Answer:

When vertical jigging around rocky/snaggy bottoms there are two keys to reducing snags:
1. Stay perfectly vertical (line straight down) – that way you are setting down the jig and then lifting it straight back up so it is hard for the jig to pull into a crevice.
2. Second, only touch the bottom for a brief moment. Do not let the jig sit on the bottom as the boat will keep moving and when you lift again the jig will be pulling up at an angle and can catch onto a rock/snag.
For pitching – whether in a river or lake – throwing into rocks means you will lose some jigs. You have to maintain bottom contact, but unlike vertical jigging, when you go to sweep the jig back towards you, the jig will be pulling off the bottom at an angle making it more susceptible to coming into contact with a snag. Some things to consider.
1. Use as light a jig as possible. That way the jig won’t work its way as deep into the rock crevices.
2. Use a stand up or semi stand up jig (Fin-tech Nuckle Balls or Bass Pro Shops XPS Jigs are my favorite). These jigs do a better job of keeping the hook up off the bottom so the hook doesn’t snag. It does not prevent the head of the jig from snagging.
The other thing to consider is trying to recover the jig if it does get snagged. I would switch to a higher pound test line and something real durable. Although 6lb FireLine is my typical casting line – I have moved up to 10 or even 14 pound test FireLine in snaggy conditions. Also, if you are trying to pull jigs out of snags, use jigs with hooks that can withstand some abuse. Jigs that use hooks with Mustad’s Ultra Point Technology remain sharper. The technology leaves more metal out in the tip but still delivers a very sharp point. That extra metal prevents the tip from dulling or bending over when you pull it out of a snag.