Difference of Shimano Ocea Jigger 1000, 2000 and 4000 series

 

Shimano Ocea jigger series is my favorite overhead reel. I started using Ocea jigger `F custom 2000NRHG. F stands for fall lever and NR stands for right hand. HG stands for high gear ratio.

The other gear ratio are power (PG) and extra high gear (XG). 

When do I use them? When I fish in Dubai and Abu Dhabi the water depth is around 20 to 35 meters. The line capacity of 200 meters is more than sufficient. So, I use the 1000 reel. It provides 7 KG drag. I spool it with 1.5 PE. With the depth being low the impacts from big fish ( if we hook one!!) could be very high. So, I am afraid to go any lower than 1.5 PE. I know some experienced anglers are using .6 PE on an ultralight setup.

When we fish at Fujairah or Khorfakkan the water depth in jigging areas from 100 meters up to 220 meters. Up to 120-150 meters and 300 Ocea jigger 2000 is perfect to use. Anything higher than 130 meters and above 300 grams jig I start using Ocea jigger 4000.  Ocea jigger 2000 has 10 kgs drag. I have spooled them 1.5 and 2 PE sunline ULT. It can hold 600 meters 2 PE. Whilst the 4000 series can hold over 1200 meter if spooled with 2 PE or less. I have used good amount of back to keep the spool larger for easy retrieval.

Please let me know if you have any questions !

Jigging Trip with Capt. Ali 14 Oct 2023 at Khorfakkan

Due to work I had to pull out from the fishing trip on 8th October. On Tuesday a Chinese friend invited for a trip with Capt. Ali. I immediately accepted the offer. It is way too long to wait for the next planned trip on 29th Oct. 

Usually, I take the motion sickness medicine when I leave my home usually around 3 am. Last few trips I have started feeling nausea around 11 am. During summer the waves have been high and the boats rocking. The medicine apparently is effective for 6 hours only. So, I had the medicine 30 minutes before the trip. When the boat ride started, I took a comfortable space and had a nap until we arrived at the first location. The Sun was just coming out. 

The depth was 105 meters. I felt the waves were slightly higher than expected. It was windy as well. I was expecting the boat drift to be higher than normal so dropped a 320 grams seafloor control Arc. I was using evergreen Poseidon slow pitch jerker 603-6 with Shimano oceajigger 4000HG spooled with sunline ULT PE 1.5. I jigged up to 20 meters and dropped back. When I was lifting through 2 meters, I felt the jig was taken. As I tried to set the hook the fish was not there. I was just slow pitch jigging and again the fish stroked.  It was a good strike and the fish started taking few meters line. All were shouting AJ! they usually fight hard in the beginning trying to run into the rocks. As this one stopped taking line too quickly, I thought it may not be an amberjack. Well, I was reeling, and the fish was too soon near but below the boat. We could not see the color. But when the fish finally appeared it was Red Red. Yes! The Red snapper. This was my first original red snapper. I have got Pinjalo snapper many times. But deep red color on the scale was amazing!!

While I was fighting the red snapper a fellow angler got a strike and he pulled a magnificent Diamond Trevally. It was the biggest diamond trevally I have seen.

After few drifts of no strike, we moved. At around 9 am the wind reduced, and the current was close to zero. I was dropping 200 grams and 270 grams changing jigs as many times possible. I was desperate to get some strike. At around 12 pm I got a strike. Mid way I saw the head shaking and guessed it was a long tail tuna. When close to the boat I lost the fish. an hour later I got another strike but a small one. This was around 200 meter deep and pulled a belt fish. Thanked it for not taking my jig. I

We continued to change location with no luck, finally we reached the submarine. Three drifts and no activity. We reached shore by 4 pm. 

With the red snapper in my bag thanked the ocean for the great day!

Jigging trip in Khorfakkan with Captain Ali date 10th Sep 2023

 Two days before the trip I called the captain to know how the activity is. He said that the previous week he did not go fishing and he will be going out on Saturday which was previous day to our trip. He said expect no red snappers as the season is coming to an end. However, he said he will go to the snapper location to check if there are any schools. On Saturday he sent a picture of the trip with full of Pinjalo snappers. He mentioned that he could got two amber jacks on jigging, but the clients wanted to go red snapper bottom fishing because they were not getting any strike. Ans after a two hour wait for the first strike, they got continuous hooks of snappers. So, the plan for us was similar. Jigging for first few hours and then reach snapper spot.

We started a bit late, but ride was fast to the first location. It was 100 meters deep. Fellow angler got a strike and reel was screaming. It was obvious amberjack. After a few meters of reeling, he lost the fish. we had hope and did two drifts but there was no other strike. We moved to our next location. It was 140 meters deep. I was using a deepliner spy 400 grams as the wind was slightly high and the boat was drifting fast. There was no strike after few drifts we moved to a location 200 meters depth. I was now using a seafloor control arc 450 grams on my Poseidon high pitch jerker. I use this rod whenever the current or wind is high, and I need to use heavy jig. This was paired with an Ocea jigger 4000HG with sunline PE 2. When I was jigging few meters above the bottom, I could not feel the jig. I reeled in fast and set the hook. As I was reel, I could not feel the fish. It was coming up quick and we knew it was a Tuna. It was a decent size long tail tune. Some hope after a few hours of jigging. Then later an angler got a Belt fish. I got another belt fish in the next drift. Captain decided we should now go for the snappers.

The captain anchored the boat at the location. We decided that only four anglers will drop the sabiki with squids. There was too much line tangling if more than for were dropping the sabiki. I waited for my as one got a beautiful Pinjalo snapper. One more got a Trigger fish with a grouper together. I got my turn to drop the sabiki. I enjoyed the fight of Pinjalo snapper. We got total of nineteen Pinjalo snapper with me getting three of them. As the day progressed the waves was rocking and as usual, I felt nausea. I started sleeping in the scorching heat. I need to buy the wrist band which helps preventing motion sickness.

A thoroughly fun trip. Enjoyed. Thanks to the ocean.

Sharks and Sharks ! Fishing trips with unanswered question

 

I was back from a short trip to India. I got the chance for a Dubai fishing trip. It is an expensive trip but i wanted to try this charter as i ahve always seen them post big Cobia sand  king fish.

From my previous trips experience in Dubai at 25 meter i setup jigs from 30 to 60 grams. All small short profiles. When we got the boat there were few experienced anglers. I saw one of them pull out 120 gms jigs long profile and other slow fall. I thought it is way too high for 20 to 35 meters jigging depth. 80 grams small profile and a medium profile was the biggest i was carrying. I cursed myself for leaving all my other jigs at home.

we were told that they have information that there was king fish activity at the location we were heading. when reached there we could see two commercial fisherman trolling. we started jigging. and slowly we started noticing top water activity here and there. no big schools but one or two fishes here and there. we were casting and sometimes jigging. The master angler got the strike and it was kking fish. he used a long profile. i was using a 40 grams and slow jigging. I had two strikes and lost the jigs. By this time two anglers got king fish. one of them advise me to start fast jigging. I never do fast jigging. it is not that i did not get strike but lost two jigs. I continued to change jigs and but no luck.

After several changes i picked the jig with orange stripes slow fall. on the drop i got a Barracuda. Account was opened but was disappointing to have a small barracuda. when i dropped again  i got a strike. This time reel was making the pleasant sound. I had set two kilos drag as the depth was low. I didn't want line to snap due sudden impacts.  when reeled found it was a Golden Trevally. This was my first one ever. Glad. and again on the next drop it was little more scream of the reel. got a slightly larger Golden trevally. now understood this jig was working, I started getting fish.

Later when I was jigging the fight was good and the fish was moving horizontally. I thought it was a Cobia. But when I reeled it closer it was a Shark. As usual the sharks fight very well. I got total five sharks. Deep inside i wanted to hook a king fish as others but I was getting Sharks. 

I got some queen fish, some sprangled emperor, a small red Grouper. Although the day was full of fish I was unable to get the King. The lesson was big kings and Cobia like longer profile jig. I have ordered few long and light weight jigs. will book a trip once they reach and try both slow pitch and fast jigging. 

It was a great trip but I still need to find some answers !!!

Fishing trip Khorfakkan 06 Aug 2023

 

This was a planned trip with Capt. Ali. We were six guys. Two days before the trip Captain advised the weather Is ok but may be with larger waves. On the day of trip when I checked it was showing 0.6-meter wave. We met at 0430am and left the port at 0515 am. The ride was slow due to the waves. Water was splashing all over us. We reached our first spot in about one and half hours.

Our first spot was 170 meter deep. We were barely able to stand as the boat was rocking. Capt. asked us use 300-350 grams jigs. I started with a 350 grams jig. As dropped the boat was drifting a lot and the jig was moving far. No way to maintain vertical fall. Keeping the jig vertical is the most important factor for slow pitch jigging. When I hit the bottom and started jigging, I could feel the action was not so great. I quickly retrieved the jig and the captain said we drift again. I changed to 450-gram sea floor control arc. As was jigging with heavy I was able to remain vertical for some time. But I felt the jig was falling too fast. I am still not sure if that fast fall is good to give a chance for the fish to strike.

Later we moved to the second spot. It was 180 meters to 200 meters. I still continued to use the 450 grams. I felt that that jig continued to fall fast. I was using the Poseidon high pitch jerker paired with Ocea jigger 4000HG spooled with sunline 2 PE. I changed to 400 grams. Still felt falling fast. When I changed to 350 fall was ok, but verticality was not maintained. I am assuming that the current in the waters was less. But the boat was drifting faster. I was continuously changing jigs and different weights. I kept changing between Slow pitch jerker and the high pitch jerker too. There was no luck. 

Other angler got a small barracuda, a very small grouper and one guy hit a decent long tail tuna. I did not get any luck. Until 12 Pm. The captain suggested we do some bottom fishing for red snapper (Pinjalo Snapper). So, we started moving towards the red snapper spot. It was 140 meters. We used squid as bait. On the first drop onwards, we continued to get red snappers. We also got few Koffer fish. We got about 20 pieces of red snapper. 

We had continuously action until we left around 1615. It was great fun. Thanks to the sea.