There’s an angling craze that’s sweeping the world, and it’s called slow-pitch jigging. It’s a technique that’s proving to be highly effective on a very wide variety of species, from hard-hitting pelagics like tuna and wahoo to bottomfish such as snapper, grouper and more. A slow-pitch jig is essentially a center-weighted metal jig that slowly flutters as it falls, which mimics the action of a wounded bait fish and triggers an instinctive feeding response in predatory fish. Japanese anglers discovered that this technique was not only as effective as live or cut bait since it covered the entire water column, but also highly effective on heavily pressured fish species. The technique is different from standard vertical jigging, which is much more violent and much faster to get the fish to chase the jig on the retrieve, while slow pitch is much more rhythmic and the jig flutters and falls to the fish. Anglers typically use slow-pitch rods which are specialized, much lighter and designed to work the jigs and allow them to flutter downward; nearly every strike occurs on the drop.

Spending that much time with rod in hand means a lot of wear and tear—not to mention additional fatigue—on the palms and fingers. That’s where Fish Monkey’s Freestyle glove comes in. Having a good pair of gloves can greatly reduce the fatigue factor in slow-pitch jigging. The Freestyle is designed specifically to be customized by the purchaser, enabling them to cut off and expose the fingertips you want without worry that the glove will fray or split at the seams once they’re cut. Anglers can remove the thumbs and/or fingertips, making this the most uniquely customizable glove on the water today, and perfect for the slow-pitch angler.

Additional features of the Freestyle glove include a bit of extra padding and a terrific non-slip grip in the palms that works just as well when it’s wet as it does dry, further reducing hand fatigue. The synthetic leather protects the fingers and hands from braided line cuts as well as hooks, fins and sharp gill plates, too. The glove is available in four sizes from medium to XXL as well as four color patterns, including the always-popular Americana and new Offshore pattern.

If you’re serious about slow-pitch jigging, check out the Freestyle from Fish Monkey!