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Jig heads and jig hooks - being spoilt for choise Print E-mail
Written by Uli Beyer   

Jig heads and jig hooks

Big choice - but how to choose?

No matter if they are jig heads, jig hooks, jig heads or just grub hooks, it always means a hook with the weight for rubber lure! In this article I would like to show you what is important for your choice. Very good for this is to hang your head to begin with!

Of course you shouldn’t hang down your own head, but the jig head for your rubber lure. By that you learn a lot about its behaviour under water and the case for the usage will be predetermined by this.

“How many grams do you have?“ an unsuccessful angler asks his neighbour who is just about to play a nice pike-perch. “14 grams”, is the answer and the enquirer feels that the other one simply pulled his leg because with 14 grams he doesn’t get any contact but the lure gets stuck at the ground endlessly instead. The successful angler didn’t lie but he kept his most important jig head secrete to himself…!

Success with the right jig head!

Similar to crankbaits the running features of the rubber lure are configured at the head. In this case it was through a jig head. It is not so difficult to find out the secrets hidden behind the numerous different grub heads.

Of course you noticed the confusing variety of jig heads. But is it possible to relate different jig heads to different purposes? It is possible to reduce all jig heads to a couple of basic physical principles. If you understand these principles you can catch more and avoid that your lure gets stuck at the ground.

At particular places the selection of the right jig head enables the angling in the first place! Especially very deep and very low water depths, strong currents and water bodies with heavy plant growth limit the angler and his assembly for jigging.

Front, standard or centre?

There are two important basic criteria for the selection of a jig head:

The form affects the water resistance! 1. The form: it affects decisively the water resistance and the movement of the lure (falling and being drawn). Additionally the form gives the position of the hook during the bite.

 

The eye is crucial...

2. The fixing of the eye. Depending on the balance point of the jig head this defines the starting angle of the rubber lure during twitching respectively the phases with ground contact.

All jig heads can be related to the following forms of fixation:

front fixed jig heads

a. Jig heads with front fixation

(front- or forward-balanced jigs)

 

standard fixed jig heads

b. Jig heads with standard fixation

(standard-balanced jigs)

 

balance point fixed jig headsc. Grub heads with centre fixation

(center-balanced jigs).

Sometimes I have the feeling that many anglers resign given the complexity of the different jig head models. They tend to stay with the good old roundhead because this one always existed. And they always have a chance of a catch as the roundhead is in the middle of the chart of suitability.

But the chances of success can be enhanced. The better you are in choosing the jig head, the better you will catch and the less you have to struggle with your lure getting stuck at the ground.