Vertical & Speed Jigging Charters in Miami

Purists have always said the ultimate challenge is to catch a fish on a bare jig dressed with nothing more than feathers or a plastic tail. Others tip their jigs with a strip of bait to add a scent trail, and a jig-and-ballyhoo combination is another productive rig that catches just about everything.

Today, vertical jigging is by far the most popular style. New innovations have made it one of the most entertaining ways to hoist fish up from the deep on Miami wreck trips. What sets it apart is that the rods, reels, lines, and lures all have to be synchronized to work right. Super braided lines and high-speed reels have taken the technique to a new level. Jigs come in many weights, shapes, and colors, and special dancing hooks tied on with a short piece of braid give the lure maximum movement that game fish cannot resist.

The catch list is almost too long to name. On a jigging trip you might hook tuna, kingfish, wahoo, snapper, grouper, bonito, barracuda, and amberjack. It is tough to drop a jig into a fishy area and not get bit. Experienced anglers learn which lures to fish and how to target certain species while dodging the unwanted ones.

Vertical jigging is not for everyone. Capt. Orly likes to call it full-contact fishing. It takes some stamina and coordination, since the jig has to stay in constant motion and there is very little downtime. Serious jiggers often wear gloves to keep from blistering the hand they use to work the reel.

Here in South Florida, most jigging is done over the artificial reefs we call wrecks, where many of the target species live, including the heavy concentration off Key Biscayne and Miami Beach. Capt. Orly runs to a set of numbers, positions the boat up-current of the structure, and lets the boat drift back over the strike zone while you jig your tail off. We repeat that drift again and again through the day, and on occasion work even deeper structure for tilefish and warsaw grouper. From our home slip in Coconut Grove it is a quick run to the wrecks, and beginners are welcome to learn the rhythm.