Difference Between Jig Heads

[WillN]

Hi Raiders,

Recently i've been getting into the soft plastics, I was wondering whether the type of jig head you choose affects your success? what difference does having a round weight vs a the long shaped weight make? how do you decide to use one or the other?

Thanks!

Will

[gibodfisho]

Gday Will. My thoughts on jig heads are that the darter/pointy style are for stick baits like minnows or flick baits and that ball heads suit grubs or wrigglers, keeping in mind my experience comes from luring for bream. The reasoning behind this is the darter like its name suggests allows the stick bait or plastic that has little inbuilt action to dart around. Where as ball heads pull the grub tails straight down giving them action on the drop. I think it is more important to have quality jigheads that are the correct weight and size to suit the conditions. As always in fishing there is room to experiment and certain combinations work particularly well together.

[adkel53]

My experiences relate to fishing for flathead. I use Gamakatsu Darter 26 heads almost exclusively. Most commonly I use 3/8 oz ones and occasionally 1/4 oz in shallower water. I think they sink a little faster with their more streamlined shape. This helps impart more action on the fish and shad style lures that I most commonly use and also helps keep them on the bottom. They also sit the lure upright when you let it sit still on the bottom (check this out in clear shallow water), thus exposing the hook. Many times I have had a tentative hit, stopped winding and then felt the fish pick the lure up off the bottom. It you feel them do this set the hook immediately by just lifting the rod. Yesterdays post re Botany bay lizards involved a 3/8 oz jighead and six different plastics ranging from 3'' (70mm) Atomic prongs up to 100 mm Ausspin shads. These jigs have a 3/0 hook which I find just right. Most fish are hooked in the corner of the mouth or through the top "lip". Sometimes a very hungry fish will engulf the entire lure and jighead - even relatively small ones.

Another tip - get some cheap fluoro pink nail polish and colour your jig heads. Lasts quite a while and works for me. Fluoro green might also be good if you can find it.

Cheers

Kel

[Ray R]

G,day Will ,I get the odd flattie using plastics, my main choice of jighead is also a Gamagatsu Darter 1/4 ounce, I also use the Squidgy Fish 3/8 ounce in deeper water, the water conditions dictate head weight, shallow water with very little tide movement = a light head etc..Hope this helps.. Cheers..

[WillN]

thanks for the response guys!

for some reason i thought i had to go really light, so i bought myself the Nitro 1/24oz with size 2 hooks. Wish i'd posted this up before i went out and bought them! I'm going to be using it in Pittwater (hiring a boat), do you think its too light? should i go back and get some heavier weights?

Edited September 23, 2008 by WillN

[chrisg]

1/24 will be fine for Pittwater...just give it plenty of time to reach the bottom in deeper water. Next time you buy 1/16 is a good all round starting weight for bream, and go a bit heavier perhaps for the flatties.

Cheers

C.

[NickN]

There is no single particular jighead weight/hook type/size that will suit every situation.

I think in my tackle bag I have approximately 20 or so different jighead types.

They are all different in some way, whether it is the design of the lead head, the hook size, the hook type etc.

The best jigheads to keep handy are:

1/32, 1/24, 1/16, 1/8 all in size 2 and size 4 hook. That will cover your bases most times.

Later on you can diversify and have each weight in a different head design such as HWS, Ball, Darter, Resin etc.

Keep it simple to start with and learn to fish the appropriate weight for the lure type, species you are chasing and the depth of water you are fishing.