Coach Haru is a well known and well respected MMA striking coach. He’s been effectively jigging off his kayak in Hawaii using techniques learned in Japan and would like share his insight with us. We’re super blessed to have a jigging sensei share such hard earned knowledge. Coach Haru feels that jigging can be very effective when done correctly, and the assist hooks allow for the safe release of fish you don’t want to take home. He loves the challenge of using lures only to capture his prey. Currently he’s in Japan and hopes to return to HI when the quarantine lifts.
Coach Haru:
These are the most popular lures in Japan now.
Tairaba style jig is good from kayak. Drop it and reel it, no need action, just reel it even fish bite still just reel it. No need to set hook, just reel. The easiest jigging style from yak. Long time ago, Shimano released Lucanus modified Tairaba but didn’t sell well. In Japan, Tairaba is very popular because no need technique just reel it. It is good for bottomfish like uku, opakapaka, onaga, roi, even pelagic fish. But use smaller hooks that big fish can break easy and it’s not cheap.
Tairaba Japanese video 1: https://youtu.be/MDkTPu0Sq2w
Tairaba Japanese video 2: https://youtu.be/j_rvnPYU0rk
You can use a baitcaster with Tairaba, no need to impart action, just reel.
Metal vibration by Big Backer
Set Upper diving minnow by Daiwa
These jigs, metal vibration, and diving minnow can fly so far. Can cast almost 100 yard. I wanna take them to Big Island for shore fishing someday.
Also popular is squid skirt. 3, 4 inch skirt under Tairaba or simply put a weight (1/2 or 1oz) in the head, drop it down to the bottom and just reel it up.
Color of lure is very important. Blue or natural fish color for sunny, daylight with clear water. Silver, glow color, zebra glow for dawn time. Pink for cloudy sky, gold with red or gold with green for murky water.
Usually Hawaii has sunny and clear water, I like to use blue, blue pink, sometimes pink. Deep water I use glow or zebra glow. West side I had good time with gold green. Daiwa sells TG Bait. People call it as bait not lure. It is made with tungsten that’s heavier than lead. Small silhouette than the same weight lure so when fish hesitate to bite bigger lure it works and goes deeper because of small size.
Slow pitch is hard with strong current or windy day. Center balance, long jig is fine when line goes diagonal or even side way by strong current but flat slow jig is hard make action right because it spins.
Jigs like Major Craft Jigpara that are made to swim is good for that. Because just reel it makes jig swim. I used Jigpara cast off kayak. As soon as hit water reel fast as I can. Caught kawakawa, ono, kaku, when I went to buoy caught so many aku and shibi.
In Japan use jig like metal blade. Cast and reel not jig. Many companies making jig to swim.
Awesome! These tips and lures will be fun to try out! Thank you for the tips!
I am especially excited to try the Tairaba lire here as I recently picked up some during my last trip to Japan!
Cheers,
Robert
I’m eager to hear how the Tairaba works for you Robert. I’m all about easy to retrieve jigs. 🙂
And no wonder my oval, flat fall type jigs didn’t work as well on the kayak. I couldn’t stay “up and down” on the jig as easily as I could on a boat. The slender Daiwa TG Bait always got slammed by ulua but eventually got taken.
-scott
It’s fun. I used it in Hawaii Amberjack took it many times and lost a lot. I changed bigger hooks and line then not bite much. I guess that lot to do with the size of hooks.
Interesting write-up. I am a fly fisherman but have always been intrigued by the unique aspects of Japanese vertical jigging. That nice Suzuki reminds me of my last trip to Japan! Thanks for sharing!
Sea bass is fun to catch. Also good to eat depend on where the fish from. Arai is favorite way to make the fish sashimi. Clean white meat.
We fly fished for them in Yokohama around the dock lights. They were super aggressive and tons of fun. Not sure if fish from that area is safe to eat tho. We released all the fish. If I ever get to go back, I will have to find a place that does arai-style suzuki sashimi!
There are loco sea bass and out side sea bass. Loco is not shine silver, more dark color. Out side sea bass is shiner also fins are shine black too. I avoid to take home darker ones. There is Hira Suzuki is deferent kind. It’s little round than normal sea bass, Chrome silver round body most of time catches at around rocks in clear water not liver or inside bay area. Taste is similar very good to eat. Usually Suzuki Arai is served in sushi restaurant. In Japan.
Wow, thanks for all the great info! Yes, you are right, the suzuki I caught around the docks were more of a dark greenish bronze color. I definitely will look for Suzuki sushi next time. I am looking forward to returning, hopefully soon after this pandemic subsides.