This lure is an all-star when tuna are keyed in on massive amounts of sand eels on the lower third of the water column. This long, narrow, metal jig is easily manipulated with rod tip action and holds its depth really well. The smaller size is good for finicky fish in shallow water and the larger sizes are better suited for deeper water.
- Method: Slow Jigging, Fast Jigging
- Imitates: Sandeels, Mackerel, Herring, Small Bluefish, Bottom Fish
- Hogy Shop Link: 8″ Hogy Sand Eel Jigs & 9″ Hogy Sand Eel Jigs
Hogy Pro Staff
The Hogy Pro Staff team is made up of extremely high level anglers. We utilize our pro staff team by not only testing our products, but to provide us with feedback on how we can improve them as well. Here you can learn how our pro staff team utilizes the Hogy Sandeel Jigs when fishing for giant bluefin tuna here off of Cape Cod.
Capt. Rob Lowell- Cape Cod Offshore Charters
Outfit:
- 5’2 Jigging rod paired with a Shimano Stella 18k {80lb holocore braid & 100lb fluoro leader}
- 7’6 Zach’s Custom Tuna Popping rod paired with a Shimano Stella 14k {65lb braid & 80lb fluoro leader}
- 6’6 Shimano Jigging rod paired with a Shimano Talica 25 {60lb holocore braid spliced to 100lb fluoro leader}
Water Depth:
I like to fish the Hogy Sandeel jigs in anywhere from 150′ to 250′ of water.
Technique:
I work the jigs by dropping them all the way to the bottom and jigging them rapidly all the way back to the surface. A fast jigging motion paired with a fast pumping motion is my favorite way to work the jigs. All jigs rigged with the standard single assist hook.
Why Hogy Sandeel Jigs?:
Hogy Sandeel jigs match the sandeels here on Cape Cod perfectly, matching the hatch goes a long way when targeting these fish. The jigs are also made to fish right out of the package and thats why I love them. They make my job as a Charter Captain much easier!
Capt. Cullen Lundholm- Cape Star Charters
Outfit:
Zach’s Custom Rod Conventional Jig stick paired with Shimano Talica 16
Line/Leader:
80lb Power Pro Holocore & 100lb fluoro leader
Water Depth:
150-300′
Technique:
When the fish are deep, I like dropping the Sandeel Jig down and working it super fast. All of my bites come in the bottom third of the water column. These Jigs work great for fish from schoolie size, all the way up to 300lbs.
Why Hogy Sandeel Jigs:
I use the Hogy Sandeel Jigs because they cut through the water the best for their weight and size, this gives the line less scope. The profile of the Hogy Sandeel jig matches the sandeels here on Cape Cod perfectly.
Capt. Matt Perachio- Tighten Up Charters
Outfit:
7’6 rod paired with 14-18k size class reel.
Line/Leader:
Anywhere between a 50-80lb mainline and either a 60,80 or 100 leader depending how big the fish are and how aggressive they are. When it’s calm and sunny, I’ll downsize my leader to be more stealthy with my approach.This is where matching the hatch of the sandeels really comes into play. When fish are more active, I don’t mind bumping up my leader, because now the fish are hitting the jigs based off of a reaction strike.
Water Depth:
I’ll drop down the Sandeel jigs in anything deeper than 100′. If I’m marking fish on the bottom, I’ll drop straight to the bottom and real up 10-15 cranks, then drop right back to the bottom. You want the jig to stay in the zone you are marking fish.
Technique:
If I’m marking fish on the bottom, I’ll drop straight to the bottom and real up 10-15 cranks, then drop right back to the bottom. You want the jig to stay in the zone you are marking fish. I like a long leader, about a 25′. This is to compensate for the jig coming through fish and trying not to spook them. I rig the jigs with a single assist hook, or I’ll rig them butterfly jig style with two assist hooks.
Why Hogy Sandeel Jigs:
I like the jigs because the profile is so realistic. It has the real presentation of the sand eels we see here on Cape Cod.
Capt. Diogo- Gorilla Tactics Sportfishing
Outfit:
- Jigging World Ghost Hunter 5’6 paired with a Shimano Stella 18k
- Jigging World Ghost Hunter 5’6 conventional paired with a Shimano Talica 16 with power handle.
Line/Leader:
80 Cortland holocore and 100 fluoro leader.
Water Depth:
150-200′ of water
Technique:
I like to speed jig the Hogy Sandeel jigs. It’s important to me to get in the rhythm of taking a fast crank as I’m pumping the rod. 8-10 pumps of the rod and then pause, a lot of the time I’ll get hit on the pause. I’ll also use long sweeps of the rod paired with a couple of cranks of the reel. If one cadence isn’t working then mix it up until you find something thats getting you bites. Most of my success comes from moving the jig through the water column opposed to just jigging up and down in the same spot. When I have multiple people on my boat, I like to vary the time each person drops down a jig. This allows more water to be covered overall. Most of my bites come in the bottom third of the water column.
Why Hogy Sandeel Jigs:
The profile of the jig is great for dropping down quickly and it matches the sandeels perfectly.
