Japanese Style Light Jigging **太刀魚** (Largehead Hairtail)
The other day, I had an absolute blast going “Largehead Hairtail Jigging” for Largehead Hairtail using a metal jig from Shimizu Port in Shizuoka Prefecture! Here’s the scoop on my exciting fishing adventure.
Suruga Bay’s Largehead Hairtail really comes alive at night!
Now, I’ve fished for Largehead Hairtail in Tokyo Bay before, jumping on the boat bright and early at around 7:00 AM. But in Suruga Bay, we switched things up! We took off into the mysterious, pitch-black sea late at night—around midnight!
In Suruga Bay, fishing feels more like a stealthy ambush, so picking just the right spot is essential.
And off we went!
23:45 – Gathered at Shimizu Port
24:00 – Climbed aboard the boat and started our adventure
↓
30 minutes later, we arrived at our fishing spot!
↓
Time to cast our lines!
(( 6:00 – Head back to port ))
We started our fishing at a depth of 55 meters! The wind was a breezy 5 m/s, and the tide was moving a bit quickly, so we opted for a 120g jig. Our lure of choice? The Jackson Plunge 120g! It has a fantastic water bite and a sleek horizontal fall.
We kicked things off with a steady tempo—one big jerk followed by one rotation of the reel. But when the fish didn’t seem too interested, I switched it up to a longer jerk, turning the reel twice for every big jerk. I wanted to really catch the fish’s attention during the long fall!
This action made the most of the plunge bait we were using, showing off its fall action in style. And you know what? We quickly hooked our first fish!
The way that jig fluttered and rolled, coupled with its near-horizontal descent, let the bait dance around the ledges just perfectly.
When the bites slowed down, we decided to shake things up and moved to a new spot.
At about 70 meters deep, the current was a little stronger, so we upgraded to a 150g jig!
The secret to working the plunge jig? Gently easing up on line tension after shaking it and lifting it. We kept up that long jerk, with two reel rotations for every big jerk—and you guessed it, the fish couldn’t resist!
From that moment, it was like the fish were lining up to bite! We reeled in over 30 Scabbard fish in just two hours!
Even though we planned to head back around 6:00, we were so thrilled with our haul that we packed it up and left at 3:00 instead! What a fantastic kickoff to our offshore fishing escapade.
Here’s the gear I used for this trip:
Ocean Gate Light Jigging:
- JOG-B63ML-LJ: Max jig weight 150g
- JOG-B63M-LJ: Max jig weight 180g (Able to handle Tenya No.50)
Lures: Jackson Plunge 120~150g
PE line: 1.2~1.5
Leader: 30~35lb
That’s a wrap on my fishing report from Rena Ishikawa! Can’t wait for the next fishing adventure!
