Choosing the Best Jig Head

Whether you’re working a grass-bed in the shallows for specks or bouncing a jig along the bottom for flounder, you probably stare at your box of jig heads and wonder: which one is the best pick? It all boils down to three main factors: size, color, and hook style.

• Jig Head Size – Most anglers agree that in many situations, the lightest head with which you can still feel bottom is the best choice. Lighter heads allow for a slower fall, yet more dramatic motion when you work the rod tip. There are, however, other factors to consider. Are you making long casts to structure? Then a heavier head may give you that extra bit of reach you need. Are you working open water using a count-down method to determine depth? In that case, you may want to opt for a head that sinks at the same rate as your count. Are you working the bottom in a roaring current? Then you’ll likely want to up-size the weight or your jig will be a mile from where it splashed down, before it reaches bottom. Bottom line: if what you’re using isn’t working, toss that lightest-possible rule right out the window and try swapping heads.
• Jig Head Color – Some anglers believe this factor is irrelevant or at least vastly over-rated, and it’s true that you can cast an unpainted jig head all day long and do just fine. But there are some times when, for whatever reason, the fish show a preference. This may be color-related but more often it’s related to contrast. A white head with a white bait offers zero contrast, while a red head with a white bait offers significant contrast. There’s no predicting what combination will work best at any given time in any given place, but as you choose your jigs and heads, opting for color combinations with contrast often will give you a leg up.
• Hook Style – Much of this choice boils down to personal preference, as some people like a short shank and others prefer longer ones. There is, however, one other factor to keep in mind, and that’s hook thickness. Go with a thin wire hook when you’re fishing for bull reds, and you’ll lose the big ones when that hook bends out. When you’re fishing snaggy areas for fish like specks, however, an easily-bent hook can be quite advantageous because you can pull free from many of the snags… just remember to bend the hook back to shape, before your next cast.

Lenny Rudow