Jigs
A jig is a type of lure that is snapped up and down through the water to mimic bait for fish. It consists of a sinker with one or more hooks on it. It can be colorful or covered with soft feathery materials.
Rod
A long, lightweight rod is best for jig fishing for steelhead. It needs to be light enough to feel the lightweight jig in the water yet long enough to cast far enough into large rivers where steelhead hang out.
Reel
You should use a large reel with lots of line on it so that you can cast long easy casts and continue moving your jig along easily.
Technique
One main important rule with jigging is to keep your bait near the bottom, although you can do this in shallow water or deep water and still catch fish. Another is the movement. It takes practice to play your jig in a lifelike way, but the fish will wait until you get it right.
Water Conditions
Jigs do the best in clear water and on moderately sized rivers. A lot of times, this is water that you can’t fish in easily using the drift method of fishing. You should be able to sneak up on steelhead with jigs because you can place a bobber on the line and float the jig above the fish, letting you sneak up on it and surprise it.
