Does anyone jig by feel?

[stripernut]

I do a lot of jigging and catch more than my share of fish (perch, sunfish, crappy and all the other fish under the ice), and I do it with the line on my finger tip (pad). I have fished with noodley rods, spring bobbers and other "watch for the bite" type outfits and it’s not my thing… One reason is that I don’t like the hook set with a soft rod.
My current favorite rod is very sensitive as in I can feel a bite, but most of the time I am using my finger to feel the; bite, weight or “lighting” of my jig. My question is; is any one else doing it that way or is it just by line watching or feel of the rod? And before anyone says it, I have no trouble keeping that one finger tip warm…
Thanks

[Kevin23]

Feel of the rod. Good high quality graphite rod is all you need.

[jmh58]

I do both ways depending on how I feel.. John

[Swift]

Mainly finger, manipulate the fine jig action with a finger so it's already there and ready on floro line. Doesn't hurt to be ambidextrous and wearing glomitts. One of many finger sensitive, sight fishing, line watchers with an ultra sensitive spring bobber that reside on this site, whatever it takes type

[slipperybob]

Very rare do I need to jig solely by line feedback feel on the finger tip.  There are days that it's the only thing that gets the fish.  So I choose a baitcasting set up to help with that.

[er-e-is]

Feel of the rod. Good high quality graphite rod is all you need.

+1

[deebsey]

My brother inlaw does that all the time even with my good rods.  Make me laugh

[stripernut]

Thanks, I have a high end graphite, but I like using my finger and I out fish everone around me...

[brown-time]

I set the hook using 3 methods; first, watching the Marcum and setting the hook when the colors change and even before seeing the line twitch, half the time a fish is attached; second, setting at the line movement when the jig takes too long to sink and a fish is at the jig on the flasher; third, on a really light bite I also jig with a loop of line in my left fingers and set the hook with both the rod and popping the line out to the side at the same time.  Very sensitive rods are a given, I love the Frabill's with the woven graphite handle.

[Champlain Islander]

I don't have any problems with just using my rods for either perch or flat fish.

[BlueLund]

    I have had more luck without the rod, and just feeling the jig 
 I use the rod, but when they start biting, I'm hovering over the hole with line in hand.
 Going out tomorrow, can't wait !

[Robby]

Yes.

[ice pig 121]

All the time, then again I don't have any real great rods so maybe that is why.  But with that said i'm real close to pulling the trigger on a Thorn Bros. rod!  Tight lines

[capedeer/fish]

I do both also..and to above poster....... pull the trigger. Th TB's are awesome!

[stoutbait]

Be careful watched a guy jigging for perch slice the tip of his finger pretty badly when a sheepshead took his jig. I love the old fashion spring bobber.

[slipperybob]

Be careful watched a guy jigging for perch slice the tip of his finger pretty badly when a sheepshead took his jig. I love the old fashion spring bobber.

LOL's...Did you asked him how did it feel?    j/k

[Bowhunter57]

I just go with the graphite rod, feel for the strike and watch the line. I don't care to touch the line, for fear the fish would feel the resistance and drop the lure. I do a fairly hard hook set, start reeling a couple of times and feel the fish to see if its' running (big fish) or just stuggling.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

[slab_slayer]

It all starts w/ a well balanced rod, reel, line, jig setup. A pencil type grip (Genz style) w/ index finger on the rod & middle finger tip against the line just above the roller on the bail is a great technique for good feel. Keeping yer eyes moving back & forth between the vex and the spring bobber (panfish only) or rod tip helps see the bite. But, the real feel, comes only thru experience. Knowing exactly whats going on with that jig down there. Often enough, my hookset is triggered, not by feeling or seeing the hit, but knowing that something has disrupted what that jig was doing. Sure, ya could call it feel, but my frozen fingers dont always transmit that signal.   

[hobobrando]

I guess I have been doing it wrong all this time  , I hold on to the rod like I do when I'm summer fishing while moving my jig around by having an imaginary sword fight with myself on the ice and when I feel something grab hold I rip up on the rod, reel at top speed, and scream like a little school girl when that dink perch clears the hole  . But I can never understand why I get so many odd looks on the ice?

[slipperybob]

I guess I have been doing it wrong all this time  , I hold on to the rod like I do when I'm summer fishing while moving my jig around by having an imaginary sword fight with myself on the ice and when I feel something grab hold I rip up on the rod, reel at top speed, and scream like a little school girl when that dink perch clears the hole  . But I can never understand why I get so many odd looks on the ice?

As long as you're not screaming big fish and then getting like 10-20 people who start moving in on you.  Next thing you'll know is that you turn around to put a fish in your bucket and there's a guy drilling his hole within about two stepping distance of you.  He's close enough to see read your flasher and telling you to be ready to set the hook because the fish is moving towards your lure.