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Video Details:
Season 3 - Episode 8. Open Water. Walleye. James Holst & Jason Halfen demonstrate the shallow water jig dragging technique and put some fantastic walleyes in the boat !
Category:
IDO TV - Season 3
Times Viewed: 10833
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Comments:
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Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | (show all)
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eatsleepfish
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Nice show once again.  Dragging leaches is one of the best and funnest ways to fish the river. What pool on the Mississippi were you fishing? I spend most of my spring, summer, and winter fishing on pool 4. I would fish it during the fall, but I have to save some time to hunt deer. 
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trumar
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Great show James and Jason as usuall Gotta love those new Dragon Jigs 
If I am not mistaken there were on the upper end of pool 4
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"When it comes to family-Sometimes it not all about fishing" ~Trumar 2009
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Jason Halfen
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Thanks for the feedback guys.
If you're new to dragging jigs, IDO has another resource for you: this article I wrote a couple of years ago, describing the technique and its applicaiton in either summer or winter months.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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johnksully
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What action rods do you prefer for draggin jigs and what lengths?
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Jason Halfen
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James and I were using two different length rods.
Off the front of the boat, James was using St Croix TWS76MLF's. These are medium light power, fast action rods.
Off the back of the boat, I was using St Croix TWS68MXF's. These are medium power, extra fast action rods.
The different lengths are key to getting a good spread of baits behind the boat and minimizing tangles.
If I fish by myself out of the bow, I tend toward the longer 7'6" rods, which help to keep baits far off to the sides and reduce instances of the line getting tangled up with gear in the rear of the boat (cleats, light pole, motors, etc) during gentle turns.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Bob Bowman
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Great show guys
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Bob Bowman - Loan Officer
City - County Federal Credit Union
"Get the lowest possible rate on your boat, ATV or vehicle!"
" Hey.....I'll take some of that"
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moreyes
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Great show
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Most of my money is spent on fishing, fishing tackle and boats, the rest is wasted......Thanks Kirt Hedquist
NPAA 292 <'((^)){
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plungepool
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Great show guys 
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backtroller1
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dragging jigs never gets old, gotta love the doubles.
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WHITE TIP
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Great show gentlemen! This video along with Jasons draggin techniques article,will definately be an aid in a persons arsenal. Now this really makes me want to get the boat out.  After a near 40 deg. day & the last day of Jan. I can hardly stand it! Thinking another month before the weather takes a good turn for the better & the boat comes out. Thanks again for letting us all see it here on the best online fishing forums anywhere! 
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moreyes
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Holy smokes you read my mind, just going to watch on the web and what do you know it pops up on the TV 
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Most of my money is spent on fishing, fishing tackle and boats, the rest is wasted......Thanks Kirt Hedquist
NPAA 292 <'((^)){
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KwikStik
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Great show!
Are you able to drag upstream with those light jigs, or just downstream?
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James Holst
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Quote:
What pool on the Mississippi were you fishing?
We were indeed on pool 4 near Red Wing. We launched right from Everts Resort... the jig draggin center of the fishing universe. And I'd bet my hat that we're all about set to start hearing about some great draggin' catches coming from that general area. Seems like the draggin bite slowly picks up momentum through february and by the time march hits the dragging bite is in full swing.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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James Holst
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Quote:
dragging jigs never gets old, gotta love the doubles.
Particularly when a guy guesses right and hands off the smaller fish to his buddy. 
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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walleyewacker18
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Nice show guys. Looked like a lot of fun.
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Steve Krapfl
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Another wonderful lunch break. Could you guys just put out a new show everyday around 1230? That would be GREAT!! No, seriously, that was some sweet action. Congrats!
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cedarcreek
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Great stuff guys keep up the good work.
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Redneck
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James, I can remember not that long ago when it was just a few boats dodging the vertical jiggers as we dragged bait. After watching that show I'm sure a few people are going "AHHHHH, that's what they were doing!!!". I'm guessing it will get much more popular this year I have to compliment your cameraman and editing crew, you guys do a good job of disguising your exact location on the river. A few of those snags did look very familar to me though
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btomlin
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Great Show!!!
When and what types of structure could this presentation be utilized in a reservoir??? Would you use on points and humps or along shorelines?? What speed range & depths are often most productive?
thanks.
Edited by btomlin (02/02/09 01:27 PM)
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fishingdad
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Really good show. I've been watching for a while and finally decided to logon and post. How much ccurrent were you guys dealing with and what about depth? Keep those shows coming.
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Jason Halfen
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Quote:
How much ccurrent were you guys dealing with and what about depth?
How much current? I don't recall exactly, but typically I look for relatively gentle flow....0.5-0.7 mph, and then pull downstream slightly faster than the current...0.7-0.9 mph.
Depths...we caught fish all the way from 3-4 feet down to 16-18 feet. In some areas that we fished, the maximum depth was 10-12 feet, so a "deep" fish there would be at the same depth as a more "shallow" fish elsewhere.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Jason Halfen
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Quote:
When and what types of structure could this presentation be utilized in a reservoir??? Would you use on points and humps or along shorelines?? What speed range & depths are often most productive?
I drag jigs in my local reservoir, Lake Wissota, all the time. I drag a bunch in the rivers that feed the reservoir, and also in the main body of the reservoir.....main lake points, shallow rock or sand bars...the types of places that a person might rig with livebait.
I am reminded of a quote that is attributed to Al Lindner: "A rig is a jig, and a jig is a rig." Both are good ways of presenting live bait in still water. Both have their strengths. I prefer to jig (drag) because I have a direct connection to my bait, without an intervening slip sinker, swivel, and leader. A "funny feeling" on the jig comes from one thing...a fish. The same funny feeling when rigging can come from a fish...or a pair of rocks that the sinker is wedged between, or a soft spot on the bottom than the sinker has found, etc.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Mp3
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You must have a real talent for not hanging up on timber while dragging. Very informative show.
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Jason Halfen
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It's not any special talent on a personal level. The Draggin Jig, with its specially designed weedguard and ultra-thin profile head, does 90% of the work (or more!).
I snapped off plenty of jigs while we were filming that show. Only one of those jigs was a Draggin Jig. The rest were the standard Precision Head, that I tended to use in areas I thought were relatively snag free. Well, "snag free" does not mean "absolutely no snags". When an exposed hookpoint finds a piece of lumber, there's not a guy can do but get ready to retie.
The B-Fish-N tackle Draggin Jigs are absolutely perfect for dragging those big walleyes out of heavy cover.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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btomlin
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Quote:
I drag jigs in my local reservoir, Lake Wissota, all the time. I drag a bunch in the rivers that feed the reservoir, and also in the main body of the reservoir.....main lake points, shallow rock or sand bars...the types of places that a person might rig with livebait.
I am reminded of a quote that is attributed to Al Lindner: "A rig is a jig, and a jig is a rig." Both are good ways of presenting live bait in still water. Both have their strengths. I prefer to jig (drag) because I have a direct connection to my bait, without an intervening slip sinker, swivel, and leader. A "funny feeling" on the jig comes from one thing...a fish. The same funny feeling when rigging can come from a fish...or a pair of rocks that the sinker is wedged between, or a soft spot on the bottom than the sinker has found, etc.
Do you "drag" as in drag behind boat occasionally reconnecting with bottom(1' or less off bottom) or actually drag it on bottom??
Sorry....this would fit into my reservior nicely so I'm wanting ALL the info!
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Chris Granrud
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Great show James and Jason!!
That is putting the hammer down on the big walleyes in the heat of summer right there!! Tip of the hat to the Draggin jigs there!! I bet you boys didn't want to get off the water that day!! What a great show and great technique!! I bet that would work well here on the Rainy River at times also!! Awesome boys!! Boy does that Skeeter look sweet!! I've been kicking around a Skeeter for the next "Daze Casket" How big are the livewells?? 
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Chris Granrud - RainyDaze Guide Service
World-Class Walleye, Crappie, Pike & Smallmouth Bass Fishing!
Visit RainyDaze Guide Service to book your next adventure!
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Jason Halfen
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No, don't contact the bottom while dragging. If you drop the tip back, you should be able to find bottom again, but you defintely don't want constant bottom contact.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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btomlin
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Thanks...that's what I figured, but wanted to make sure. Now all I need is some draggin' jigs. they'll be on the way soon!
Now I'll need to figure out the best color for a stained water Iowa Reservior....maybe all of them!
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James Holst
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Quote:
You must have a real talent for not hanging up on timber while dragging. Very informative show.
I wish.
http://www.bfishntackle.com/draggin_jigs.html
The truth is we have access to a very good jig that does most of that work for us. If you fish in timber, rocks or other nasty / snaggy junk the draggin' jigs does a great job of making it through the cover without sacrificing a significant portion of your hooking percentage.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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James Holst
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Quote:
Thanks...that's what I figured, but wanted to make sure. Now all I need is some draggin' jigs. they'll be on the way soon!
Now I'll need to figure out the best color for a stained water Iowa Reservior....maybe all of them!
Orange or sour apple would be the two top choices based on what I see on the B FISH N Tackle website but rumor has it that B FISH N Tackle is also coming out with a gold plate draggin' jig. And that one should be deadly in stained water too.
If I remember to do so I'll give BFT an email tomorrow and find out when or if that gold plate draggin' jig is going to be available.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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James Holst
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Quote:
Great show!
Are you able to drag upstream with those light jigs, or just downstream?
Super question.
When fishing mono you're going to want to go downstream. When we fish light heads going upstream we switch to 1 or 2 lb diameter braid and get in the shallows and do a ultra-slow upstream crawl with those little jigs, often tipped with ringworms, work slowly behind the boat.
But that's a different variation of this technique that would should likely cover with another show.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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djp1
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Awesome show, definitely helped take the chill out of winter for me!
It looked like you were trolling downsteam with your electic, how are you keeping a 1/16 oz jig anywhere near the bottom when you're clipping along like that? Especially if your fishing in depths of 15' at times??
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btomlin
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What Hi-viz mono were you using?? It didn't seem to bother the fish at all??
P.S. sounded like the cats like the presentation also!
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James Holst
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Quote:
Awesome show, definitely helped take the chill out of winter for me!
It looked like you were trolling downsteam with your electic, how are you keeping a 1/16 oz jig anywhere near the bottom when you're clipping along like that? Especially if your fishing in depths of 15' at times??
With good boat control you can actually fish a 1/16 oz. jig a lot deeper than that.
But to answer your question... the speed of the boat is relative to the speed of the current and we were never going any faster than one or two tenths of a mile an hour faster than current speed. At those speeds fishing a 1/16th ounce jig in 15 foot of water comes down to controlling the boat speed.... and having the right amount of line out to allow that jig to dance a few inches above bottom. It takes a little practice but it really isn't all that hard to get a feel for the technique. And once you do it can be very productive. I'd recommend adding the technique to your arsenal.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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James Holst
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Quote:
What Hi-viz mono were you using?? It didn't seem to bother the fish at all??
P.S. sounded like the cats like the presentation also!
6 lb Suffix Elite in Hi-Vis yellow. And the fish on the river never seem to give the hi-vis line a second thought.
As for the cats... oh, yeah! And sheepers too.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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drewsdad
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Great show James and Jason! I gotta give that a try this next summer. I have a tendency to get to one dimensional and mid summer I'm tossing cranks or trolling cranks. And I will have to also get over my aversion to having live bait in the boat. I can't wait to get into those summer 'eyes! 
dd
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Larry Haugh
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Ben Garver
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Quote:
When and what types of structure could this presentation be utilized in a reservoir?
I have done a little dragging in Reservoirs her in Nebraska. One of my favorite lakes for slip bobber fishing has got some areas that are full of fallen timber. Until I owned the BFishN dragging jigs all I could do was slip bobber these areas. Now I can cover a lot more water and know that snagging up in that timber is greatly reduced with these jigs. One thing I like to do while using crawlers is put a little puff of air in the very end of the crawler. This helps keep the rig gliding over the timber nicely. Some days air is the ticket and others it needs to drop down inbetween the timber more.
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Ben Garver
Bass Pro Shops Pro Staff
Nebraska Walleye Guide Service - Guiding available on all Nebraska waters.
www.nebraskawalleyeguide.com
Call 402-890-3057
I say we work 2 days and fish 5!!!
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Kooty
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I know some flats on Oahe that this presentation would be killer!! I've got them before vertical jigging crawlers/leeches in the trees, but you lose a lot of jigs and fish.
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I was born in the 70's, grew up in 80's, made my mistakes in 90's now I'm just trying to make up for lost time.
John
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Ben Garver
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Quote:
I know some flats on Oahe that this presentation would be killer!! I've got them before vertical jigging crawlers/leeches in the trees, but you lose a lot of jigs and fish.
It would work good up there too Kooty. Sure would beat loosing $7 cranks while trolling those timbered areas.  We used bottom bounces in a few area like that last year outside of Mobridge. I should have tried the dragging jigs too.
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Ben Garver
Bass Pro Shops Pro Staff
Nebraska Walleye Guide Service - Guiding available on all Nebraska waters.
www.nebraskawalleyeguide.com
Call 402-890-3057
I say we work 2 days and fish 5!!!
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Jack Naylor
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Great Show, James and Jason,
Looks like I finally have my video problems solved, and I have SO MANY videos to catch up on.
thanks again,
Jack
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USA- Home of the Free, Because of the Brave !!
Blue Max Taxidermy 30 Years Experience
Click here to View Recent Mounts
Aspire To Inspire, Before You Expire www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacknaylor
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Xpressman00
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What brand/model and series of reels are you guys running on those particular rods? And if you don't mind saying, how do you like them?
I'm a Diawa spinning reel guy but have been toying with mixing it up a bit.
Thanks,
Dave
Great show as always!
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Dave Deutsch
2003 Xpress 1650VJ - 2003 Mercury 25 horse 4 Stroke
Edited by Xpressman00 (02/05/09 10:40 AM)
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Jason Halfen
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James, what were you running?
My collection of spinning reels is primarily Shimano Symetre 2500s. I am phasing them out and replacing with Pflueger Presidents, but that transition is going to take a few years to accomplish.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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James Holst
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Pflueger Supremes and Shimano Sedona 2500's for me. Both are good reels although I would give the edge in quality at a price point to the Sedonas. The Pflueger Presidents are NICE reels but a little outside my budget right now.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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Tony P
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Hi James. What speed are you dragging your jigs at? Do you drag them at the speeds you would a ring worm in the spring?
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James Holst
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Quote:
Hi James. What speed are you dragging your jigs at? Do you drag them at the speeds you would a ring worm in the spring?
Typically speeds in the summer are 0.8 - 1.3 MPH. In the winter it is common to be fishing areas that require a slower presentation. For winter draggin we rarely go faster than 1.1 MPH with typical speeds in the 0.7 - 0.9 mph being the most common.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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Tony P
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Thanks
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James Holst
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Quote:
If I remember to do so I'll give BFT an email tomorrow and find out when or if that gold plate draggin' jig is going to be available.
Here's the FYI follow-up on the gold plate Draggin Jigs... they do indeed have the new gold plate Draggin' Jigs in stock. These aren't gold paint. They're the 24K gold plate like the B3 Blade Baits so they'll be super sharp looking and work well in stained waters on the river, Rainy or LOTW. Bob says if someone wants some gold draggin' jigs, just give him a call. Or he'll let everyone know when they are available through his website. That should happen some time early next week.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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gjswalleyes
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Great Show.
I learn alot from watching your show.
Thank You
gjswalleyes
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Ben Leal
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Great show!!..Can't wait to use that technique on the local lakes and rivers here in central Iowa. I've lost a ton of regular jig heads fishing from the shore below the spillways, seems like the draggin jig would do the trick and keep me spending more time catching fish than rigging up again. Now I've got open water fish fever... 
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There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot. ~Steven Wright
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gjswalleyes
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Another great show.
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bhs91
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Great show fellas! What type of line are you guys using?
Thanks,
BHS
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Jason Halfen
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I was running Sufix elite 8 lb hi-vis. I think James was running 6 lb.
I've been experimenting with the new Cortland product that Dean at Everts is carrying. It is made by the same process that Cortland uses to make their trout fishing tippet material, resulting in a very high quality line with is very consistent from spool to spool, and within an individual spool as well. It has been working GREAT for me for dragging, pitching and vertical jigging, even in very low temps (teens and 20s).
The Cortland line is on the bottom reel in the photo below. I'm in the process of transitioning all of my jig stick reels to this product. Give it a whirl on your next trip!
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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jd318
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Great, informative show. I've seen you guys talking about this technique on the forum and I read the article by Jason, but to see the technique is very helpful.
Question: Do you just drag with live bait or can you use plastic baits? If plastic, what products have you used? I will be placing another order with B fish N Tackle to get some draggin jigs. I just as well get the right plastics too.
JD
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Jason Halfen
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Quote:
Question: Do you just drag with live bait or can you use plastic baits? If plastic, what products have you used?
Plastics? Goodness, yes.
Once the water temps get into the mid 40s, I drag a bunch of plactic. Ringworms from B-Fish-N tackle are a favorite. Paddletails get a workout as well,particularly in the fall to early winter. Once the really cold stuff sets in, and the water starts to clear up....it's primarily ringworm time.
Tough daytime winter bites for me are often solved by dragging minnows on plain jigheads. But once the sun hits the treetops...to the shallows I go to drag ringies along the rocks.
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Glenn D
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James & Jason just an awsome awsome show !!! I can keep watching it and watching it. Great job guys.
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Ripjigger
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Jason or James,
What tips can you offer for trying this on inland lakes without current? Shore breaks, shallow weed lines, etc? Stick to mono and light jigs????
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Jason Halfen
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Quote:
Jason or James,
What tips can you offer for trying this on inland lakes without current? Shore breaks, shallow weed lines, etc? Stick to mono and light jigs????
I drag all the time on lakes. I focus on edges of rock or sand bars, shallow flats, and weed edges (inside or outside). I use the same tackle that I use in current...mono, 1/16 to 1/8 jigs (for working deeper edges), long rods with x-fast action. I tend to start dragging between 0.5 and 0.7 mph on lakes....with all of the forward momentum supplied by my MinnKota bowmount.
Dragging on lakes is a great technique for walleyes, and we get scads of bass, crappies, perch, and pike dragging as well. Give it a whirl this season and let us know how it goes!
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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In-depth Webstaff
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For those that have shown incredible interest in this Jig Draggin' technique James & Jason have put together an instructional Jig Draggin' DVD that covers all the ins and outs of the technique. The TV show was a great teaser but due to time constraints the guys were unable to cover much of the details on how to put this technique to use on your favorite body of water.
http://www.idofishing.com/gear/jig-dragging-dvd/
The reviews have been EXCELLENT and since the release anglers have been using the information to catch more and bigger fish!
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whittsend
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Guys -
Great TV show and DVD! Both are very well done indeed.
Do you guys generally find a consistant bite most of the summer, or do you find periods when the bite might predictably pick up or drop off due to various factors/conditions?
Example - after heavy rains, open gates on the dam, increased water flow... Cold front/storm/heat wave weather patterns... Wind patterns/direction/conistancy or lack thereof... Water temps/air temps/time of year..
Another way to ask the same question... If you could dictate the perfect conditions that would provide the hottest summer bite, what would they be? How about conditions for the worst bite?
Thanks! -- and again, very well done videos....
Mike
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Do what you want. This is only an opinion. I'm not here to offer advice or recommendations in any professional capacity whatsoever.
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fish bite my hook
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James Holst
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Quote:
Guys -
Great TV show and DVD! Both are very well done indeed.
Do you guys generally find a consistant bite most of the summer, or do you find periods when the bite might predictably pick up or drop off due to various factors/conditions?
Example - after heavy rains, open gates on the dam, increased water flow... Cold front/storm/heat wave weather patterns... Wind patterns/direction/conistancy or lack thereof... Water temps/air temps/time of year..
Another way to ask the same question... If you could dictate the perfect conditions that would provide the hottest summer bite, what would they be? How about conditions for the worst bite?
Thanks! -- and again, very well done videos....
Mike
Hey Mike
Obviously I overlooked your questions as I just found your post.
The best time for a draggin bite is when the water levels are slightly higher than normal for a given time of year with a south or upstream wind. The WORST time of year for draggin is during very high water with a north wind. Kinda’ hard to drag up in the trees if you know what I mean. From Mid-March through the spawn and then again from mid-may through July would be my top times of year to drag.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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James Holst
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Quote:
great show guys!
Glad you liked it. Make sure you give draggin’ jigs a try this year.
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James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host
IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
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