for slow pitch?
Hi Chris.
Recently wrote a fb post and touched on new Saltiga. It looks pretty good to me. Daiwa finally made something for Slow Pitch.
https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseAnglersSecrets/posts/838669922887527
Hi Totos,
I was planning to buy longer handle for my OJ1501HG ltd, will 92mm or 100mm be more suitable? and which knob is more suitable to do slow jigging, T-handle bar or round knob? your website is a poison to every fishing enthusiasts. two thumbs up.
Hi Andy.
Thank you for your compliments. I’ll keep doing my best.
85mm is fine, I think. 100mm handle has a good chance of breaking the gears. It’ll be too powerful.
T-bar is, of course, generate more power. But with OJ1500 class would not handle such heavy jigs. I think round knob is fine unless you prefer the style of T-bar.
So the cheapest solution for you is to get a handle bar for OJ2000 and put it on with the original OJ1500 handle knob. I have OJ2000 handle bar for sale at JPY2800.
Dear Totos, thank you very much for the very informative and detailed explanation on slow jigging. I think your website has become “THE” website to go to for anything to with slow jigging.
I have just only started on slow jigging and would like your opinion/input on the options of reels that I am currently looking at:
1. Ocea Jigger Limited 3000HG
2. Okuma Andros 5NII
3. Penn Fathom 25N
I will be pairing the reel with STORM Gomoku Kaiten PE1-3, due to the limited availability of Poseidon or Beat rods here in Malaysia.
Target fishing field would be waters from 20m – 80m with medium to medium high currents, with jig weights ranging from 60gm to 250gm (due to the currents) Appreciate if you can give me your opinion on the setup . Thank you.
Hi GyRo.
Thank you very much for your compliments. I really appreciate everyones supports.
Definitely OJ3000HG Limited. I don’t know 2 other reels. But Ocea Jigger is a sure thing, a proven reel you can rely on for its smooth drag, the precision gears, the perfect balance of the power and speed.
Wrote a little about reel drag on fb.
https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseAnglersSecrets/posts/838669922887527
Good luck
I have been using Accurate reels since 10 years on my boat with extremely good results. All my trolling gear are ATD Platinum reels, which I use them for chumming for Tuna as well. For jigging and bottom fishing their Boss model is what I can recommend. They are the innovator of light and small reels but lots of fighting power with their strong drag . Also the twin drag system lets you to have precise drag setting, helps you not to loose fish in serious fights. Last year a friend of mine caught a 68 kg. Bluefin Tuna, while fishing for smaller bottom fish with their smallest reel BX 400, He did land the fish after an hour of a fight and it was an amazing catch, considering the light tackle, he was fishing with.
Hi Totos my name is Angelo ,and this is is really the best slow pitch and slow jig site ever so far !
So I fish slow light jigging since some two years now here in Costabrava Spain,I say light jigging cause I mix all jigging techniques ,mostly slow pitch techniques but with all sort of jigs and soft vinil jigs now also and I have great results mostly on Dentex ,big ones 8k to 10 k,in depts from 50 m to 120m,I used a Ryoga Bayjigging 2020 custom for jigging and a daiwa saltist Bayjigging rod mostly.
But in spring here when we are doing some light jigging to Dentex fish, many times smal tunas bite ,and the gear gets to light mostly the capacity of pe line of the reels…And we loose the fish and the line and the jig….so my idea was in spring to use a stronger tackle ,like a pe3 rod and a Saltiga 15HL ,and try to fish the tunas also (the small ones till 30k tops)what do you think about Saltiga 15HL?its ok for slow pitch light game and also for some more heavy stuff?and do you think I could fish a tuna with a pe3rod and the Saltiga 15 HL?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Angelo.
Hmmm. Interesting problem. So you want to keep your Dentex game with a sufficient tackle to catch big tuna that takes your jig at this time.
Saltiga 15 is a very compact reel, about the same size as Ocea Jigger 1500. I would get Ocea Jigger 2000HG. Or wait for future production of Saltiga of bigger model.
I don’t know what line you use, but if you switch to heavier line, you will contact rate. It’s your call. PE2.0 x 600m may have better chances than PE3.0 x 300m.
Thank you so much Totos for sharing your opinion and knowledge .
Kind regards
Hello there, i want to try micro/light slow pitch jigging in shallow waters..say, around 20m to 30m depth with 30g to 60g jigs.i am inclined to use low profile reels as they’re lighter.
I am thinking of trying Daiwa Aird Coastal. What do you think?
Ive tried jigging with spinning outfit and it feels awkward lol..
Thanks!
In the original concept of slow pitch jigging, we need certain depth and certain jig weight to use the rod’s spring back actions for slow pitch game. All the slow pitch jigs are mostly 60g and heavier, right?
The reel is required to have 75cm per crank speed “at the depth you are fishing”. You also want a longer handle for torqueful, sometimes punchy, and rhythmical strokes for slow pitch jigging. The swept handle is good for steady retrieving but not for slow pitch actions.
However, your depth and your jig weights totally sound like micro jigging. And you want to mix in some slow pitch principles in your game. That is totally cool too. And this reel should have no problem for that.
Thanks for your reply Totos. Yes you are correct.. its basically micro jigging with slow pitch principles. I found using 60g and 80g jigs are the best in the forementioned depths.
and thanks for your comment on the reel handle and specs, I found this reel..
BLUE MAX船 (ブルーマックス船)
i think the better alternative for the blue max fune would be the Salty Stage Revo series but since im a little bit tight on budget i might as well skip these Salty Stage Series and save up for Ryoga Bay Jigging and use the blue max fune for a while. 🙂
Thanks again your articles are such a great help.
greetings from Malaysia 🙂
Yes, Ryoga Bay Jigging is a much better reel. And the new Saltiga 15 is much more suitable for light jigging.
Hi master Toto
Im Wey from indonesia
Thank You sharing so many info for us
I need your review for new daiwa ryoga 2025 for slow jig..
And i need more info to use pe 1.5 for 400~500gram jig in 100 plus depht.
Consider in that depth the current and the fish must be bigger than usually…
Thx before
Regards
Hi Wey.
I don’t think Ryoga 2025 has enough power to dance 400g jig.
PE1.5 for 400g jig in 100m+ of water? That sounds fine with me. I can tell you are taking your chances for the effort to stay vertical in the deep and the currents. Getting contacts is the first thing you should focus on, I think. Then you refine your knots, your hooks, take a good care of your line to bring home big fish. And PE1.5 is not too weak. Should have no problem at least up to 20kg fish.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/slowpitchtactics/
Hi Totos
I’ve been reading your site time and time again for a more understanding on slow jigging. It’s very informative,thanks
I’m just wondering is the Daiwa Ryoga 2025 (7.4:1) and the Daiwa Ryoga 1012 PE-SHL suitable for slow jigging? I’m pairing the Tenyru Horizon SL PE3 with the Daiwa 2025 and Shimano Game Type Slow J PE 2 with the Daiwa 1012.
Was wondering if this is a good pairing or is there anything better?
Thanks
Hi Eric.
The slow pitch reels are only required to have 75cm per crank speed “at the depth you are fishing”. 1012 doesn’t meet that single requirement. 2025 has 87cm max.
The power (gear ratio) helps you dance against the jig weight and the water resistance. I don’t know how heavy you are playing, and if 2025 has enough power for you.
For the same price, you can buy Ocea Jigger 2000NR-HG, which is a sure thing.
thanks Totos,
i’m fishing at bout 50m to 80m in depth. Jig weight range from 100gm to 250gm. I know Shimano Ocea Jigger 2000NR or the 1500 limited edition is a good reel but there are absolutely no stock in my country. That is why i opted for Daiwa.
thanks
Hi
Really like ur blog and found it really useful. Just want to get some advices.
I got ocea conquest 201hg and been planning to use it with tenryu horizon pe2 for slow jigging. Is this reel strong enough to paly around with jig size 150-200g? Pls advice.
Hi Nik.
Sato Sensei loves Ocea Conquest 300HG for bottom fish game in the shallow structures (50m to 70m deep) with 100g to 150g jig. (Note he is on a spankered and controlled drift to stay vertical. Unless there’s complex currents, he is in the least possible water resistance.)
201HG with 150g+ jig and the water resistance may be a bit too hard.
But hey, you already have the reel. It only means that you have to work a little harder. If you just work to crank a turn against the jig weight and the water resistance, the reel will retrieve what it’s supposed to. (78cm max) And you can get your slow pitch going. I wouldn’t say you can’t slow pitch with this reel.
Thanks toto. Means that i ve bought something thats not right for me. I shoulld ve got ocea jigger as the price of ocea conquest is bout the same as ocea jigger. So to slow jigging with this ocea conquest i ve to put alot more effort. Thanks for ur advices.
You shouldn’t have much trouble with your jigs, especially in the shallow water. Keep exploring!
Hi Totos,
I think this is the best and comprehensive fishing website talking a specific technique I ever found. excellent job.
I am starting to practice slow pitch jigging, with my existing gears, which are not even on your Class C list , haha… but still, I can feel the joy of slow pitch already …
few question :
reel :
I found old school shimano scorpion ocea jigger 2000 ratio 6.2:1 at good price. Is this good for slow game?
rod :
I have read your comment about Majorcraft. There is another popular rod with low price in my country, Zen Zagan Slow Twitch http://www.theasianangler.com/issues/jun2013/files/assets/basic-html/page60.html. I loved to slow jig with this rod, combined with size 4k spinning reel. What do you think about this rod (oh version) for slow pitch jigging?
Hi Aganis.
Thank you for your compliments. I appreciate that.
Scorpion and Ocea Jigger are 2 different reels. You need to double check on that. If it is Ocea Jigger 2000NR-HG 6.2:1, it is the most popular reel for slow pitch anglers in Japan.
I don’t know about this rod. This is not a slow pitch rod. But in the wide interpretation of slow pitch jigging, you can certainly practice slow pitch principles with any tackles.
Hi Toto, greetings from Malaysia.
I am a right handed person. If i were to buy an overhead reel for jigging, should I choose left handle or right handle? I read in one of the blog that I should take the left handle even though for right handed guy. Can you give your advise?
Hi Busted.
As far as I can think of, the advantage for a right-handed person to have a left handle is in the casting game. You cast with your right arm, and you can retrieve right away with your left hand, while you would have to switch the rod to your left hand to retrieve with your right hand.
In off-shore vertical game, it really doesn’t matter. Some exotic overhead jigging reels are only available in right-hand, (at least it used to be), so a lot of left-handle anglers try to get used to the right handle for the overhead reel.
Hello Toto,
Hafa Adai from the beautiful island of Guam! What would be your recommendation on handle upgrade for the Shimano Ocean Jigger 2001nr-hg? Do you recommend circle power knob or changing it out to T-bar? If so, which size and length will be best?
Hafa Adai, Gary.
Ocea Jigger 2000 has a practical handle length for slow pitch jigging. I used to use the normal handle for about a year before I switched to SOM 95mm T-bar handle. I would have stayed with the normal 85mm handle if I stay within 100m range. But the cranking power of 95mm T-bar is just irresistible when you use heavy jigs in deeper waters.
Just be careful when you choose the handle. Especially in the connecting part of the knob to the handle arm. I’ve seen some handles are very poorly built. On the other hand Japanese ones are very well built with high quality materials but very expensive. Such a headache.
Hello Toto,
i have read all posts here.. Just asking for you opinion for singapore waters around 50 to 80 meters depth. probably 80 and up to 150grams jig. I would like to use PE2.0 line… I always wanted to get OJ1501limited but I like the Ryoga C2025 PE-SHL for the line level guide and now there is a new Satiga 10HL… What you recommend? Or do you think i should keep my Ocea Calcutta 301HG? But i will need to find 85mm handle to change as think is too short.
Hi Alvin.
I own Ocea Culcatta 301HG. That’s what Sato Sensei uses in the shallow water. If you don’t expect big fish, that’s a good reel to stay for now.
Here’s my post on levelwinder.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/why-do-we-use-the-reel-without-levelwider/
I don’t think Daiwa reels are as good as Shimano as far as slow pitch jigging is concerned. If they have the same speed (retrieve length per crank), Shimano has more torque. But Daiwa is a little bit more expensive, and a lot of people question its durability here. That is why most slow pitch anglers here use Shimano reels.
But you may get different impressions when you talk to different people.
I try to stay with facts, but I’m a kind of angler who often uses shimano reels and daiwa rods. The information is filtered through my preference!
I sold off my ryoga bay C2025 PE-SHL right after i got my OC 301hg. While i love how the ryoga looks, it lacks power when benchmarked to the OC when pitching with heavier jigs or during hookup. Line cap on the OC beats the ryoga too. And i heard complaints on the magseal bearings giving problems like leaks and corrosion etc.
hi TOTOS
i have daiwa saltiga z30 .can i use it for slow jigging in 100-120 meters depth?
Hi Ibrahim.
I have a Saltiga Z30. I use it for shallower and lighter game (not slow pitch jigging, as I have PE0.8 loaded on it).
The retrieve length is 90cm. I would say you can do slow pitch in 100 – 120m deep. It would be a little tough, but probably manageable.
If you are thinking to buy one, I would recommend other reels but since you have one, don’t hesitate to try in the field!
Hello!
I also have Saltiga Z30. Why do you think that you can do slow pitch just until 100-120m?
Power, retrieve length….?
Hi Zois.
I have Saltiga Z30 too. But I don’t use it for slow pitch jigging. I use it for smaller game. The spec wise, it clears SPJ requirements, but I feel a bit short of power and I don’t feel comfortable with the drag when I hit a big one.
But now that you own it, I would start practicing in the field.
Hello, i am from France and i hesitate between the ocea jigger 2001 NR-HG and the ocea jigger limited 1501 HG. Can you help me to choose the best reel for me?
I use to fish between 50 to 130m deep, and want fish between 2 to 10-15kg max. I thought the 2001 NR-HG could be better but i would like to have your opinion 🙂
Thank you for the answer and hope read you soon, have a nice day !
Matt
For your target and field, yes, I agree, OJ2000NR-HG is better. At 100m and deeper, you should be using the jig weight over 200g, maybe up to 300g or more. OJ1500HG would be a bit short of power even though it is possible.
After reading through this section, i noticed many people just asking the same questions over and over again although similar questions have been asked and replied by Totos. My hats off to Totos for the patience shown. Seriously, to understand more about slow-pitching, one have to read through the comments previously raised and answered, that way, one will have a clearer understanding of what reels will be suited to your requirements etc etc. I had many questions in mind, but by just reading through this section, my questions was answered clearly and repeatedly.
Hi JoCTY.
Thank you very much for your comment. I appreciate your concerns and efforts.
I think this is a very new idea for most people, and I wouldn’t mind all the questions. I just kept piling up pieces of information and it’s not organized as much as I want it to be. I know many people had to spend much time to read through this site and come up with solutions on their own. I appreciate that. I also understand when you want quick answers, you just want to ask. I appreciate that too. When I started learning this game, I didn’t have many people to ask questions to. And that is the reason why I started this site. So it’s OK either way. I only do what I can do when I can do it.
Hi Toto,
I’m from Malaysia. Still very new in slow jig game. Plan to buy one. Which one better suite :-
Saltiga 15h
OJ2000
Ryoga bay jigging
Please advise
Thanks
Hi Adg.
There’s no such thing as “the best reel”. It depends on the situation you use, and also on your preference. If you are just starting, you may not have preferences. So the situation is the determining factor.
Tell me your main depth range.
Also tell me how your boat is operating while fishing? Free-drifting? Drifting with sea-anchor? Or controlled drift by the captain?
[…] Reels for slow pitch jigging – Japanese Anglers Secrets – Totos 05-08-2014. Accurate Reel just had a official dealer in Japan last year. There’s only few feedbacks from the jiggers but I think they will do better. […]
[…] Reels for slow pitch jigging – Japanese Anglers Secrets – Shimano is releasing Ocea Jigger Limited in 2014. The key feature is the reverse drag. It loosens when you turn it forward and tightens when you turn it backward. […]
Hi Totos,
Thank you very much of your comment. Appreciate ur valuable informations.
Back to your questions,
1. Depth bet 25m – 80m. But normally we use to fish @ 50m deep.
2. We were normally anchor at 1 point for couples of hours & then stop to another point for couples of hours. We only start drifting by captain if move to next point.
Hope I able to give u accurate information.
Btw, as a beginner, Poseidon & beat rods are quite expensive to start off ( or maybe u uv different perceptions). How about Hearty Rise Slow Jigging II rod? Or maybe other options u can advise.
Regards
Hi Abg.
I recommend OJ1500HG.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/ocea-jigger-1500-or-2000/
I would still recommend Class A or B rod because I think you will learn the most with it.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/rods-and-reels/
But if you want to take it easy and just play how it goes, any rod would do.
Hi Totos
Thanks again with ur valuable informations & I’m totally agreed with you.
Last couple of days I met a new friend at my hometown whose running premium tackle shop. He recommended me OJ1500HG + Beat BLX instead of Saltiga 15H + HR slow jig2. He said though it quite expensive (almost USD1k) but u wouldn’t regret it.
So, I believe U would advise me the same thing.
Appreciate ur kind assistant all the his while.
Now, I should start to save some money for that
Kind regards
Hi Totos,
I’m currently saving up for Shimano OJ 2000NR-HG.
Right now I have a standard baitcasting reel with 3.2:1 ratio. It retrieves around 50 cm per crank on full spool (less on the depth). My question is: do you think my slow pitch jigging technique will be severely limited with this slow retrieves?
Also, I want to bought several items from your store. Do you ship to Indonesia?
Hi HK.
Well, “75cm retrieve at the depth” isn’t really requirement.
In order to dance the jig, we need to 1) lift the jig, and 2) take out the line slack. And to do this, we do reeling and rod lifting. We repeat this with suspension in between. 75cm retrieve of the reel and some 6 foot-long rod happened to be the best match to dance in different rhythms, found by Sato Sensei.
Slow pitch jigging isn’t really “slow” retrieve. We need to give the jig certain impact by reeling. Then the rod kicks back and cast the jig. We give a hangtime before we do the next reeling. So the pitch is slow, but the reel turn isn’t slow. If there’s no line slack in the water and you are in straight vertical alignment with the jig, 50cm retrieve may be sufficient. But the reality isn’t like that.
50cm retrieve is good enough for long fall actually. If necessary, you can make 2 or 3 reel turns before you lift too. In long fall technique, the rod kick back isn’t really important. You just need to lift slow and let it fall all the way.
Yes, I can ship to Indonesia by EMS.
[…] Reels for slow pitch jigging – Japanese Anglers Secrets – Ocea Jigger by Shimano #1 popular reel for slow pitch jiggers. It’s got the speed and the power, fine balanced to perfection with Shimano’s X-Ship technology. […]
Hi totos, 2 reel in my list and I hope u can give me some suggestion . Ocea jigger limited 1500HG , saltigal 10H
Hi Goo’s
I’ve heard many complains that Daiwa reels with magnetic shield start “glinding” after a fish fight. Ocea Jigger has solid reputations.
Hi Totos,
Big thank you for all your information, it clearly helps everyone a lot. I’m not sure if it has been asked yet but what are your thoughts on Daiwa’s 2015 Saltiga OH?
Hi James.
I’ve heard many complains that Daiwa reels with magnetic shield start “glinding” after a fish fight. It’s made in Korea.
hi toto,would like to ask you.im fishing at 30 to 70m.so wich reel should i use JO2000NRPG or JO2000NRHG wich one you recommene.im fishing at zee zone area so the current is quite strong.im using jig from 80g to 250g thank.
Hi Jef. Go for high gear. The current will take your line out while you are playing the jig. You would like the speed to take in the line slack.
hi toto, thank very much for your info..
Hi Totos,
Have you had a chance to look at the new Daiwa saltiga. The new 2015 Saltiga is available in 2 sizes – 10 and 15, in 2 retrieve ratios: 5.1 (retrieves 80cm per turn) and 6.4 (retrieves 100cm per turn). Handle length is 85-95mm. I’ve read its only 450 grams. It looks ok to me but you are the expert and I would value your opinion.
Regards
Bricky
Hi Bricky.
I’ve heard many complains that Daiwa reels with magnetic shield start “glinding” after a fish fight. It’s made in Korea by the way.
Thanks for the heads up! Will stick with the ocea jigger 😉
Hai totos, how about oj1001hg for slow pitch at swallow water l.. i like it because the saiz is small than other
OJ1001HG has the same spec as OJ1501HG, except for the line load.
I would still get a OJ1501HG, though. I may deepen my field in the future, and I would want 400m line, preferably 600m, loaded in case I hook a big one.
Thx for reply. By the way the deepest in my place is 200mtr. For line, i would like to take varivas avani jigging max power around 20lb is that good for slow pitch?
Yes as long as you can stay close to vertical.
Hi toto,
Any advise on the new daiwa catalina bay jigging 200SH? Looks good to me.
Daiwa use to hard the most hardly reels before mag seal version. But this catalina does not have mag seal. On the plus side. It comes with sync levelwind and also 75/85 handle.
81cm retrieve on a 7.4:1 gear ratio.
Please kindly comment on this reel?
Thanks!
Hi Ixrone.
I would say yes for light slow pitch jigging in the shallow.
Hello Mr. Totos,
What do you consider as shallow water? Usually I go no deeper than 40m, is that ok for the Catalina bj 200sh? Some friends of mine have caught nice fish there (amberjack 10kg and cobia 27kg). Do you think Catalina can handle such fighters?
Thank you! You’re the man!
Best regards,
Newton
Hi Newton.
Sorry if I didn’t specify enough. I mean shallow water to be less than 50m or 70m max. So you are in the shallow.
The speed, 81cm per crank, should be enough. Gear ratio of 7.3 would make me nervous for the lack of power.
But you own the reel. I would keep trying before worrying! If you find yourself not being able to win the battle with big fish. Then you can consider upgrading the reel. But while you are trying, you will learn a lot about this technique.
When you upgrade, consider Ocea Conquest 300HG and Ocea Jigger 1500HG.
Good luck!
Hello there. im thinking about using 7.1 to 8.1 for slow pitch jigging. any comment or advice? thanks for reading in advance
Hi Najeeb.
I assume you are talking about the gear ratio. It’s a high gear reel huh?
The least requirement is what I call the speed, “75cm per crank retrieve 1at the depth you are fishing.” If the spec doesn’t say the retrieve speed per crank, you can calculate by multiplying the gear ratio by the maximum circumference of the spool. That is the maximum speed. You will lose the speed when you have line out of the spool to the depth. But you get the idea when you choose a reel to buy.
On the other end of your balance scale is the power. When you compare different reels, gear ratio is not the only factor for the reel’s power, but a major factor. The lower the gear ratio is, the more power the reel winds up.
The LPT of the reel is 93cm, so i think its not good for jigging.. Sad i already bought the reel
Well, then. Good luck!
There’s a lot more skills that you can learn in the field!
Hi im new for fishing and currently i plan on getting Shimano Ocea jigger limited 3000hg.. i know its a jigging reel but can we cast with this reel? I mean even the result isnt as far as a spinning reels can we use it for casting without backlash? Sorry for my terible english and good blog you good sir have there cheers
Hi Jeff.
Thank you very much for your compliments.
You can undercast a little bit with Ocea Jigger. But it’s really not for casting.
Would like to know how about the latest Ocean Conquest 301HG. I think it is suitable for water less then 100m and the only thing is the handle too short.
Hi Ngan.
Exactly. It’s a good reel but the handle is a little short.
Sato sensei really likes this reel actually. He uses in the shallow waters like 40 – 70 meters. On spankered boat, of course, with which you don’t have much line slack. And the jig weight will be less than 130g.
For handle arm, I think the handle arm for Ocea Jigger 2000 can fit Ocea Conquest. Send me an email and let me know if you are interested. I will look into it.
Hai Toto…tq for your information…I want ask u how about Abu revo toro beastst revo t2bst61hs…are u recommend this reel?
Hi Fahmi.
No. Not for jigging.
This type of low profile reel is very good for steady retrieve. But not for rhythmical and powerful lifts of heavy metal jigs.
Hi Totos. I’m a beginer. Thank you for helping us to enjoy our hobby as much as it can be. I would like to ask you about my reel okuma andros 5Ns, retrieve 106cm, gear ratio 6.2:1, 24lb force and 8,5cm handle, compared with rod Major Craft NP JACK B65/4SP, regular fast/150-200gr, PE1.5-4. Are they good pair for slow jerk? Which fishing depth recommended and what jigs weights can i use? Thank you again.
Hi Nick.
Your reel sounds adequate for slow pitch jigging. Your rod, however, is not a slow pitch rod and I don’t know how it behaves.
When we plan the game and the tackle, it’s usually the depth of the field given first. Then we plan jig weights to play. Finally we decide which rod and reel to use. You are coming from the opposite direction. 🙂
It’s my wild guess. But I would start around 50 to 70 meter range. Jig weight range would be from 150g to 230g.
These rods are a lot faster action than slow pitch rods. The suggested jig weight may sound very heavy for the rod, but still, it should kick up and release the jig a lot faster than slow pitch rods. The type of jigs like Cranky, Spunky, and Arc should work better. Not the kind of jigs for falling tactics.
Thank you so much on all your valuables write up. It’s priceless for everyone’s. It’s really giving lots of tips for those beginner as like me. Currently I’m on OJ1500 limited matched with BEAT 606-4, but some times I felt the rod is a bit lazy when I’m on a 200g jig especially there are some rough sea situation. So recently I just bought a SOM Blue Heaven L50i/R. Do you mind to recommend me which is the best match rod for It. Some of my friends recommended me for BEAT 606-6 or EGOIST 5B Limited.Can you give me some suggestions
Thank you very much.
Regards.
AK
Hi AK.
Congrats for your best slow pitch jigging reel today. If you feel 606-4 lacks power, sure, you should get a 606-6. Slow Jerker 603-6 class.
If you are free-drifting, sometimes you just can’t stay vertical and the rod won’t spring up. What you can do is increase jig weight. 300g, 350g, 400g, or 500g. Of course the rod won’t spring up. You are in a very soft action tone. But it’s OK. As long as the jig is heavy enough to fall against the water pushing the line up and away, you have a chance with that falling tactic.
Hello Toto. Thank you for your respond. Really αppreciate for your valuable advices which helps me to enter in this exciting game. I see what you mean. Yes, I should have given the depth range in first place which is 50 to 80 meters. Any way, i’m interesting and thinking to get a really technical rod for slow pitch to have a normal startup. Searching In Greek small market i found Megabass Trigya T663TJ jerk max 200gr and Hots stiletto SSS64M jerk max 180gr. Concerning Poseidon rods, I only found the PLFJ 710 H-6 which I think it’s only for long fall tactic, or maybe not only?. If i want to play with jigs weight range 130 to 200gr which rod of those would you recommended? Thank you and my best regards.
I think Hot’s is good. SLOW STYLE SSS63H.
Hello Toto. thank you for this interesting article. I am new to slow jigging and I am looking for a good set to use in about 100 meters of depth. I am interested in the Palms metal witch MTGC-634SF , what do you think about it and what budget overhead reel do you recommend for this rod please
Hi Chris.
As far as I know, which is limited to Japan market products, Ocea Jigger is the best I recommend. If your budget doesn’t allow it, try to find the equivalent reel.
90cm or more retrive length.
6.3 gear ratio.
85cm or longer handle.
Good luck!
Hi Toto,
thanks for the advise . i think i will go for the ocea jigger as it seems a very good reel for slow jigging Thanks again for your help
You bet ya!
Hi Sesei Totos, kudos for your sites lot of info and knowledge for the newbies like me. Need your advise for my Daiwa Saltist H20, gear ratio 6.1.1. My playing ground is abt 50m to 70m. My slow pitch is Adajo Pe2 and max jig is abt 200grm. Is suitable combination sesei san? Tqvm. Regards, Mohammad Nadzri frm Malaysia.
This Daiwa reel is not available in Japan and I don’t know the specs.
If the reel has the following specs, it should be sufficient.
– 90cm or more retrieve length.
– 6.3 gear ratio or less.
– 85cm or longer handle.
You are fishing in relatively shallow waters, so 85cm retrieve length should be enough probably.
Good luck!
Hi Totos, this is Josh from Malaysia, I plan to buy Wiki Jigging 900H, appreciate with your review. Thank you.
I don’t know about the tackles which are not available in Japan Josh.
Let me just say all the rods I classified as Grade A and B are designed or supervised by one of Japanese slow pitch experts. Their knowledge and skills based on years of field experience are being realized in these rods (within the limit of production budget).
Other rods don’t have it. Especially non-Japanese brands. I do not mean that they are bad. They may as well be good. I just don’t know.
Not Rod, is reel, wiki jigging reel 900H
Hi Josh.
Sorry. You were asking about the reel. But I still don’t know because the reel is not available in Japan.
If I may really get to the bottom of it, it is desirable that the reel has the following specs.
– 75cm or more retrieve length at the depth you are fishing at.
– 6.3 gear ratio or less if you want to use jig weight 200g or heavier.
– 85cm or longer handle.
Good luck!
Hi Totos,
I’m planning to get the reel “Avet SX 6/4 L/H 2-Speed Lever Drag” you can find more details on it available on this link :
http://www.tackledirect.com/avet-sx-64-lh-2-speed-lever-drag-casting-reel-left-hand-silver.html#reviews
can this be used in the slow pitch jigging ? because i was thinking to use this reel in the slow pitch jigging and the normal mechanical jigging (with the low gear).also there is this reel :
http://www.tackledirect.com/avet-jx-60-single-speed-lever-drag-casting-reel-black.html
which one you think it’s good from your point of view ?
Hi Sherief.
Sorry. I don’t know about the reel that is not available in Japan. And I should not make comments on speculations.
If I may really get to the bottom of it, it is desirable that the reel has the following specs.
– 75cm or more retrieve length at the depth you are fishing at.
– 6.3 gear ratio or less if you want to use jig weight 200g or heavier.
– 85cm or longer handle.
Good luck!
Hi Totos. I’m inspired by your passion and technical knowledge. Now I will get a set for slow pitch jigging, I’m new to this though. Would like your advice on OJ1500, HG or PG for waters no more than 70m, most of the time between 30m to 50m. Need I go on to OJ 2000 even? Slow fall jigs of 40g, maybe 60g to 80g. Rod, maybe Metal Witch Slow and Fall series. Line of PE 1.5. Thank you in advance.
Hi Tong.
OJ1500 seems fine for your depth. Just need to change the handle for longer. You can buy a handle arm for OJ2000 which fits OJ1500. JPY2800 + shipping and handling.
You need heavier jigs, though. Slow pitch jigging uses heavier jigs than conventional jigging. #1, you want to stay as vertical as you can. #2, you want the weight enough to get the slow spring-back actions of your rod going.
Let me know if you need my help.
Hi, I am a hi speed jigeer willing to try the slow pitch version. My problem and question is in the fact that when I am fishing in depth between 80-120 meters I do that from a 33 feet sport fishing boat , without an anchor so I am drifting a lot . What will be a good combination of lines and jigw to use so I stay on target and vertical as long as possible with thiw technique?
Hi George.
As you know well, staying vertical is the key factor for success in slow pitch jigging.
Basic suggestions would be, use light line and a heavy jig. Use sea-anchor or have someone control the drift at the wheel. Explore shallow waters.
Here’s an articles on that.
http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/tips-for-fishing-on-a-free-drifting-boat-2/
If you have more specific questions, don’t hesitate to contact me through Contact Form.
Thank you Totos, I guess controlling the drift with the engines is the best otion on my case
Hi Toros
I’m going to buy a reel next some day.Please give me advise between 2015 Daiwa Ryoga Bay Jigging C2025PE SHL and 2015 Daiwa Saltiga 10HL. Which is the better one?
I’m fishing at depth 40-70m, jigs weight 80-150gr.
Thank you so much.
Hi Toro,
Please give me advise between 2014 Daiwa Ryoga Bay Jigging C2025PE HSL and 2015 Daiwa Saltiga 10HL.
I am fishing in depth between 40-70 meters, jigs weight: 80g – 150g
Thank you!
Between these 2 reels, I think Saltiga 10HL should be better. If you can get, Saltiga 15HL-SJ is even better.
hai totos,
is Accurate FX-500XN suitable for slow jigging, and what’s your opinion for this reel for using in slow jigging.
Thanks
Hi Sugeng.
Accurate reels are not available in Japan and I don’t know them.
But it looks the specs are sufficient for slow pitch jigging.
Hi TOTOS,
I’m from Singapore and I just got the Slow Jerker 603-4. I’m wondering if my Avet MJX Raptor can use as jigging reel. It’s a 2 speed with the high speed at 104cm per crank, gear ratio 6.3:1. Was thinking of using 150 to 250 jig on this setup. Should I still be using PE2 line or should I use PE3 or PE4?
Cheers
Justin
Hi Alice.
Even though I don’t know the reel since it’s not available in Japan, the spec looks sufficient.
The line selection is pretty critical. It’s the balance scale with contact rate on one end and catch rate on the other end. I recommend to weigh on contact rate first with PE2.0 so that you will have a joy in exploring this game. There a lot of articles about line in the website. Please check them out.
Good luck!
Also TOTOS,
Another reel that I think of using is my Shimano Calcutta Conquest 401. I know the spec is all at the minimum but just wonder if I just change to a power handle can I use it as a jigging reel?
Justin
Among Shimano small overhead reels, Ocea Conquest 300HG is sufficient for the game.
Dear sensei Toto,
I just have posiedon 603-1.5 i need some suggestion on the reel that match this rod.
I have ryoga 2025 SH, zillion pe special 7,9 gelar ratio and 89 cm per retreive but this is bait casting model. I used this reel for micro jigging no problem
Im think to buy ocea conquest 300 Hg/200 Hg or is zillion will be enough ?
I will be fishing in 30-50 M water, free drifting using speed boat
Please give me your valueable opinion Sensei
Bass fishing reels will lack of gear power and cranking power. Ocea Conquest 300HG at least. Ocea Jigger is preferable.
Hi,
Can you recommend a cheaper reel by any chance (such as a fin-or, okuma etc?) I have a max budget of 220 USD.
Also what do you think about the rod Gomoku adajo PE 2?
Thanks
Hi Will.
Your cheapest possibility is the one you can get locally. And I wouldn’t know them because they are not available in Japan. The least requirement for a slow pitch reel is as follows.
“Basically you need an overhead reel that retrieves about 75cm per crank or more at the depth where you are fishing. Say, you have the reel with 85cm max retrieve per crank. That is the speed when The line is fully loaded. When you let out 100m of line, the speed may be down to 75cm per crank.”
Gomoku is not a slow pitch rod. But slow pitch jigging is about maximizing the jigging tactics. You can still enjoy jigging with non-maximum tackle.
Good luck.
Also, I forgot to add, If my budget is only around 220 USD, would it be better to just get a quality spinning reel such as the shimano stradic 4000 fk?
Thanks
No. I would stay with an overhead reel.
Hi Totos
I started Slow jigging after seeing your Youtube Video 4-5 years ago I now feel like I know what I’m doing and I have Improved my techniques and methods I have caught fish with slow jigging all over the world now (even in strange places I caught a pike while ice fishing in Finland with my slow jigging out fit) Thank you very much for the detailed information and instructions it has given me many happy moments. the main reason I’m writing is I got a OJ2000PG recently and it only comes with Japanese operating instructions Do you know where I can find an English version ?
Hi Yannis.
I’m very happy that my website has helped you enjoy slow pitch jigging.
No, unfortunately, there’s no english manual. Maybe you can search for the manual for Trinidad 16 at Shimano USA.
Let me know if you have specific questions.
is shimano Trinidad 16 as the same as ocea jigger 2000HR?
Yes, it’s identical. It’s probably made in different places, though.
Hi Totos I ended up using a web-based PDF translator to translate the manual
Also the vendor I bought it from made a little power point so all is well now
thanks
ocea jigger 1501hg vs saltiga 15hl-sj which one is better?..
Without a doubt, ocea jigger. It’s more powerful, fast, and smooth. Lever drag may be the only thing it’s missing.
Hallo, Mr. Toto..
Please, Advise Me. I am New and I want to try Slow Jigging in my country. I Have Reel Ocea Jigger 4000p can I match with MTGC-686SF Palm Witch Rod.
This is the specifically designed for slow jigging in 300m deep with the max 500g jigs. The rod with the powerful tip and slow tapered butt makes it possible to pioneer of the deep zone where nobody ever fish.
6ft.8inc. 1pc. Power:6 200-250g(FallMax 500g) Lures PE2.0-4.0# Rod Wt.164g.
Because, in My Place the deep of the Ocean 150-200M+/- to find a good and big fish. Because, of the Strong current of the sea. we must use 400-600G Jig..
Thank You for your kind, Reply.
Your tackle setting is not mistaken. But for slow pitch jigging in the deep waters, staying vertical is much more important than tackle setting. If you can only free-drift, you just need to pray for a calm water with no wind.
hello there 🙂 can u comment on daiwa basara 200HL and Daiwa Vadel Bay Jigging? for shallow jigging.mostly 80g-130g jigs.i havent found any review about this reels.
and another thing, are you familiar with Wiki Jigging 900H (by Jigging Master) and its variants?
-Salt Studio Kaigun 1500N
-Gmax Ryujin
-Karasu Micro Jigging 1000H
-Eupro EG80
these variants can be easily found in southeast asia shops prior to slow fall jigging craze. most of them look very similar in terms of lever, body etc. just aesthetically different. and sports 6-ish gear ratio. are they any good?
thanks and have a great day
The minimum requirements for slow pitch reels are described at the top of this page. You can see the specs and see if they meet the requirements.
Many makers don’t say “maximum retrieve length per crank”. You can calculate it if you have the spool diameter and the gear ratio.
Hello, nice website you got here :), can you comment on Poseidon 603-5 with ABU Garcia LJ-4 in 60-120m depth mostly on 100-180g jigs ?
Cheers.
Hi Leonardo.
I would use heavier jigs. With slow pitch jigging, we usually use the jig weight of 1.5 times to 2 times heavier than in conventional jigging.
The reason is that, #1, slow pitch jigs are slower to fall and that’s why it’s attractive in falls. Still, you want to stay as vertical as you can, and you need more weight for that. #2, slow pitch rod needs some jig weight to bend deep and spring back. If the jig is lighter, the rod doesn’t bend much, which makes less spring back actions, and makes your overall actions very fast pace.
In conventional jigging, it doesn’t really matter if you are vertical or not. Because all you do is up-up-up lifting, which means you are constantly taking out line slack in the water. So the jig can be light. If you use the same weight with slow pitch jigs, you will get more line slack. Plus your slow pitch application is slower and with more falls (no tension on the line and the water can carry your jig as away as it wants.). You will never be vertical.
Your 603-5 is strong enough to work with 300g or more. (You need to be vertical, though)
Hi Totos
Nice write up.Just want to check 2000NR PG is suitable for shallower water like 40m to 60m depth and whereas HG is for deeper water as per what it was stated or it does not really makes a difference? Because I have gotten a 2000NR PG and the max depth I usually go is about 50m to 60m.
Look forward to your reply
Cheers
Hi Kel.
If you already have OJ2000NR-PG, don’t worry about it. It’s got enough speed for 50m – 60m depth.
Good luck.
hello totos,
Thank u for your dedication and passion for slow pitch jigging and for your great website, I am now keen on re trying slow pitch. I say re try because I tried slow pitch with a spinning reel and a shimano trevala rod. I use seafloor control jigs, I do catch fish, but I end up doing more of a slow “fast ” jigging style, if u see what I mean. I mainly start to jig in depths of 40m and drift with sea anchor up to 120-150m depth, switching jig weights along the way.
I now realise that my equipment is not suitable for slow pitch as my rod isn’t up to specs. I will be getting a palms metal witch soon, and I plan to pair it with a trinidad 20A. The specs of this reel seem up to standards of slow pitch, the only worry I have is that I never used an overhead reel for jigging before, and I am worried about having to manually lay the line on the spool while jigging/retreiving? I wanted the 16NA model,(narrow spool) but my local shimano dealer only has the 20a. (my only experiences with overhead reels are level wind reels for trolling)
Do u think the line lay will be an issue for someone like me who is only used to spinning and level wind reels? I don’t want to spend so much money on a slow pitch setup to be frustrated afterwards because of this. Thanks for your opinion and best regards
Hi Chris.
Thank you very much for your compliments.
Don’t worry much about leveling the line load.
It can be an issue sometimes. We want max load because we want max speed out of the reel. So when we retrieve to unleveled load, the line load touches the reel body and cause frictions. Not good.
But all we need to do is to, as we pull back up the jig, guide the line with our thumb or a finger To level the load. Or you can tilt the reel to one side and to the other. When you fight the fish, don’t worry about it. Even with a big fish, you should be able to afford to do the line management for the last 50m to the surface at least. And 50m is enough usually to level the load. For example, you hit a big fish at 100m. You pull up 20m (never mind the line management), and the fish pulls out 20m. You will repeat this for so many times. But the fish can’t go flat out constantly for so long (unless it’s a tuna). Eventually, for most part of 100m travel, you can pull up constantly, just heavy lift with occasional resistant runs. You can do line management in the constant lift, but not so tidy. The line has tension and you don’t want to cause friction to the line. Just the least amount of line management so that the line load doesn’t touch the reel body.
Good luck.
Hi mate ive just bought a beat propergate bp606-3 , 160gm jig max,
Looking to buy a new reel for it, i fish from 25- 70 meters deep, do all the ocea jiggers have the automatic spool brake when the handle turns?
Any reel recommendations?
Are the jdm models different to the ones in Australia ect ? Cheers
Hi Jamie.
Sounds like you need Ocea Jigger 1500HG. But I don’t know what you mean by “automatic spool brake when the handle turns”.
When you free the spool to drop the jig, and when you just turn the handle, the gears click back in and you can retrieve with right away no other actions. If that’s what you mean.
And Ocea Jigger has mechanical break. It controls how “free” the spool is when you free the spool. When the spool is completely free, you may get backlash. And jigs fall faster with adequate tension. Ocea Jigger has a dial to control that tension. The star drag is for when the gears are engaged. The mechanical break is for when the gears are not engaged. If that’s what you mean.
Shimano Japan makes Ocea Jigger. Shimano USA makes Trinidad. They are the same model, the same design. They are different manufacturers. But no one else makes this model. If you see Ocea Jigger, that’s from Japan.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for the information your provide , I learnt a lot from your replies to all the queries
All this while I am into fast vertical jigging. As Slow Pitch jigging is getting “hotter” each days my hand is itching to start on it.
Most of time I fish around 30m ~ 60m water with strong current. I am planing to invest in my Slow Pitch set up as per your recommendation.
Overhead Reel: OJ 1500hg
Rod : Poseidon PSLJ 6036- 3 or 4
I don’t fancy using jigs heavier than 200gms, is the above set up fine ?
Appreciate you kind reply and advise.
Thanks & have a nice day.
Ali
Hi Ali.
Welcome to slow pitch jigging!
Do you use sea-anchor? Do you have a captain to control the drift? It’s really the wind to push you apart from the vertical alignment with your jig. If you don’t have certain verticality, the rod doesn’t make any difference. So first you should determine other things that affect verticality.
Boating. If you have your own boat, I recommend sea-anchor. If not, just choose the windless day.
What line? I recommend PE1.5 to start with.
What jig weight? Probably 130g to 200g.
If you were vertical as we are on spankered boat, you would use 100g to 150g with 603-2 in that depth. But in your case, when the conditions are friendly, 603-3 will do fine with those jig weights. 603-3 should be tough when you are far away from vertical. But I would recommend, instead of getting 603-4, to get 603-3 and enjoy in the friendly conditions, and to drop and switch to high speed jigging when the conditions are tough.
Good luck.
Hi, if i wanna do slow jigging in 30 – 150 m of water depth, is saltiga 10h enough for this purposes ? the line main line will be pe 1.5 or pe 2. Rod will be pe 2
Hi Eason.
Saltiga 10H has 100cm per crank speed at 6.4 gear ratio. It’s basically a good spec for slow pitch jigging. But I would recommend to explore in the shallow under 80m. Maybe up to 230g jig. I don’t know how vertical you can stay, but I assume that it would be hard with heavier jigs and at deeper water.
If you are asking this question before you try, I encourage you to try.
If you are asking after you tried and it’s not working, you need to look at the whole picture to find solutions. It should not be just the reel.
Good luck!
Hi Totos,
Im planning on buying either OJ 1501NRHG and the Daiwa Saltiga 15H got a bit of problem on choosing..which do you would reccomend the most on buying?
Im Jigging only on 50-100m depth in Malaysia, which the best reel for me to choose between the two.
Thank you and regards.
Faiz.
Hi Faiz.
Definitely OJ1501HG. The large drive gear with precision gear is always dependable and torqueful for slow pitch jigging.
On the other hand, Daiwa Magshiled has some bad reputations.
Hi Totos.
If i want to do slow jigging at shallow water 40-70m, is Banax Camion 305TD suitable?
i plan to pair it with Zen Zagan slow pitch rod, Pe1-3. please do advice
HI Apollo.
I don’t know this reel. The desired specs for slow pitch reel is described at the beginning of this article. If you don’t know the max retrieve length per crank of this reel, check it with the maker or the seller. Not me. The handle length is 75cm? It’s a bit hard to make actions, but manageable.
Hi what do you think about the Shimano Torium 16 for light slow jigging?
it’s a cheaper production of Ocea Jigger. I’m not familiar with it as it’s made by Shimano USA and not available in Japan. I don’t know what is less or worse, but the specs are sufficient for slow pitch jigging.
hello toto what about for abu garcia revo SaltyStage lj4?
Gear Ratio:7.6:1
Ball/Roller Bearing:6/1
Weight:378 g
MAX Drag:10 kg
Retrieve:107 cm
Hi Marinos.
The specs is fine. I assume it doesn’t have much torque, but you just need to work more, rather than paying more for a better reel.
Hi totos. I know SOM reel is from Japan. Is it fully Japan made? i felt doubtful because i saw the Japan global rakuten website, this SOM product was produce in Korea.
Hi Shukri.
Yes it’s true. But all the essential parts that require craftsmanship like drag and drive gear are made in Japan. The reel body along with some solid parts and assembling is done in Korea. And every time the factory finishes a bunch, the whole SOM team of engineers go to Korea for a couple of weeks to conduct the final check up on all the products. They won’t let any defaults pass through to the market. That’s what I heard from a SOM staff.
oh i see. so, what is you recommendation for the best jigging reel?
Hi Syukri.
I don’t think there’s no BEST reels. It depends on your conditions. If you want to discuss your case, please send me a message through contact form.
Like I said that Ocea Jigger is the most popular reel for slow pitch jiggers in Japan, I can recommend this reel to anyone for various reasons.
Hi Totos,
I always enjoy reading through your posts and watching your videos, picking up pointers to improve my slow jigging game. I am currently using a Daiwa Saltiga 15-SJ and have been loving it. I love how the reel comes with everything you need for slow jigging, especially the egg knob. As i would be exploring deeper waters, I’m planning to buy a reel with more line capacity. Currently considering between Shimano’s Ocea Jigger 2000NRHG and Daiwa’s Saltiga 35N-SJ (does the N refer to Narrow Spool?), but i just cant decide which to get. I note that both a great reels, but I am unable to determine a deciding factor for either reels.
Would you mind pointing out what makes an OJ stand out more than a Saltiga, or vice versa? Also, any news in Japan if Shimano is coming out with a new Ocea Jigger model considering the current is already 5-6 years old?
Hi Tasmann.
Ocea Jigger is fool proof. I feel Saltiga doesn’t have as much power (torque) as OJ. And there is a lot of complaints on the magshield of Saltiga.
I don’t think Ocea Jigger is remodeling because they just added 3000HG to the lineup. But they may release a variation model or something. Let’s wait to see at Osaka Fishing Show.
Hi Totos
This is Iskender(Alex) from Turkey.
I deeply appreciate your help and sharing of information with the ones who are eager to get into slow jigging.
I read as much posts as possible but I might have missed your opinion about Shimano Ocea 2001NR-HG. I will will be fishing 50-100m. depth and use Shimano Game Type Slow Jigging B684 rod(action:300gr) with that reel. Is it something you may recommend for that purpose?
Kind Regards
Yes, definitely. OJ2001 will do the job. It’s such a solid reel you can depend on.
Thanks alot for the help.
Hi Totos,
Have you managed to check out the new OJ range? Looks promising with a longer handle on the 1500 and better water proofing.
Aaron
Oh, yea. The new Ocea Jigger lineup is definitely better. Very good improvements.
Hello Totos
What do you think of a jigging master ocean devil reel (overhead) , ratio 4:5:1 , PE4 (400M) efficient drag :20 lb ( max 40 lb) , for slow jigging… i am a beginner in alow jigging..
Khaled
Hi.
I don’t know this reel as it’s not available in Japan. But it sounds like a power gear.
Like I explain on this webpage, slow pitch jigging works well with a reel that retrieves about 75cm per crank or more at the depth where you are fishing.
You should check how many meters max your reel retrieves per crank.
Hi totos, thanks for your work. Can I get your opinion on the Daiwa Catalina 20H?
Daiwa Catelina 20H has sufficient specs for slow pitch jigging.
I’ve never used it in the field.
Hello totos,
Thanks for the great website you are doing a great effort 🙂
I wanted to ask about the shimano torium it seems kinda near the ocea jigger or the trinidad by shimano , i’m thinking of the 14 or the 16 size , what do you think ??
https://www.tackledirect.com/shimano-torium-star-drag-reels.html?disableMobile=true
Hi Ziad.
Tourim is not available in Japan. It’s a production of Shimano USA. It is a downgraded model of Ocea Jigger (=Trinidad by Shimano USA).
I can tell Ocea Jigger is good. But this is a downgraded model which I’ve never seen. I don’t know which parts they go cheap on.
Sorry, I can’t say it’s good or bad.
If you are about to start jigging, you should know you may be hooking any fish from 500g to 50kg. If you respect mother nature, you should think this is a serious business. I would encourage you to save up and get a ocea jigger. You will not regret on this one. Don’t go cheap on the most critical part of your system.
If you are bait fishing, you can settle with Torium.
Hi Totos,
Thanks for the informative site.
I have a conquest 301HG and was wondering what is the maximum jig this reel can take. Since much of the reel’s power comes from the gear ratio and the conquest has a gear ratio of 6.2:1 and the 2017 OJ 1501HG has a gear ratio of 6.4:1, I guess both reels can take the same jig weights of 280g like you mentioned somewhere in this site?
Hi JJ.
Conquest 301HG with a 280g jig??? Hmmm, sounds tough. It depends on other water resistance factors too. If you dance a 280g at 5 meter depth, you should have no problem.
You already have the reel. You don’t have to wonder. You can just try.
There’s no particular limit. You will know when it’s too heavy for your reel. The reel will tell you, “I can do it for now, but if you keep doing it, I think my gears will give in gradually over time.”
Hello,
I wish to put myself in slow jig, I fish in the Mediterranean in deep water, 100 m.
I think I need a powerful cane (300 g jig) with a reel with a large recovery (> = 100 cm) and a large capacity of PE2.
Would you have a set to advise me?
Thank you
Hi Boudon.
Yes, your assumption seems right.
Power 6 rod (if Slow Jerker, 603-6) is a safe choice, even though Power 5 or 4 rod can be compatible in some friendly conditions. The reel can be anything equivalent to OJ2000NR-HG.
But remember that staying vertical is the key factor. I don’t know what kind of boat you have and how it is operated during fishing, but I recommend to improve your verticality. Like using sea-anchor whenever it helps, installing front rudder to your boat, use aft drive against the wind, or anything that helps you drift with your jig. And for any cases, I encourage you to explore more in the shallower waters, say 50m to 80m, where it’s easier to stay with your jig.
Hi Totos,
Thank you very much for your answer.
I do not know if that is possible.
Can you give me serious websites where I can
to order this type of material?
Hi Boudon.
You are talking about the front rudder?
There’s no product. Many boat owners make it by themselves.
Like this one.
http://www13.plala.or.jp/toshitai60/omote000.html
Is the Ocean Freaks Captcha 30 and 60 HG a good reel for slow pitch jigging ?
Can anyone share their experience here?
I am personally interested in Captha 60HG. The specs look all good. It is designed by a slow pitch expert who works with Deepliner. It should be very good. But the feelings on sensitivity and drag should wait till you actually use in the field. Right now the production capacity is way behind the demand, and we need to wait a little bit more till it is supplied enough to the market.
Totos any update on this reel ?
I see a few in stock. Depends on right or left.
Send me an email and we can discuss on quotes.
Senpai, can you suggest me some saltwater low profile jigging reels for micro/ultralight/light jigging? Thanks for sharing this article!
Hi Jaoie.
Well, your question is a little too broad for me to make specific suggestions, I’m afraid.
How about Ocea Conquest?
Hi Totos! Can you recommend a baitcasting reel for slow pitch jigging?Planning to buy shimano trax 401. Any thoughts?
I wouldn’t buy this reel for slow pitch jigging. But jigging can be in different styles, and I wouldn’t stop anyone from purchasing this reel. My recommends are listed on this page.
Shimano trinidad 16A and shimano ocea jigger 2000nrhg which one is the best for slow pitch jigging?
They are the same model. Trinidad from Shimano USA and Ocea Jigger from Shimano Japan.
Hi Totos, Trinidad is made by Shimano Japan for US market. Shimano US don’t manufacture reels. It will either come from Shimano Japan or Shimano Malaysia. Anyway, thank you for your wonderful site. My wallet got thinner just by reading on it.
Regards,
Mark
hi totots, a shop owner told me that Shimano Ocea Jigger is actually an entry level reel for slow pitch jigging, however, based on what I have seen and read online, it does not seem so. To the shopkeeper, he states that the performance is just average and would suffice for slow pitch jigging but only barely scratches the surface, need your advise on this as I am planning to get an OJ end of this month. Thanks.
Hi Peter.
Ocea Jigger is, to me, the best slow pitch jigging reel in affordable range.
I and so many slow pitch jiggers highly trust this reel. Smooth drag, well-balanced in power and speed, easy to maintain, and very solid built. It is just not a fancy reel as others, but that doesn’t make it an entry model. Go ahead, and you won’t regret it.
i think from the shop owner’s perspective, the OJ is in fact the best there is at that price point. or maybe he wants to sell you SOM/ Oceanus/ Marfix LOL, which are considered the best slow pitch reels in the market. I personally have the OJ 1501 and 2001 since i started playing this game, and have also own SOMs 50. I still prefer the OJ to be frank for most of my fishing.
Hi Totos,
This year 2018, Shimano launched the new Ocea Conquest CT models from 200-300 sizes and PG/HG models. This is quite interesting for me as it comes with a digital counter that measures the depth and the fall speed. It also comes with the lever fall speed control and star drag.
For someone who currently own Ocea Jigger 2000 and have to load expensive colored PE line for vertical slow fall jigging, these Conquest CT reel open new possibilities for me. First, I don’t have to use the expensive colored line to know the depth, as I can use the digital counter on the reel and Second, the lever drag is really handy to adjust the fall speed to the required depth.
In your opinion, will these reels be suitable for slow fall jigging ? I am specifically looking at the Shimano Ocea Conquest CT 300HG which comes with sufficient capacity for PE1.5 line (maybe 600m?).
Thank you once again.
Hi SPJ.
Yes, Ocea Conquest CT is indeed an interesting production by Shimano.
Level winder that synchronizes with spool, digital line counter, and fall speed control. They all sound interesting.
But I personally do not like that bulkiness of the reel. I’ve never used it in the field, but I suspect that it loses a lot of sensitivity of the game.
But if the spec is OK for you, (keep in mind that it is not for a big game), it may be worth a try.
Sorry, it’s not a sure information. It’s just my personal imagination.
But if you do purchase it, make sure you run the line management program when you load the line. Otherwise the line counter won’t work properly. I will talk about this in my next facebook post.
Hi Totos, I finally received the reel Conquest CT. As the manual is in Japanese I had painstakingly used Google translate to translate them. It wasn’t easy, as the app couldn’t really translate some words to a meaningful sentence probably due to some fishing jargons.
The question is I see that L1 is for without backing and L2 mode is for backing. The L2 mode covers more pages as backing needs to be loaded first. I was a little confused because I don’t need to do any backing and I see in your FB post that you mention L1 is for loading PE line with backing.
I loaded my reel on L1 mode without backing and it seems fine. Maybe you could clarify abit on this L1 and L2 mode.
Thanks a lot.
Hi SPJ.
My facebook post does say L2 is with backing and L1 without backing. What you did is probably right.
Great thanks Totos. Most likely I remember wrongly. In any case, I want to thank you for the timely thread on electric reel counter and How to set them correctly. I have a feeling that international buyers like me who can’t understand Japanese struggle with the manual written in Japanese. But that does not stop me from buying these domestic models.
So far, I haven’t found much reviews on these reels. I probably will share my experiences of how these reels perform in the fields for slow pitch jigging and how it compare to my Ocea Jigger 2000, SOM L30Hi and SOM L50Hi.
Hello Totos San. I’ve watched many of your video, and i’m curious why people choose right handle reels? Because i can’t do jig properly with right handle i felt heavy to do jerk with left hand (my right hand is dominant), is it because my lack / wrong techniques?
For 200m depth, do you have any suggestion of bigger reels than Ocea Jigger NR2000?
To be precise, you suggest High Gear (HG) version just in case we pitch below 1 turn is that right? So if we just focused on 1 turn the PG wont be a problem?
Have you ever tried ocean freaks captcha? What do you think about that reels? Would you give comparison between ocean freaks, som, and ocea jigger?
Thanks for your big help.
Here’s my reply on facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseAnglersSecrets/posts/2059971697424004
https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseAnglersSecrets/posts/2059947487426425
Thanks for your input about jerk using shoulder. i have more question about OFFL Captcha, it’s surely the lightest reel on the market, what do you think about its durability? the body looks really susceptible from seawater (corrosion), it got so many bolts, what do you think?
About the line retrieval, how long (cm) do you think the most ideal max retrieves per crank for 150-200m? you mentioned on your writings that at least 90cm line retrieval, is it mean that we should have more max line retrieval for deeper sea?
once again, Big Thanks
I’ve been using Captcha 60HG for about 6 months. This reel is very light, powerful and the body is very solid. There are many screws on the body. I’m a bit concerned about corrosion, too. But I’ve done nothing but a normal maintenance and I don’t see a problem so far. I see Deepliner staffs use this reel for longer time and they recommend this reel too. None of these screws are in weight-bearing position, so they are not a problem structure wise. The number of parts are very little in this reel. They worked hard to make it powerful and light at the same time.
90cm is the retrieve length “at the depth you are fishing”. The reel loses the retrieve length as it lets out the line. But it depends on the shape of the spool how much they lose it. Narrow spool loses it fast because it loses the diameter fast.
The deepest we do jigging is around 300m in the current technology of the line and the boat. 110cm per crank is like the maximum spec that all the jigging reel manufacturers make. They don’t try to make more speed. Because we believe this is enough to maintain enough speed at any depth we can be fishing. But this is based on the fact that we do jigging with the captain on the spankered boat.
If you are free-drifting, you have much much more line slack to retrieve even to get the jig to move. You would want the highest possible retrieve length you can get.
So based on your field test, between som and offl captcha, would you mind to explain pros and cons for both reels? And which one do you prefer the most?
Big Thanks Totos sensei
They are both outstanding reels, designed and engineered by slow pitch experts. Captcha 60HG is actually one class bigger reel than SOM L50Hi. More powerful and more line load. If you look for big games and deepsea jigging, Captha 60HG. If you look for general use of slow pitch jigging, SOM L50Hi.
Actually, Captcha is a very cheaply made reel with poor craftsmanship, not to say it’s a rip-off. This hype has been exposed by Calvin Tan of Slow Jigging Scene with a detailed video explanations which can be found on Facebook.
So sad to saw it. I’ve bought the captcha already and i think ocea jigger and accurate is still the best primarily for the smoothness and quality.
Hello Totos,
You are such a great expert man. I kindly need your support with the following:
I am looking forward to buy a set up of rod and reel for slow pitch jigging. It’s for deep sea fishing of of 150 meter depth average. I like to get Ocea Jigger 2000 NR HG but i am confused which rod to use with this reel. Can you kindly advise.
Also, i may get Shimano Torium 20 instead what do you think of it comparing to Ocea Jigger 2000 NR HG. And if you will go with Shimano Torium 20 what the the suitable rod for this reel.
Appreciate your support.
Best regards,
Rawad
Would the Shimano Talica 16 II work fine for a slow pitch rig?
Actually I loved that reel for my high-pitch jigging, and slow pitch jigging in the deep. It’s one of the biggest size reels you can use in slow pitch jigging.
Hi totos
What saltiga overhead reel you suggest for slow and fast jigging?