A powered jigging device has a support frame, and a rod carrier that pivots in a first working plane while holding a fishing rod. A motor carrier is movably coupled to the support frame in a manner allowing constrained motion of the motor carrier in a parallel second working plane. A motor on the motor carrier drives an eccentric about a rotational axis of the motor. The eccentric is engaged with a mating feature the rod carrier at a position radially spaced from the pivot axis such that said driven revolution of the eccentric normally pivots the rod carrier upward and downward about said pivot axis, while the available constrained motion between the motor carrier and the support frame accommodates freewheeling operation of the motor when a caught fish pulls a front end of the rod carrier into a lowered position via tension in the fishing line.
