Page 41 - Lets Make Waves December 2018

Hard hitters will have the jig pull
through their mouth and the stinger
hook will get them. Short strikers
will get the hook immediately when
it strikes at the fast-moving Dia-
mond jig. The front end of the jig
body gets 12-18" of 100#, 49
strand cable for bite-off protection. Crimps and a stealthy 130#
Spro Power Swivel complete the "hardware" changes for both
jig ends. The most important step in the total combination is the
camo treatment on the swivel, leader, stinger wire and the hook.
The object of the camo painting is to make the Diamond jig
body the predator's only target. Not painting the wire and hook
gives a target that includes the visible hook and short strikers
will still miss it.

"Hiding" the wire and stinger gets more hookups. The spray can
colors to use are all by Rust-O-Leum. For blue water, Royal Blue
7727 with a coat of clear matte/American Accents 7902. The
shine is dulled by the clear matte to complete the camo process.
For clear green water, use Green (John Deere) 7435, again
topped off with clear matte. Kill the shine-it's visible, too. The
colors and dulling let these pieces hide in blue or green water
when looked at from the side or back at depths to about 6 to 8
feet. A mono leader may get you hit more often, but you will
also get bit off more often. It's one of those choices that con-
stantly present itself. Cast, then slow your Diamond Jig down added will, at times, get hit when others won't. The glow strips,
before entry, straightening it all out and greatly reducing fouled either four or eight, give a pulsing glow effect that has the look
jig/stinger/leader situations. Burn it back at warp speed after a of a live squid giving off natural bioluminescence flashes; it's a
sink of a foot to ten feet. great strike triggering effect. For the maximum glow effect in the
shortest time, get a detachable flash unit for a 35 mm camera,
The basic Diamond Jig with its hook and split ring modification one with a test button. When charging up your glow tape, be
as well as virtually the same one made by Bead work well on careful that you don't temporarily blind yourself or others. Flash
blackfin tuna and yellowfin tuna when jigging at night. When your glow-in-the-dark strips with it and the glow will be instant,
either tied off to a production platform or drifting in the area of intense and much brighter than can be obtained from sunlight or
one cast to the edge of the light of the rig or the boat. These a light bulb. Using the camera flash unit also gives a glow that
tuna could be anywhere from near the surface to several hun- lasts a lot longer, increasing the depth that they can be fished.
dred feet down. It's a matter of finding what depth they are at Try it. and you won't fish anything that glows without "zapping"
and what speed or jigging motion they want. At whatever depth it..
that is, as your Diamond Jig approaches the surface on the re-
trieve, you must pay serious attention to its depth. You don't When targeting amber jack and grouper specifically, here's a
want to continue your retrieve and launch it through the surface modification that will improve hookups staying that way. The
like a Poseidon missile. Their combination of weight and the treble hook that comes on 6 and 8 oz. Diamond jigs work well
hook could spell disaster should it hit you or one of your fellow most of the time; for additional reliability and hook holding
fishermen. power with these notorious head shakers I've been making sev-
eral modifications to them for five years or so. Replacing the
The weight of the Diamond Jig is best kept in the four to six treble with a circle hook with curly tail ups the hook holding
ounce range unless the current dictates a heavier one. I guaran- power; the visual and vibrational attraction goes in the same di-
tee that an eight to ten ounce works you ten times harder than a rection with the added curly tail. In order to use circle hooks on
four ounce does. When jigging around deep-water structure, these Diamond jigs, a stainless-steel split ring must be used~ the
many strikes will come while the Diamond Jig is on the sink. If best I've found are by Rosco. The ring must be size 9-10 so that
you feel any slight "tick" or slack, wind tight and set the hook the hook eye and jig eye will go through without distorting it
before your tuna drops it in about two heartbeats. Diamond Jigs when the split ring is wound into position.
with a glow finish or chrome ones with self-adhesive glow strips

Waves Magazine | December 2018 Issue | 41