Jig heads?

[J.A. Veil]

I am fortunate to be a beneficiary of some of Mark's well-made jigheads and often have them on several of my lines. I have collected other jigheads of many brands over the years and don't hesitate to grab the first one of the right size I find in my tackle tray. For trolling, I don't think the shape or color is too important.

For most of the shallow water fish I catch here, standard hooks work fine. When I fish in Tampa Bay in shallow flats, we use Mission Fishin jigheads in 1/8-oz size tipped with soft plastic tails. The have heavy wide-gap hooks, even in the small weight sizes. We never know when a powerful redfish or snook will grab the lure. Thin wire jigheads like I use at home may not hold up to the pull of those strong fish. The rust colored one is 1/8-oz. The brown one if 1/16-oz. I have a few in 1/2-oz size that hold up easily to large stripers.

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[Mark]

Just an additional minor comment about jig heads...

I often cast 1/8 oz. jig heads in shallow water for both panfish and for larger species.

Round headed jigs suffice for panfish because I can lift those fish into my kayak via the leader. But when I am targeting stripers, I prefer a diamond shaped jig. The reason for that is that the jig head itself often becomes a handle for me to get the fish into my kayak. If I have a thrashing legal striper on the end of my line, I slide my fingers down the leader to the jig head and use it to hoist the fish into the boat. I find that a small diamond shaped jig head with its flat sides is much easier to grab and hold than a small round headed jig.

[yakscientist]

Bass assassin makes some good 1/4 oz heads, I use both red and white, with the red hooks. I think the white with the red eyes tend to work best, but I've certainly caught a lot of fish on the red as well (using identical size/color zmans). I caught most of my legal size rockfish on the 1/2 oz white/chart hardhead shad head/zman combo. G-eye also makes some nice jigheads. I just bought some of the zman keeper jigheads, and the 1oz striper eye jigheads but I've yet to catch fish with them (user error, I'm not good at jigging yet, I can only troll)

[Big Mike]

I'm thinking of melting down a 2016 Hyundai Tucson from Vietnam to make a bunch of jig heads.

Like Mark I do grab my jighead on bigger fish but hadn't given much thought to shape. Will try a diamond shape in the spring.

[sega]

Are those Gotcha jigheads from Walmart? Look just like them with similar packaging. I bought some a few years ago and the hooks straighten way to easily.


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I normally find them at tackle shops, not bigger stores like dicks and walmart. I don't know why so many stores don't carry jig heads over 3/8 oz...

And maybe they changed the design since then, because they were plenty strong for us. We were using these for reds, and with how tight we were keeping our drag you'd have thought we were trying to straighten them bad boys out.

[Slobber Bob]

Thanks fellas, just thought this would be a decent winter time thread.
I picked up four packs of these at Sea Hawk at the beginning of the season and as I was taking inventory I noticed I was low. Don't know what th are but they kept a sharp hook and could hold the shad pretty well. Anyone know what they are? Box long gone. Gotchas, always a good call, and those customs look good. Anyone use the VMC swimming shads? They look like they would hold well, unfortunately no chartreuse.
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You get them at Sea Hawks in Pocomoke? Could be thesethen - Bomber Shad Jig Heads. bswsj_r.jpg He carries them (or at least used to). They are about all I use anymore for light tackle jigs. They are slightly more expensive then cheaper ones, but the hooks are a thicker gauge and last much longer in saltwater then cheaper kinds. Even if they rust, you can sharpen them again and they are still strong enough not to bend or snap.

Are those Gotcha jigheads from Walmart? Look just like them with similar packaging. I bought some a few years ago and the hooks straighten way to easily.
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I've had similar experiences with them straightening out once they've been used and have seen saltwater for a couple weeks. If they get any kind of rust on the hook they start to deteriorate quickly.

[summersoff]

^^^^
Yea, those Bombers jig heads look about right. I was most impressed by the hook. Things are laser sharp and stayed that way. They almost feel and act like gami hooks.

[ronaultmtd]

^^^^
Yea, those Bombers jig heads look about right. I was most impressed by the hook. Things are laser sharp and stayed that way. They almost feel and act like gami hooks.

I agree that hooks are the most important aspect of my choice in jig heads- style of the head is secondary although I mostly use flat side heads, the style of the head doesn't affect my buying as much as the hooks- even in light jigheads I want a wide gap extra strong hook- last year I lost several nice fish on Rapala XRap factory treble hooks bending and coming unbuttoned at the boat...yesterday I was at BPS and purchased 1/4 oz. red Bass Assassin jigheads (I use 1/4 oz. more than all other sizes combined- probably 95% of my fishing is with 1/4 oz)...I only have a couple of dozen heads left in last years supplies- and I buy a lot of jigheads- when I am jigging, bouncing them along the bottom they get hung up and lost, so it is not unusual that I go through a few each trip...and once they get really rusty, I replace them...as far as sharpness goes- every hook of mine is scary sharp- I triangulate the points with a jewler's file and carry a stone for touchup if and when I get hung up on bottom debris- and almost all factory hooks need sharpening work right out of the package- very few are sharp enough for my tastes...super sharp hooks penetrate with much less hooksetting effort- especially necessary for trolling light tackle...

[Mark]

Some of the Do-It molds I use to make jigs accommodate hooks with heavier diameter wire. That is an important consideration as some have mentioned above because a big catch can indeed straighten a hook.

The hook on this particular 1/8 oz. jig is light wire:

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It's great for perch and other panfish. It penetrates fast and holds most legal stripers that may be cruising the shallows with the perch.

If I tangle with a fish larger than that, it may indeed straighten the hook.

So I pour jigs from another mold that uses the same size hook for a 1/8 oz. jig in a heavier gauge of wire that is also plated for saltwater use.

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No striper or pickerel I've caught in the shallows has straightened that particular hook.

As to sharpness, it pays to touch every hook with a sharpening stone -- even new jigs never fished. You'd be surprised how dull a "new" hook can be. I carry a stone with me on my outings and use it often.

[MetroMan]

Su-spin blades are one of my favorites (but are pricey):

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Bucke...page-BSUS.html

[Dsmdave]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this. G-eye jigs are awesome, and have strong mustad hooks. Check them out. Made by a local guy in cheasapeke beach named Lonnie Johnson. Awesome colors with uv flash and glow in the dark options to get you bait to stand out. Also just came out with some 1/4 ounce heads that were killer for me. Lonnie is also a great guy to deal with. He had my 1/4 jig heads ready for me before they went for sale and was pronto about meeting me in the morning before work so I could get out and fish the next day off as soon as possible.