Shimano Lucanus Jigs Rock for Rocks...

[mickeysindahous]

I'm just busting your chops dude. Yeah, I used a similar setup. I gotta say though, they're much more productive when you tip 'em with "squid."

If you really like 'em I've still got like 3 I'd be willing to trade/sell.

[NulodPBall]

Another option to the Lucanus is the Butterfly...it's just about as expensive or actually more if you count the fact that you have to buy the trailer hooks.

If you use the rod that Shimano recommends for the Butterfly jigs, you're arm will not be as tired at the end of the day...on my last outing, I was using an 8 ft 50 pound stick. Shimano recommends a seven hundred dollar reel but any decent reel will work, I'd recommend spectra or dacron.

The butterfly jig worked really well for bottom fish...I was using 3/0 hooks and I was still getting dinks, sometimes on both stinger hooks so they must've been attacking the heck out if the jig. Blue/White/Pink was what Chris at Shimano reommended.

The butterfly jigs dropped straight down very quickly...the nice thing about the butterly jigs is that you can also catch tuna or yellowtail with them.

I was getting tired cranking up the medium butterfly with my TN16, but when I switched to my 870, cranking effort went down. I think maybe because the gear ratio on my 870 is lower.

Watch the videos for the butterfly on the Shimano website, they're pretty good about telling you things...their rod choice is a good one, but like I said earlier, you don't need a seven hundred dollar reel, just one that has a lower gear ratio.

The jigging motion is a little different than your standard jigging motion. You are actually working a specific depth range, so you drop the jig back down into that range, then you work it, and drop it.

If there's no current, then the standard works great. If there's any sort of current or drift, my information is that the flat version is better, but as with any setup, performance will vary with conditions...they actually sell a lure wallet that can hold quite a bit of lures...more than I can afford to buy.

You buy the jig body, then you buy the "trailer" hooks, a solid ring, and a split ring. You put the trailer hook/hooks on the upper part of the jig (the nose, where the eye is) by putting a split ring on the jig, then you put a solid ring above the split ring, and you attach the line to the solid ring, and both trailer hooks to the same solid hook.

The idea being that the hooks will never hit the bottom structure, and the hooks are on a direct link with your line via the solid ring.

Reality seems to be that the fish hit the head of the jig, which is where the hooks are. Concensus seems to say that you don't need the longer trailer hooks, the short and medium are all that you need. If the fish hit it, they'll inhale the bait, and the shorter hooks.

Shimano mentions that once you feel a "weight" on your rod, you just keep a steady crank and you'll land the fish...the flip side of that is that for the smaller fish, I didn't feel ANYTHING but they were there when I reeled my jig in...I probably ripped a few off and didn't know it...I was using mono though, which Shimano doesn't recommend. They recommend either straight spectra, or spectra with a SHORT flouro leader.

I looked at the rods they recommend, and they don't look like they can handle 150 pound fish, but I've been assured that they can because the butt section is solid...the tip and mid section feel more like a trout rod, but I'm told that being flexible and parabolic with a short rod length actually helps with the jig motion (basically one crank is one lift, then you drop it...short quick lifts of your rod).

I got a butterfly because I wanted a deep jig

[Ifishtoolittle]

Originally Posted by ###############

I'm just busting your chops dude. Yeah, I used a similar setup. I gotta say though, they're much more productive when you tip 'em with "squid."

If you really like 'em I've still got like 3 I'd be willing to trade/sell.

As for myself I don't really think the jigs are worth their price so I try for knock offs. Yeah I also understand where you're coming from squid is always a stand by for bottomfish. BTW the jigs haven't worked for me yet too, but hopefully they will. ( I only have one jig and no Lucanus set-up)

[warriormike]

I went out yesterday and fished the Point Loma, I caught about 3 sand bass on these. I expected to miss a few fish on the bait, for a few reasons. Anytime you fish a jig on the bottom you're going to miss fish, that includes freshwater jigs too. Two I didn't have any squid, that could have put more fish on the boat. It wasn't that big of a deal though. There really not a bad bait

[RAY ONE]

I've got 2 of them , I used em out in Avila beach and didn't catch shiiiaaatt until i laced em with squid. They look cool but a waste of money in my opinion.

[jaswong00]

Hi All,
Last weekend, I went on an overnight trip on a private charter and caught limit on Rockfish, limit on white fish and sheephead, some bonitos, some sanddabs, total of 29 fishes...I also lost 3x Lucanus Jigs and they are 3.5oz white/chart, 3oz orange, 3oz white/chart. Others on the boat did not use Lucanus jigs so they weren't getting bites in the beginning. I put small pc of squid on the jig and drop it straight down. Then I felt many many small bites, but fish were not on until my Tescata Rod bent a lot. By the way, I have the TE400 with Tescata Rod(great setup). I think I pretty much out fished other people on the boat because of this jigs. Yes, others were getting bites too, but not as many bites as I did by using the jigs. The glow eye sure attracts bottom rock fish. My review on this is that when fish are not very active or biting, use this jig and you can possibly catch some fish.

Cheers,
Jason W

[fishtaco]

They work with a spinning reel and a short rod
with a one turn/one pump ratio, to give the right jig action
with agressive fish

with dumb fish a piece of squid may be needed
or a piece of sardine
not that they're going for the jig..

but the fish will try to steal that piece from the alien looking jig

snoop !

better use a torpedo covered with a plastic skirt
or a uchi jig with squid , works the same,
and you keep your dollar$ here, in the US
instead of sending the cash to Japan

remember Pearl Harbor, buy shimano

[Max Estep]

Pearl Harbor was is the past we're in the present and SHIMANO makes quality products.We have the Japanese or Chinese make the rest of our products, since things are such in demand we have to get it mass produced. I'm actually happy they do all the manufacturing because if they didn't everything would cost an arm and a leg. Although most items already do...

Anyways anything works for rockfish. Anything Red/white/orange or tipped with squid. I find fishing the Iron or Plastic makes fishing for rockfish somewhat entertaining for the moment the fish hits. Cranking up the fish in another story, thats why SHIMANO innovated the HIGH gear, one crank, one turn gearing for the rockfishing. Even though the prices are outrageous on the rockfishing items, I give them props for such an innovated way to fish for bottom critters. All in all, AVET rules. SUPPLY IN DEMAND.

[NulodPBall]

Originally Posted by Max Estep

...thats why SHIMANO innovated the low gear, one crank, one turn gearing for the rockfishing. Even though the prices are outrageous on the rockfishing items, I give them props for such an innovated way to fish for bottom critters. All in all, AVET rules. SUPPLY IN DEMAND.

===

I thought it was a high gear ratio they wanted...

[Max Estep]

Oh yeah...My bad. I got mixed up.

[one_leg]

I don't own a LooseAnus(spelling?) and I don't ever intend to. Sorry Dodo.