Hi, I’m Matt, also known as French Adrift.
Since 2021, I’ve been fishing from my Sea-Doo Fish Pro, racking up close to 200 hours on it. It’s been a learning journey, adapting my gear and techniques to make the most fishing of this awesome machine.
The Sea-Doo Fish Pro can go over 150 km on a single tank, allowing us to explore far offshore, opening up countless possibilities. Living in Wellington is a blessing because we have access to varying depths not too far from shore. The west coast offers beautiful flat sandy bottom at 50-60m deep just 3km offshore, while the south coast drops to 300m about 10km out. There are also reefs like Hunters Bank and islands like Kapiti and Mana, offering very diverse fishing opportunities. Ocean’s Legacy provides us with a wide range of rods and jigs suited for all these conditions.
Like most of us, I started fishing with bait on my old boat, but I never liked the mess and the smell. I then bought a couple of slow jigs or so called “kaburas” and realised how effective jigs can be. When I got the jet-ski, it was clear to me that bait was not an option, I wanted to learn to fish with jigs only. Kaburas are great, but I wanted something more active, something that would require a bit more technique than just winding up slowly a slow jig.
After discovering FishoDavo on YouTube, he kindly introduced me to Slow Pitch Jigs. I purchased a few OL Long Contact weighing 170g and 210g and drifted in the Kapiti channel without really knowing what I was doing. Straight away, it blew my mind. Despite not having perfect technique, they were catching fish—a lot of fish. Furthermore, the hook-ups were something I had never experienced before.
Mimicking wounded baitfish, the jigs lure the fish to strike aggressively, which produces incredible hookup sensations. That was it, I was also hooked!
I’ve been fortunate to learn from great anglers like FishoDavo, Ocean OutKast, and Kaz, diving into the Art of Slow Pitch Jigging. Learning all the bells and whistles, all the different techniques of this art is fascinating. I had to slowly build up my arsenal, upgrading rods and reels one at a time.
I now take four rods at all times for versatility, targeting snapper, kingfish, and everything in between, and occasionally, head out wide for deep drops if conditions allow.
Here are my setups and some videos to see them in action!
Super Light Jigging
- Rod: Ocean’s Legacy Elementus PE 2.0 Spin
- Reel: Shimano Vanquish 4000
- Braid / Leader: 20lbs / 30lbs (Fluorocarbon)
- Video: Watch here
SLJ is my favourite setup when the drift is pretty slow. It allows me to cover more ground even when the jetski is not moving a lot. I use a 70-90g Mini Long Contact jig, casting into the drift. After it hits bottom, I will do the half-wind retrieve technique torwards the jetski. It’s been a killer setup for me, even in winter!
Slow Pitch Jigging
- Rod: Ocean’s Legacy Elementus PE 2.0 Overhead
- Reel: Daiwa Saltist 15s
- Braid / Leader: 30lbs / 40lbs (Fluorocarbon)
- Video: Watch here
I prefer this setup with 130-210g jigs when the drift is moderate (2-4km/h). After the jig touches the bottom, I let it sit briefly, then do a long fall, followed by a few half-winds, and another long fall to the bottom.
Mechanical Jigging
- Rod: Ocean’s Legacy Vengeance PE 6.0
- Reel: Shimano Ocea Jigger 4000
- Braid / Leader: 80lbs / 150lbs (mono)
- Video: Watch here
Here, I target kingfish with fast retrieval and slack line at the top of each wind.
I have tried many different jigging rods and the OL Vengeance PE 6.0 is my go-to for 200-300g jigs, providing the best action. I am able to get a good flick and slack in my line without too much effort, allowing me to jig comfortably for longer periods.
Deep Drop / High Pitch Jigging
- Rod: Ocean’s Legacy Deep Elementus PE 5.0
- Reel: Ocean Jigger 4000
- Braid / Leader: PE 3.0 / 100lbs
- Video: Watch here
In Wellington, we’re lucky to have deep grounds close by. This setup is essential for deep drop jigging, especially for big pukas in the trench. But not only that, when I’m too tired for mechanical jigging, I will switch to high pitching for kingfish.
Check out how I recently got busted here!
You can also find a video of all of these setups here.
All right, rods and reels are cool, but what about the jigs?
Well, the front hatch of the Sea-Doo Fish Pro is pretty big, but once you have put in all the safety gear, there isn’t that much space left. Storing all my fishing gear efficiently is crucial.
The OL Jig pouch fits perfectly in the front hatch, holding jigs ranging from 30gr to 720gr along with other essentials like split rings and hooks, keeping everything organized and secure. One important note is to make sure the jig pouch sits flat in the hatch, to avoid damaging it with the heavier jigs when the jet-ski is bouncing around in rough conditions.
Check out the pouch here, with a bit of humour.
Fishing from my jet-ski has been incredibly rewarding. With my 4 Ocean’s Legacy setups, I can target nearly all the common fish species in New Zealand. Despite jet-skis sometimes getting a bad rap among boaters, they’ve proven to be excellent fishing platforms. As ex-boat owner and ex-kayaker myself, I think respect for everyone on the water, regardless of the vessel, is extremely important. You will always catch me waving to boaties or checking on a kayaker to ensure they’re doing alright.
At the end of the day, we are all out there, appreciating our beautiful Aotearoa and our stunning fisheries.
Here’s to tight lines and happy fishing for everyone!
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