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Butterfly jigging for kingfish with Seaguar, TUF-Line, and Mustad

Jeff Pierce knows a little something about fishing lines and butterfly jigging. As the Sales Manager for Mustad Hooks, he has tried every kind of line to see which one fits the best with his hooks. In trying to keep up with the newest trends in fishing, Pierce has also spent much of the past three years working with the new butterfly jigging system, testing out different hooks and lines. There are two things he has learned. First, Seaguar is the only fluorocarbon he will use. Second, nothing beats TUFLine braided line, especially when it comes to butterfly jigging.

“Seaguar invented fluorocarbon,” Pierce said. “The last six years I’ve used everybody’s fluoro and I have yet to find anybody who makes a better fluorocarbon than Seaguar. I’m always using a fluorocarbon leader, whether I’m catching tilefish or other fish in 400 feet or if I’m trying for toothy fish, like kingfish.” 

Here is a brief description of how Pierce sets up for a day of butterfly jigging for kingfish in South Florida: 

Rod: Shimano Trevala. “I have yet to have any issue with a Trevala rod,” Pierce said. “The stuff that has been done to those rods in the last few years on the boat with me is incredible and I’ve still never had a problem.” 

Reel: Shimano Sustain 8000 
Line: Western Filament TUF-Line 80-pound braid. “You need a line you can count on and I’ve never had a problem with TUF-Line,” Pierce said. 

Leader: Seaguar 60-pound fluorocarbon. “I always try to run as much leader as I possibly can,” Pierce said. “If I think I can get away with 20 feet, I’ll go 20 feet. If it needs to be less, I’ll use 10 feet.” 

Jigs: Shimano Butterfly jigs or Flatsided jigs. “When you’re fishing for kings, you tend to be higher up in the water column,” Pierce said. “That means you’re going to be primarily using the standard Butterfly jigs. You’ll want to use the Flat-sided jigs when you have a lot more current and are getting more scope in your line.” 

Hooks: Mustad Wire Assist Treble hooks. “Because kingfish attack a bait with such a slashing motion, you want to use treble hooks, something to get in them fast,” Pierce said. “Anytime you have a mid-level fish that slashes when it strikes you want to use treble hooks.” 

Special tips: The biggest tip is to use the smallest jig possible, while still getting the proper movement from that jig. If the current isn’t that bad and you’re fishing in 80 feet or less, you can use a 135 gram or 160 gram jig. Color doesn’t seem to make any difference with the kings, Pierce said. The key is to drop the jig down as straight as possible and work it back to the top by lifting the rod quickly and reeling up the slack. This imparts a walk-the-dog type motion as the jig rises through the water column, causing the light to shine off the side of the jig and attract predators.