I get asked this all the time. I wish I could tell you there’s one best colour jig, but there’s no magic colour that works better than others without taking other factors into consideration.
My answer to this question always goes like this: “You should have at least three contrasting colours.” By having multiple contrasting colours, you’ll be better prepared for the day. It’s heavily dependent on the conditions you’re fishing in. One colour might work well early in the morning when there’s little light and calm waters, but that same colour might not work during the day when the sun is high. Imagine you’re fishing side by side with your mate. He’s catching a lot of fish on a green jig, but you’re not getting any bites on your silver one. If you only have one colour, you’ll be stuck with it all day, and you might not be productive at all. And that’s why you should have some other options, i.e., other colours that you can try instead.
The same goes for shapes, weights, and, importantly, your techniques to work the jig. You should have multiple shapes, multiple weights, and use a variety of actions. Try different combinations throughout the day and find the best combination for that time.
So, yeah, the more options you have, the better prepared you’ll be for different conditions, but hey, go easy on your wallet at the same time. I think having three contrasting colours is a good start.
For SPJ (Slow Pitch Jigging) specifically:
- COLOURS: Choose three contrasting colours. For example, 1x natural colour, 1x glow colour, and 1x of your choice.
- WEIGHTS: The rule of thumb for SPJ is usually three times the depth. So, if you’re fishing in 30m, 3×30=90, so 90g minimum. For 50m, 3×50=150, so 150g minimum. This is the minimum weight we start with. You need to make sure the line is vertical, which is the best position to work the jig. If the line is pushed away by the current, go heavier.
- SHAPES: Long Contact jigs for slow pitch and high pitch actions work well in strong currents. Hybrid Contact jigs are great for darting actions (squid imitation), and Roven jigs are ideal for slow days or inactive times.
- ACTIONS: Vary how much you lift, how fast you lift, how long you pause, how long you let it fall, etc. You’ll notice how one combination of these actions can be more effective than others and help you catch more fish!
And for purists/enthusiasts, you should also have multiple options of hooks, lines, reels, and rods, etc., but we’ll dive into these in a future post.
FYI: if you’re eager to sharpen your jigging skills, we’re also offering an exclusive Jigging Masterclass. It’s a full-day trip for just 4 people, focused on mastering different jigging styles. Details here: https://tfiadventures.co.nz/trip/exclusive-jigging-masterclass-with-ocean-legacy/
Totally agree, having variety is key and having different anglers use different colours and styles of jigs to find out what is working well at that particular time is a good strategy too. My favourites would be the Long Contact in Sardine, Blue, and Silver, and when I use the hybrid contact the Rainbow and the Red has done well for me. Still early days on the Roven but that Burnt Orange has caught some great Kingfish already.
I like to rotate through colors until the fish bite. In Wellington I’ve found the 90 gram sardine to be the most effective.
Ive found silver, aqua rainbow and pink most consistent.
However having a variety to use is key.
As with fresh water fishing I find the dark colours more effective in discoloured water and bright colours in clear.
Tightlines
I seem to be catching most with pink lumo in around 150-300m. All sorts of fish ranging from kingfish, gemfish, golden snapper & tarakihi. Mostly on 400gr and changing my jigging style every 5min. Lot’s of slow pitch straight above the bottom. Found it works best with at least 2 jigging fishos, seems to agitate fish more to commit for a bite.
I’ve found the green and orange long contact along with the rainbow hybrid to be very consistent in Wellington waters, but I’ve also broadened that to gold base jig colours. I’m also starting to think that whatever colour the fisherperson turns to when fishing gets tough is the one that works best—not necessarily because of the colour choice, but because of the effort put into working the jig and the switching of styles to entice a bite.
Rainbow, Sardine and Blue Purple have been working very consistently for me in both heavier and lighter jigs. Regarding the shape, I meanly use Long Contact as the current is often strong here in Wellington and I want to get to the bottom fairly quickly.
I target kingfish 99% of the time and green and yellow always my go to when I start, then I change depending on the bait fish im jigging over, if its jack mac the green an yellow is awesome, if its pink moa moa ill change to pink, if I have koheru then either blue or green and yellow.
But the green and yellow is the best colour in my opinion as an all round colour