Risky Jigger

Quite some people have been bitten by the slow-pitch jigging bug and for obvious reasons that it is easy to pick up as well as its effectiveness in regularly catching fish compared to traditional high-pitch jigging. It's a lot less tiring and also gives you more contact feel towards the end of the line.

Here's a brand new Shimano Ocea Jigger a friend recently bought to try out slow-pitch jigging. All new from lines to the new after market handles and knob. This owner also heard some not so pleasant stories of how the gears would jam up and decides to send in for a quick fix and salt water ready preparation.

Ocea Jigger with an after market handle and knob. Salt water bash preparation in the cards.

The first to get treatment would usually be the knobs. No surprises there when I remove the screws to find no thread locker as most shop owners would do nothing more than just a quick installation job. Worse thing is that the handle screw hole is too big for the knob shaft screw. Weirder still is that the handle and knob came as a set, yet they don't fit! I'm not sure if the screws are designed to take this kind of ill fitting load supported using washers. And we're talking about moderate to heavy cranking power and twisting applied to the knob shaft. Screw breakage risks is definitely high on this one but the owner's willing to wing it.

Knob looks normal, but a quick twist on the screw to remove the bearings revealed dangerous installation flaws. No thread locker found (red). Handle and knob wasn't even compatibly with the lose fitting screw through the screw hole supported by washers (green). Standard stainless steel bearings packed with marine grease and thread locker coated screws (blue)

There was also another shock discovery surrounding the knob and handle, more on that towards the end. Next up, drag clicker system removal. This is usually the culprit for a jammed up jigger. I call it 'metal mincer edition'. This jigger should be equipped with an updated drag clicker retainer ring and a quick thickness measurement can confirm this. This, the owner wouldn't want to risk having. So out comes the drag clicker system into cold storage.

Parts which will be removed (red arrow). Previous batches, the drag clicker retainer ring is only 0.26mm thick. New and improved version at 0.3mm thick (green arrow).

Crank case and main plate removed to reveal spool locking mechanism side with little grease protection. A quick brush down with marine grease on all surfaces for water displacement or salt crystals build-up. Care is taken to not mix grease types as the spool support bearing uses a different type of grease.

Some grease here and there straight from the factory (top) and nicely lathered after (bottom)

All surfaces and other bearings apart from free spool support bearings will be marine grease packed for long life protection and smoothness.

No casting needed, just plain ol-reliable salt water jigging. This calls for marine grease packing in most bearings and all internal surface.

Shimano heavy grease coat the gears for smoothness and protection. Drag clicker parts gone too.

Now back to the curious thing found earlier when removing the handles. The lock nut retainer screw wasn't even the right size for the hole. The handle screw hole's machined to use M3 threaded screws but the screw used was from the original jigger which is an M2.5.

Another ill fitted part found. The lock nut screw isn't even screwed onto the handle thread. It was barely slotted in and can be popped out with a few shakes. An M2.5 screw used in an M3 threaded hole. An excuse for some bling job.

The owner wasn't too keen with the purple bling. A few show and tell, back and forth with the owner lead us to something he's agreeable. A quick dremel polishing and buffering reveals a sparkling chrome button head screw. This, the owner agrees won't cramp his jiggy style.

Purple bling wasn't to the owner's fancy. A quick dremel polishing and buffing reveals a sparkling chrome button head. Owner's happy with it.

The only thing of concern here is the knob shaft screws. Not ideal but the owner's willing the take a chance with it. Another 'no metal mincer' jigger edition to be released to the wild for some jiggy action.