Never tried it but I know in principle what it is, Its just like you say an inline float fish it with a bulk and drop your hooklength up and down through your float.

Pole Fishing mag dig a feature on it about two summers ago, memory tells me with a bloke called Mark Wragg. May be worth trying to track a copy down?

Scarf, I suppose there will be loads of variations on fishing this method the one Ive seen and heard about was an adapted pole float that had 2 or 3 eyes a bulk underneath say 4 x 14 and a line stopper knot whatever 12″ above the float, this allows you to drop your hook bait up and down by 12 ” I think it was a silver fish angler who invented this. It just looks tangle prone to me, like you say you might aswell fish without a float !

We will be doing a feature on the Jigga method in the early part of 2013. It really is a devastating approach!

Several variations on this method and there is nothing new about it. As suggested. It seems to be a way to get around the issue of needing to use a float. However, it is banned on most waters i know of because of the rule of needing to have a correctly shotted float. Fisheries that allow the method might as well just drop the need for anglers to use a float.

Hi all, I managed to get hold of a batch of these floats that Ian Heywood made last year and from a quality and durability perspective these floats really are first class. Our club had our last match of the year on the bottom pond at Barnburgh and I purchased a few of these from Gary Jubb who manages the complex- I managed to set the floats up with a bit of advice from Gary on the day and went onto to have a great days fishing.

I won the event with over 55lb’s of F1’s- not a massive weight for those who know the venue but good considering i saw off the ‘2 kilo of worm and 4 pints of casters brigade who were pegged either side of me. i used just under a bag of fishery 4mm pellets (cost £2).

After the match I managed to get hold of Ian’s number and gave him a ring to talk through the float and how it works. After to speaking to Ian it was amazing to see how the method has been honed over a period of time and in terms of bait and technique it can really be a devastating method- as an average club angler like me can testify!- it’s just a shame my surge up the club leader board happened on the last match of the year- roll on some sunshine next spring (here’s hoping)

Remember a Jigga is for life, not just for christmas….

Just bought some of these floats from Ian, what a top bloke he is.
He explained the method in depth and im now looking forward to the warmer months when this type of rig works best.
He sells them on ebay – Hand made pole floats (original jigger float) seller – ianh1710 or phone him direct. 😉

@TrueBlue wrote:

Several variations on this method and there is nothing new about it. As suggested. It seems to be a way to get around the issue of needing to use a float. However, it is banned on most waters i know of because of the rule of needing to have a correctly shotted float. Fisheries that allow the method might as well just drop the need for anglers to use a float.

Is Jigging allowed at White Acres ?

I wouldn’t think so Ant as they banned a method that Giles Cochrane used to great effect and that was from using the tight line from pole tip to float method, again a version of using a tight line with a bolt rig effect technique.

Floats have to be correctly shotted which means that the jigga method would be banned at W/As

First angler i saw using the method with success was Mark Plevin on Brookside. That must have been 10 years ago. There was talk of similar rigs before that but there was always the issue of staying within the rules on most venues.

@TrueBlue wrote:

Floats have to be correctly shotted which means that the jigga method would be banned at W/As

First angler i saw using the method with success was Mark Plevin on Brookside. That must have been 10 years ago. There was talk of similar rigs before that but there was always the issue of staying within the rules on most venues.

What if you had quite a bouyant float that would incorporate say 4 x no 8 into its shotting that way when the bait was fully lowered the float would be correctly shotted ?

Im not sure the float would be correctly shotted to cover W/As rules. The float is not locked in place in the normal way. In effect its a slider float set up for the pole on a tight line between the pole tip and the hook bait as the hooking divice.

The rig would be under shotted based on what your suggesting. Big issue is the self hooking qualities of the jigga rig. Although, from what i know of the rig. Its the way the hook bait falls though the water that gives a second and bigger advantage over other standard rigs. However, i can think of lots of rigs that give the same self hooking advantage that the jigga method gives that are allowed.

From what i remember of Marks set-up He over shotted his rig slightly to get the right fall of the hook bait but was using smallish floats. The rig was all about the ballance of the line going though the float that made it devistating. We played about with very big pollyballs to get the same ballance and fall but attempted to stay within the rules on many fisheries that would ban the method.

Remember that the method on the pole is banned at W/As. Although, the method on the rod is allowed as an example. So, in a similar way. I would suggest that the jigga method is likely to be banned at W/As.

Only way to know if its allowed or banned in matches at W/As is to ask.

I’ve never fished this method, but from what I’ve seen and heard about it, I can’t see any reason to ban it anywhere. Basically its just a sliding float, I know its fished on a tight line and has self hooking principles, but so have a lot of the rigs we fish today including pellet wag,bomb and feeder fishing. Good luck to the folk who developed it, if it catches fish and is no detriment to fish welfare fare enough.

Pellet waggler is not a self hooking method, badger. Or at least. W/As only allow the slim type of pellet wagglers that are not usually self hooking. Feeder and bomb fishing is differnt to pole or waggler rigs. Fixed bomb and feeder rigs are not allowed at W/As and many other venues. So, not totally, self hooking rigs. Also, those rigs are classed as safe rigs.

Im against a lot of the bans on our commercials. I hate having my options reduced. Lots of bans are in place for the wrong reasons. However, if your going to ban the floating pole or rattler as examples. Then, you have to ban the jigga method too. The Jigga method works on many of the same self hooking principles of the floating pole or rattler method but with added advantages. As to if self hooking rigs are not good for the welfare of the fish. Im unsure but at least that is a claim that i can live with for those bans. However, If allowed Would we do anything else on some venues if the method is as good as suggested? The answer is no if its the top method as it seems very simple to use. That has to be bad for match angling if allowed!

I aint really used the jigga much myself but having sat and watched wraggy and ian at barnburgh, the thought of it being likened to the floating pole is laughable,
ive sat and watched lads set there new jigga’s up and do absolutley sod all even though they had the rig set correctly !
then sat behind lads doing it right like wraggy, ian and a young lad called ryan whilton and watch them absolutley empty the place.
it int just a case of lifting up and down and wait for the laccy to rip out like most suggest,
as with most devastating methods out there, its those who dont fully understand it or cant do it that knock it !
its also makes me chuckle that people insist there mate invented it years before anyone else
not that im saying they didnt of course,, im sure they did, but maybe they where just crap at it so it never got noticed for being the lethal method that it is
or maybe its just average and theses 3 lads are awsome !:rolleyes:

@Leaky Lloyd wrote:

I aint really used the jigga much myself but having sat and watched wraggy and ian at barnburgh, the thought of it being likened to the floating pole is laughable,
ive sat and watched lads set there new jigga’s up and do absolutley sod all even though they had the rig set correctly !
then sat behind lads doing it right like wraggy, ian and a young lad called ryan whilton and watch them absolutley empty the place.
it int just a case of lifting up and down and wait for the laccy to rip out like most suggest,
as with most devastating methods out there, its those who dont fully understand it or cant do it that knock it !
its also makes me chuckle that people insist there mate invented it years before anyone else
not that im saying they didnt of course,, im sure they did, but maybe they where just crap at it so it never got noticed for being the lethal method that it is
or maybe its just average and theses 3 lads are awsome !:rolleyes:

Well said, couldn’t agree more.

Agree entirely that there is little point trying to copy someone else who has any particular method sussed.
Also agree that this method is in fact a bolt rig and that one of the key factors is elastication. This must be matched to the size of fish you are catching and should never be on the heavy side as you will bounce them off the hook.
Giles is an expert at this sort of fishing with caster using sinking floats which he held on tight lines and soft elastic Whiteacres subsequently banned it with the correct shotting rule but many in my view break this rule by having a correctly shotted float BUT then put 3 number 8s on the line between the float and pole tip to keep the line straight to the elastic, (Bolt rig???!!)
I used floats years ago made from a piece of peacock with a slender carbon tube pushed through shotted with solder to self cock and fished it between stop knots. l
I found they ( the larger fish) quickly wised up and used to intercept the bait mid water and not move. It was only when I reverted to standard on the drop light rigs that I worked out what they were doing. I won many of match without the float ever going under.
I had the pleasure of fishing once with Giles for charity and his clear thinking of fishing up in the air was a revelation. He overcame all the bans incidentatlly by using correctly shotted floats but held them out of the water on a tight line!! Genius or what and sadly missed on here.

@JohnH wrote:

Agree entirely that there is little point trying to copy someone else who has any particular method sussed.
Also agree that this method is in fact a bolt rig and that one of the key factors is elastication. This must be matched to the size of fish you are catching and should never be on the heavy side as you will bounce them off the hook.
Giles is an expert at this sort of fishing with caster using sinking floats which he held on tight lines and soft elastic Whiteacres subsequently banned it with the correct shotting rule but many in my view break this rule by having a correctly shotted float BUT then put 3 number 8s on the line between the float and pole tip to keep the line straight to the elastic, (Bolt rig???!!)
I used floats years ago made from a piece of peacock with a slender carbon tube pushed through shotted with solder to self cock and fished it between stop knots. l
I found they ( the larger fish) quickly wised up and used to intercept the bait mid water and not move. It was only when I reverted to standard on the drop light rigs that I worked out what they were doing. I won many of match without the float ever going under.
I had the pleasure of fishing once with Giles for charity and his clear thinking of fishing up in the air was a revelation. He overcame all the bans incidentatlly by using correctly shotted floats but held them out of the water on a tight line!! Genius or what and sadly missed on here.

John I do agree you should fish to your strengths,as far as not copying a method which another angler has sussed I think new ideas need to be tested pleasure fishing rather than wasting your match Ive made that mistake many many times before, but like anything your fishing must evolve If the lads are cleaning up using Jiggers then you have to take em on ?

Rather than copy I think you need to work out what is going on under the water and understand why the method works. Every method can be improved upon if you work at it. That said its not just about the method, we all know some days they rip the rod off the rest, other days doing exactly the same thing you cant get a bite.
Feeding accuracy, and what you feed is as important, we all have to work this out on the day for ourselves..

I see what your saying John but I find when generally when you see several good anglers doing something they have already taken the” working it out bit on board” and benchmarked the best method to fish ? What I mean by this is Ive spent years turning up at a venue where its pellet and like a fool fished meat or watched everyone slaughter me fishing shallowing because I was afraid of embracing shallow fishing because it looked too difficult, Ive wasted alot of years proving things and methods dont work where as if id been more vigillant and watched what people were doing I would have been years ahead in my angling nowadays, just a thought on not copying people from my own personal experiences.

This thread has moved on to something different and very interesting, Ant and John. As a match angler who has never stayed on one venue for very long. I,ve found that fishing my way and ignoring the IN methods and baits has given me more of a chance of winning. Than following the crowd and always playing catch up. I fish to my strengths and i,ve never really over complecated things. IN methods and baits can be beaten and you also have to remember that venues change very qickly. What was IN today is old news and out very soon as the new IN method of bait takes over. The reason why something is the IN method or bait is because someone did something different than the IN method. Everybody follows and it becomes the way eveybody else fishes.

However, there is a lot to be said for learning new methods and new ways of catching fish. Chasing a dominent method or bait on a venue is not a good way to go if your aiming to compete and win on a regular basis in my experience. Those who have the IN method sussed will dominate until the next new IN method or bait comes along. Fare better in my experience to be the angler who works out the something new and then be in front of the game. This is extreamely important on venues that you dont fish on a very regular basis.

While most match anglers look for answers to the IN method or IN bait on a venue and then follow. I,ve found it better to fish to my strengths and ignore the IN way of doing things. Im much more interested in the target fish needed and the weights needed to win on a venue. Then, a plan of attack can be used that takes in to account my strengths and angling skills to beat those who are using the IN methods and baits.

I learnt many years ago in practicing for team events. That it was more important to find out what does not work. Rather than what did work. Then, a plan of attack could be worked out that gave a chance of doing well. No point in fishing the IN method or bait unless you want to come 2nd. 2nd might mean last in the match if every angler in the match is doing similar things and your miles behind in knowing the reasons why the IN method or bait is dominant.

That does not mean that i ignore the new dominant IN methods and baits on a venue. That info is useful because you know that it works. Plans of attack can be worked out so you are not following the IN method or bait. Instead, your attempting to adapt to what works and get yourself in front of those your fishing against by doing it your way.

Wise words TB. I recall years ago bagging up on hemp practicing but in a match it caught me next to nothing. I then read one of Kevin Ashursts early books and he observed exactly the same. Keith Arthur I think published words to the effect that the only thing he learned practicing was how deep it was, basically because in match conditions things change.

In match conditions you have to decide on your approach and prepare accordingly so finding out what does not work (for you) is important in deciding how you are going to fish any given match.
When I say dont slavishly copy I dont mean to try to win by fishing on the deck if everyone else is shallow. I mean work out how they are catching feeding etc and then improve on what they do or practice like crazy until you are at least as good.
Otherwise you are wasting your time.

Back to the Jigger, if I used a float which was self cocking so technically shotted correctly, but, had it running on a slide system between stop knots so I was fishing it on a tight line to the hook and lowering/lifting it gently would this be in accordance with W/A rules?
I think a 6mm pellet would pull line through the float ok, an 8mm pellet certainly would with no shot on the line.

The only way to know is to ask at the fishery. My reading of the rules and from what i know of the aims of the rules at the fishery would suggest that it would be banned but thats just my opinion.

Its not the floating pole or the rattler method. However the jigga set up aims to be a self hooking method for the pole just like the floating pole or rattler methods aims. That would suggest that it would be banned at W/As and many other venues.

Agreed that a correctly shotted float can be used as part of the set-up but is the set-up that much different to the aims of the floating pole or rattler methods or the over shotting method that Giles came up with for W/As that was also banned?

Maybe the fishery needs to add to its rules that only fixed pole rigs can be used. Or, no sliding pole rigs. Until someone either uses the rig openly at the fishery in a match or asks if the rig is ok or banned. We will never know if the rig is allowed or banned.

@John wrote:

Wise words TB. I recall years ago bagging up on hemp practicing but in a match it caught me next to nothing. I then read one of Kevin Ashursts early books and he observed exactly the same. Keith Arthur I think published words to the effect that the only thing he learned practicing was how deep it was, basically because in match conditions things change.

In match conditions you have to decide on your approach and prepare accordingly so finding out what does not work (for you) is important in deciding how you are going to fish any given match.
When I say don’t slavishly copy I don’t mean to try to win by fishing on the deck if everyone else is shallow. I mean work out how they are catching feeding etc and then improve on what they do or practice like crazy until you are at least as good.
Otherwise you are wasting your time.

A bit of a contradiction there John. In one sentence your suggesting that not a lot can be learnt from practicing, and then in another your saying practice like crazy to get up to speed with winning methods. When you watch the videos and read the articles by the likes of Steve Ringer, Will Raison etc they strongly recommend practicing the methods that they are advocating. Like others have said the guys that developed the jigga are brilliant at it (probably very good anglers in general) and they would take some beating on the venues they fish or any venue they tried it on. I don’t think the original thread was about been able to compete with these guys but more to learn about the method and maybe try it and adapt it to suit their own venues. Look at how different methods and tackle innovations have evolved over time, and how we’ve taken them on board and used them to suit our individual styles. Even the top guys will seek information from each other, and to extent copy things they’ve learnt. I say if its good enough for them it should be good enough for us.

Badger, what do you learn from pleasure fishing/practicing? Not very much in my opinion apart from the basics of how to catch fish. Or in some cases. How not to catch fish. As a match angler. You learn almost nothing until your fishing under match conditions when things are very different to practicing/pleasure fishing.

I would suggest that once you get to a certain standard as an angler. The only thing you learn from practicing is that you can bag up on any method or bait. Its more difficult to not catch on almost any method or bait on most venues when practicing/pleasure fishing if you think that you know what your doing. Problem is that under match conditions. You soon find out that you dont know what your doing because things are very different!

Learning new methods at that point can only be practiced properly under match conditions and only on potential match winning pegs if you want to really learn those method and win. Most anglers try new things when they are struggling and not catching very much in bad pegs. Part of the reason why so many anglers follow the IN methods in the first place! So, they struggle and learn very little and often give up on the method before they understand it fully. Those following anglers are always miles behind the anglers who have the IN method sussed. However, the IN methods are generally, just the method that the better anglers fancy using. They make there methods work because they are good quality match anglers who generally know what they are doing. Most anglers who are chasing/copying the IN method on most venues are pools fodder because they never learn the basics of any method fully to a very high standard.

Steve Ringer and Will Raison are advocating practicing the basics of catching fish with different methods and baits and nothing more. While good reading or viewing. Most of those video,s and articules are aimed at novice standad anglers and those anglers who are not yet up to full speed on the basics of the different methods/baits that have helped to catch plenty of fish around the country for many years. As an exampe. One of Will Raisons latest video,s is the method short and down the bank. Something that took Cudmore apart 6/7 years ago. Amazing how much of this winning style of fishing is missed in that video but he has to come up with something interesting and potentially new to many of the viewers or who would want to watch it? If thats how Will Raison fishes that method. Then im thinking he needs to practice a little more, lol.

Point taken Badger but its winter and I am frustrated to be not out there catching!!
I think with practice techniques can be honed but it pre suposes that the anglers you are trying to beat are not themselves improving.
It sounds like the guys who have this method sussed are quite open about how it works and are willing to pass on info which is great as far as I am concerned.
I think its important for everyone to recognise that is not just about the rig and how you present it, with my knowledge of shallow fishing feeding is perhaps the hardest to work out. Somedays its 3 every 8 seconds somedays a pouchfull every 2 minutes, depth is also critical.
Just to close on my bit on practicing, try to land a feeder on a bin lid at 30m consistently because if you can you will catch more fish, if you cant practice until you can.

Looking fwd to trying this when local match conditions are right.
Ant has certainly made some excellent practical floats.

As for all the argument about whether a shotted float is legal? – by that reasoning – then lifting and dropping would also be banned – so only gnomes allowed then?
Indeed that would mean 85% of takes on a shallow rig would therefore have to be ‘ignored’ and shaken off? Even with a long drop for wary fish backing off – you aren’t doing anything actually different in practice surely – split second at most.

All my current pole rigs, both longer silvers and shorter line to tip carp, have 3 shot above the float for a variety of reasons -including keeping a tight line to float – so is back shotting to be therefore deemed ‘illegal’?
The only fishery rules that i’d have thought apply would be that some venues such as W/A insist on a minimum length of line between pole tip and float – or in this case i’d imagine float stop.

Interesting to read that Gary Jubb encouraged this – remember, think over 20 years ago(?) – his article using an overshotted sliding (between a foot if i recall?) small waggler running line method in the now defunct ‘ATPlus’.
never could get that right – though tried more than a few times!

The key point surely is that this jigga float is’nt actually overshotted and cannot be a ‘bolt-rig’ either -since it obviously isn’t fixed.

Anyway looking fwd to a small match in about 2 weeks at a venue where this might be ideal.

@wightangler wrote:

Looking fwd to trying this when local match conditions are right.
Ant has certainly made some excellent practical floats.

As for all the argument about whether a shotted float is legal? – by that reasoning – then lifting and dropping would also be banned – so only gnomes allowed then?
Indeed that would mean 85% of takes on a shallow rig would therefore have to be ‘ignored’ and shaken off? Even with a long drop for wary fish backing off – you aren’t doing anything actually different in practice surely – split second at most.

All my current pole rigs, both longer silvers and shorter line to tip carp, have 3 shot above the float for a variety of reasons -including keeping a tight line to float – so is back shotting to be therefore deemed ‘illegal’?
The only fishery rules that i’d have thought apply would be that some venues such as W/A insist on a minimum length of line between pole tip and float – or in this case i’d imagine float stop.

Interesting to read that Gary Jubb encouraged this – remember, think over 20 years ago(?) – his article using an overshotted sliding (between a foot if i recall?) small waggler running line method in the now defunct ‘ATPlus’.
never could get that right – though tried more than a few times!

The key point surely is that this jigga float is’nt actually overshotted and cannot be a ‘bolt-rig’ either -since it obviously isn’t fixed.

Anyway looking fwd to a small match in about 2 weeks at a venue where this might be ideal.

Thanks for your kind comments Im looking forward to trying my floats too roll on April ! Anthony

Ant, you’ll be wasting your time practicing with em. 😉

just come across these on ebay, original yorkshire jigger floats and ready made jigger rigs, seems to be a good write up. has anbody tried em yet?

took the plunge and bought some off ebay (jigger rigs set up on winders) was not sure how to set these up myself. arrived today and must say well impressed.spoke to chap selling em and he talked me through this method step by step (his no on ebay page) in this day and age what a 5* service 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

tjg, was the ebay page you came across your selling page by any chance? 😮

5 * service, lol

Good try!

Just a thought on the shotting rule, it seems if you are fishing a waggler and have shot on the deck to combat tow you are breaking fishery rules, same on a pole rig. Try policing that one!!
Ditto pellet wag fished on the slide too, is that against W/A rules?
I am very much against the ever increasing list of rules that cannot possibly be monitored properly.

not suprising 🙂 ,it does not work in a garden pond mate, good luck when it warms up.

@tjg wrote:

@Anthonywaters wrote:

Never tried it but I know in principle what it is, Its just like you say an inline float fish it with a bulk and drop your hooklength up and down through your float.

not suprising 🙂 ,it does not work in a garden pond mate, good luck when it warms up.

Dont be suprised, I really am looking forward to trying them- if id have said Id been using them years then id have been talking out my ass !

@tjg wrote:

took the plunge and bought some off ebay (jigger rigs set up on winders) was not sure how to set these up myself. arrived today and must say well impressed.spoke to chap selling em and he talked me through this method step by step (his no on ebay page) in this day and age what a 5* service 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Did you buy these from yourself ? :p

Would appreciate if you could send a message how this works and the best way to set the rig up. many thanks