PITCH THE TWITCH

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Here’s the author’s buddy Dave Stumpf getting it done on the Egegik River with a twitching jig. Stumpf, like many anglers, has great success twitching jigs for coho. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

TWITCHING 301 ADVANCED JIG TACTICS FOR ALASKA COHO SHARED BY 2 GUIDES, EXPERT ANGLER

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Recently, some buddies and I hammered the coho on spinners; then the bite stopped.

Coho are notorious for going off the bite when they get tired of seeing the same presentation over and over. So I tied on a twitching jig and the bite resumed. In five casts I landed five silvers and my buddies begged me for jigs to twitch.

On another trip my buddy Dave Stumpf and I did well twitching jigs for coho in multiple rivers throughout Southwest Alaska.

“I like using Get’m Dry jigs due to

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salmon and fresh herbs. Before you head to the grocery store, look in your garden – or your neighbor’s – for some recipe inspiration.

No one will argue that fresh salmon is not delicious on its own with just a dash of salt and pepper. But why not fancy it up a bit with some herbs fresh from the garden? This recipe works with just about any fresh herb combination that you can dream up.

Fresh tarragon, cilantro, lemon balm or even mint can change things up. Sticking to two or three herbs will keep the flavor profile simple, but there are no rules. Keep in mind that stronger herbs – rosemary, sage and thyme – can be a bit overpowering; that is why the fish in this recipe is cooked on top of the rosemary sprigs.

Whether on the grill (indirect heat), in a foil pouch, on an alder plank, or in the oven, this fish cooks quickly and the herbs retain their fresh flavor. The herb mixture can be prepared ahead of time, keep refrigerated until ready to use. FRESH HERB SALMON One fillet salmon 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped capers* 1 tablespoon orange juice 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives 1 teaspoon orange zest 3 sprigs fresh rosemary Preheat grill or oven to 350 degrees. Cut salmon to desired serving portions. For best results, leave skin on salmon. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, capers, orange Tiany Haugen loves to collect fresh herbs from the garden to season rush. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

GARDEN PARTY FISH FEED

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

August in Alaska means fresh

salmon fillets and create a flavor juice, parsley, basil, chives, and orange zest until thoroughly combined.

Place rosemary sprigs on grill, foil, prepared wood plank, or baking sheet, and then place salmon skin side down over rosemary sprigs. Cover each serving of salmon with a liberal amount of herb mixture. Cook salmon to desired doneness for 10 to 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees. Garnish with additional herbs if desired.

*Diced green olives or dill pickles can be substituted for the capers.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, C o o k i n g Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

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their bullet heads and unique design,” shares Stumpf. “I’m also a big fan of BnR Tackle’s twitching jigs, as the rubber tentacles create a lot of movement in the water, and their colors really stand out. The purpose of twitching jigs is to cover as much of the water column as you can. Just cast it out there, start with a slow retrieve, then lift and quickly drop the rod tip, reeling the entire time.”

Stumpf is great at instantly dropping the rod tip while he continues to reel. The quick-dropping action almost appears as if he’s throwing the rod tip down toward the water. This action allows the jig to sink fast, and that’s when most strikes come while twitching jigs on the fall.

During the lifting of the rod, a steady reeling action is made. When the rod quickly drops, the reeling continues. The purpose of the continual reeling is to pick up the slack and keep the jig off the bottom, for when the jig drops is when the bite usually comes and you don’t want loose line at any point.

“It’s a pretty basic technique, really,” says Stumpf, who guides anglers in Alaska during the summer and early fall. “It’s always surprising to me to see so many good anglers come to Alaska who have never twitched jigs before. A lot of them are great fishermen, but I think they get in their groove of fishing certain ways back home, and when they come up here they see how effective twitching – along with several other techniques – can be.”

SWITCH TO THE TWITCH “Twitchin’ is a lot like fishing lures in that you’re covering a lot of water, distancewise, but the difference with the jig is you can cover more depths within the water column,” Stumpf says. “In other words, twitching jigs allows a lot of water to be covered from side to side, and up and down.”

Early in my twitchin’ days I used to

Coho aren’t leader shy, so jigs can be tied directly to braided line if you’d like. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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let the jig fall to the bottom, then lift and reel, then let it fall again. I caught fish, but not as many as I do now by keeping the jig off the bottom and in constant motion. By keeping the jig off the bottom, it stays in the strike zone.

I’ve also learned to vary my retrieve and lift rates, based on certain factors and conditions. In clear water I’ll often speed it up, while in turbid water I’ll slow it down. I’ve also increased the size of jigs I’m using, which has made a big difference.

NEED FOR SPEED Early in the morning, when coho are fresh and aggressive, I like to make really fast retrieves, and the fish respond.

“A lot of times you can make several casts into a hole and reel in as fast as you can, not even twitching or trying to get a bite,” says Jared Cady, owner of Get’m Dry Fishing Company. “When doing this you just want to stir things up.”

Jared is also a fishing guide and spends a lot of time in Alaska targeting both coho and monster steelhead.

“This fast movement of the jig really gets fish fired up and aggressive,” he says. “Follow up those fast retrieves with some twitching, and fish often respond with reactive hits.”

Jared shared two pointers that really helped me prior to my last coho fishing trip.

“Try a lighter weight jig in order to keep it in the strike zone longer. This allows you to slow your retrieve rate and efficiently cover the entire column where fish are holding. Also, when twitching, don’t use your whole arm to lift and drop the rod. Instead, make about a 6-inch twitch with your wrist, as this will keep the jig moving within the strike zone the entire time.”

WORK ON YOUR SWING Another tip Jared offered was to swing twitching jigs through tailouts, just as

Author Scott Haugen with a limit of coho taken by twitching jigs in a Southeast Alaska river last fall. Twitching jigs allows you to cover a lot of water, both vertically and horizontally, e
ciently, increasing success rates in many situations. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

you would a fly. I tried it and it worked – several times. What amazed me most about this approach was how fast the jig would be moving in heavy water, and how fish still attacked it.

Often coho and steelhead follow the jig out of the fast current, hitting it once it reaches less taxing water. Sometimes they’ll follow the jig right into the shallows – a couple feet from your rod tip – before hammering it.

For reference, when it comes to twitching rods the last two seasons I’ve been fishing a G.Loomis Escape GLX Series three-piece spinning rod, which I’m loving. This 7-foot rod has a fast action, a medium power, a lure weight rating of ¼- to 5 /8-ounce, and a line weight off 10 to 17 pounds.

Not only is this a great travel twitching rod, it’s ideal for running spinners, drifting beads, casting plugs, rolling bait and working a bobber and jig setup.

Spooled on to my Shimano Stradic spinning reel is 50-pound Maxcuatro in high-vis yellow. This bright line makes casting and keeping track of your presentation easy, especially in poor lighting conditions. A uni knot joins the braid to 15-pound P-Line CXX Xtra Strong leader for coho.

SLOW AND STEADY As the coho season progresses, water temperatures cool and the fish prepare for spawning, so I’ll slow my retrieves. Catching silvers in August with a fast presentation is the norm, but slower is more productive in October.

If you’ve not tried twitching jigs, give it a shot; you’ll be glad you did. ASJ

Editor's note: To learn more about fishing with the author, visit scotthaugen.com where you can also order signed copies of his many popular fishing books and cookbooks. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

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