Favorite Jig Head Style

[Kdog]

I am contemplating buying a couple New Jig Molds and was wondering what everyone likes in Jig Head style. The plain ball head is very popular but that is what most have started with and it is very effective. Since most here are DIY we have numerous options and if buying a new mold maybe want to go a bit outside the box.

Currently, I am looking Hard at a Chub Head Jig 1/32, 1/16, 1/18, 3/16, 1/4. Also gonna get a horse head to replace my pony head which was a great learning tool but has had too many modifications. New mold = no barb, no collar 1/48, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4. As time and $ permit, I will be going strictly to no collar, no barb and wire keeper when desired. I use a lot of live bait, crawlers and minnows and occasionally plastics and the wire keeper IMO is more effective.

For me, it is rare to use a jig over 1/8 OZ so let me know what is your favorite jig head style. Please. Thank you.

This year I am seriously considering switching over to straight tin for all my jigs which will let me use bigger jigs (ie more color) while keeping my jigs very light and ATM more environmentally friendly. Feel free to comment on this as well.

 

[AtticaFish]

Good old round heads are my stand-by, but i always like to throw in some other odd shapes and styles. Always seems like i end up going back to rounds in the end though. There are instances when a flat bottom jig will shine like casting in shallow rocky areas. Other times when a slat sided head will help with sink rate in current. Rounds can hold their own in any circumstance though.

I know Hawnjigs does pour in pure tin and think i remember him speaking of issues with loose hooks in smaller heads. It sounds like you focus may be on those exact sizes. If i am remembering correctly, it is because tin shrinks when it cools back down from a molten state? Something like that anyway, maybe i am off with my train of thought. I believe Bucho does pour with tin as well so hopefully one of them (both with way more experience than myself) will speak up. Pure tin heads do have an outstanding shine to them.

 

[hookup]

My comments are based on what I fish for - river small mouth bass

1. I fish a tube allot, so a tube jig is must in sizes ranging from 1/16 oz to 1/2 oz depending on depth and current. I fish 1/8 oz 90% of the time, 3/16 5%, and the remaining weight for the other 5%.

2. SWM jig. Do It has a swim jig mold meant for ice fishing, but I've found out that properly modified, it makes an excellent swim bait, grub, stix bait, and even tied on a strap of zonker - but soft plastic rock. The mold comes in 1/8, 1/4, and 5/8 oz. Never use the 5/8, so I filled about 1/2 of it w/ JB Weld, then with a round & triangular file made a 3/16oz jig. This jig swims with plenty of action and is very snag resistant swiming across the bottom of a rocky & ledgy river.

3. Round ball - love it to tie on. Turn a round ball into an aspirin head with a vice thx to a video on the home page by Stump Hunter. This just primarily gets all my feathers, fur, and material for jigs.

4. Minnow head. Bought a bunch off of FishHunter & play with them for the rest of my tieing. Luv it because the eyes fit 3mm which mostly catches anglers ;-)

5. My new jig purchase (and maybe mold?) is a jig similar to a gopher head. Basically, it's a stand up jig head for floating soft plastics. Still working with the jig & floating plastic to see it it'll be part of my arsenol.

As far as tin, not interested. But tungsten - if I could figure a way to mix the powder with an adhesive, I'd be all over that. I'm not sure I can generate the heat needed to melt it though.

 

[Fatman]

Horsehead jig - 1/32nd or 1/16th

1/32nd football head

Ball head flattened to an aspirin head, then put 3D eyes on them

Regular ball 1/32nd or 1/16th

Might have to go to tin if they ban lead in Vermont

 

[Hawnjigs]

AF is correct re: loose hooks due to tin cooling shrinkage in small ball heads, but you prob already know that. Not functionally fatal, because tin is a tuff metal and its near impossible a fully cast head will detach from the hook.

I prefer flat bottom heads for all my jigging, but performance differences are subtle and plain ol' ball heads probably catch just as well.

For a slow fall jig, a tin Cabela's Wobble Head does stand out from the pack.

 

[jiggerjohn]

My favorite is from the guy above at Hawnjigs -his own devised,flat bottomed HU tin or alloy jighead! Just last week, my 33 yr old son and I fished Keith's jigs off a high pier at the Outer Banks, NC. Though locals complained of somewhat slow going, our "woolies" tied on these non lead heads, with their shine & perfect balance, got us well over 400 speckled sea trout! Of course,bluefish, flounder, mullet, puffers,etc also loved these special jigs!! Heck, the first evening alone down there at OBX had us catching a fish every cast from 6-930, leaving with tired wrists when my son declared they were "slowing down" -only a trout every other cast !!

 

[BucktailJiger]

Chub Head
Teardrop w/wire keeper option
Walleye Head w/ball collar

 

[jackie53]

Been molding sense the early 80's have just about every do-it,ect molds,not a Pro but fish the same methods as you described.Find a friend that has a Bat Jig mold and try some in your favorite size.do not think you will be disappointed. For the tin we use just enough tin our lead(have to experiment)until you get the right amount of tin/lead(tin is hard to paint)will not stick.The walleye head is 2nd.Have a second bat jig mold modified for a wire weed guard. Hope this helps.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Hey Hookup, what kind of hooks are you using in the swim jigs? They worked really well in Hawaii, but the saltwater rusted out the bronze stock hooks very quickly.

If I could get chem sharp black nickel hooks that fit I think I might try some cast with tin for freshwater apps. They swim hook point upright with a nice wobble and lighter tin metal should accentuate that action.

 

[Pup]

Ball head.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Sorry, but I like every mold I have and have close to 50 now. All have their place in my opinion.

 

[duffy]

Depends on what we're after. Walleye's on the bottom get the erie jig 1/4 to 3/4 depending on depth & current or where their at. SM Bass either a ball or now that I have a football mold will try that, thinking 1/8 to 3/8. Crappy and perch get the round ball jigs or small tube type for the little tubes in 1/32 to 1/16. I did just get a stand up mold and am trying to come up with creative ideas to dress them up for Mr. Wally.

 

[Pepop]

That Ultra Minnow sure lends itself to some creative powder painting! I hear they're great if you fish a lot of swim type baits. The only 2 mold's I've seen are 1 that goes from 1/8oz to 3/4oz I think and 1 that does 1oz to 5oz. Crappie around here are Skeerd of that one! :s

 

[Kdog]

The best looking cutter I've ever seen but I don't have a wood shop to make is this one from "Feather Brain: Developing, Testing, and Improving Saltwater Fly Patterns, By Drew Chicone. No actual directions but a good pic of it.
https://books.google.com/books?id=C...3Azb#v=onepage&q=zonker strip cutters&f=false

That Ultra Minnow sure lends itself to some creative powder painting! I hear they're great if you fish a lot of swim type baits. The only 2 mold's I've seen are 1 that goes from 1/8oz to 3/4oz I think and 1 that does 1oz to 5oz. Crappie around here are Skeerd of that one! :s

Pepop, I agree provide a nice pallet if you will for PP. Unfortunately where I fish, bigger jigs just do not seem to work. 1/8 and 1/4 are very rare. 1/48 thru 3/32 are the predominant choices and after trying 1/4 - 3/8 this fall fully understand why. Too many rocks and submersed trees. Even tried true vertical jigging and would still manage to get hung up.

My current arsenal includes in no particular order..
Ball (Round head) head
Stand up Erie Style head
Aspirin Head
Pony Head
Walleye Head
Shad Dart Head
Bananna Jig
Minnow Head
Bat Jig

Each has a place but I still end up using a ball head 90% of the time. I like the Walleye head for certain conditions and the minnow head is great for tying. I am still thinking about the Chub head. It has lots of area for paint and balance point is a little more weight forward which may help a bit in the snagging areas or may be worse emperical data is needed.

I just dont want to buy another mold and have it sit idle in the drawer.

 

[hookup]

Hey Hookup, what kind of hooks are you using in the swim jigs?

Found only two hooks that work in the mold. And ones an owner and over a buck a pop & rusts the first day out. The one I use all the time is the Mustad 91768BLN.

Every hook'll rust, especially in salt, but Mustad seems to last longer in the tackle box.

 

[moswampy]

View attachment 4View attachment 5

Pours with or without a keeper. Can pour with a couple hook sizes without difficulty.


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[Fatman]

Nice paints

 

[Hawnjigs]

Thanks Hookup, 91768 too big for my needs.

 

[stlatem]

Ball head. Stump hunter style.

 

[Lost Pole]

Hunter heads




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