Jigging with a tandem rig is a great way to hook up with fall rockfish and white perch that are holding tight to deep structure and/or in strong current, but want small baits that are otherwise too light to get all the way down there. Best of all, the tactic is super-simple as well as being super-effective.

fishing with a tadem rig
This tandem rig did the trick for a double hookup on rockfish.
  1. Rig up a tandem rig with a slender, heavy jigging spoon on the bottom hook and a teaser or similar small offering up top. Note: don’t use a wobbling spoon or a flutter spoon, because the idea here is to get deep fast and stay there.
  2. Park your boat slightly up-current or upwind (whichever is stronger) of the target to begin a drift.
  3. Drop the rig straight down to bottom. As you jig be sure to drop the tip slowly enough that there’s no slack, or you’ll miss bites and risk more tangles.
  4. Let out additional line if necessary to keep the spoon very close to the bottom and the structure.
  5. The moment you feel a hit, whammo — set that hook!

If you're interested in making up your own tandem rigs rather than buying one off the shelf, be sure to check out Tying your Own Tandem Rigs for Jigging. You might also want to see Rigging for Beginners: Part I: Critical Rigs, which has a section on tandem rigs.