How to Start Fish Gigging
A great way to spend a cold winter evening is on the water gigging suckers. Some of the best times that a person can have in the winter is going out in a boat on the river after dark and gigging suckers, drum, and other legal fish with a long wooden or fiberglass pole that has a metal fork ("gig") attached to the end.
To start enjoying the sport of fish gigging, you need the following items:
- A boat with lights attached to front
- A generator for power to the lights
- A gig and gig pole
- Enough knowledge of the waterway to safely negotiate after dark
- A fishing license (check local game regulations)
Gigging is performed by using a boat that has lights attached to a rail on the front and are powered by a gas generator. As the boat is maneuvered upstream, against the current, one or two people stand on the front of the boat and attempt to stab fish with the gig that is attached to the end of the gig pole. The gig pole is usually 6 to 12 feet long and can be made of wood or fiberglass. The fish will lay upstream on the rocky/sandy bottom of the river. The trick is to stab the fish before they know that you are there.
Gigging fish on a river, I have had the best success in water that ranges from 6 inches to 6 feet deep. I have a metal rail attached to the front of my aluminum boat to prevent the person gigging from falling into the water. As you place the gig pole into the water, it can cast a shadow on the water that will sometimes spook the fish and they will make a run for it. You also have to compensate for the refraction of the water when you are trying to gig the fish.
