Skirted Swinging Football Head Jigs

[Bluebasser86]

Seems like these are one of the most versatile heads I've found. Love the swinging football heads, but how can it be improved on? Add a skirt!     Now it's a weedless jig that doesn't need a weedguard! I'm using an Owner Twistlock XXX hook with the centering pin and wire tying them. 

Plain

 

Rigged

 

Really excited to see how these are going to work for me. 

[Rivers Edge]

Cool idea! Bet they great.

[shanksmare]

They will look and act more like crayfish than the crayfish themselves. Should be a winner for sure.

[MO_LMB]

I've had this same idea Blue. Could you show a pic of the top of the hook and where you have the skirt tied on? 

 

Seems like these are one of the most versatile heads I've found. Love the swinging football heads, but how can it be improved on? Add a skirt!     Now it's a weedless jig that doesn't need a weedguard! I'm using an Owner Twistlock XXX hook with the centering pin and wire tying them. 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I've had this same idea Blue. Could you show a pic of the top of the hook and where you have the skirt tied on? 

I can't get my camera to focus in well enough to see it. The skirt is wire tied onto the wire form first, then put a split ring on under the skirt on the wire form, hook goes on last. 

[Siebert Outdoors]

LOL,  I've actually been working on something just like this.  I guess you beat me too it.  I've been looking for a good way to attach everything.

[MO_LMB]

I can't get my camera to focus in well enough to see it. The skirt is wire tied onto the wire form first, then put a split ring on under the skirt on the wire form, hook goes on last. 

 

 

You get to test these out at all? Interested to hear how they worked. 

[doyle8218]

Just add the hook and skirt. They work awesome.

[Bluebasser86]

You get to test these out at all? Interested to hear how they worked. 

I've been very pleased with them so far. They work great with a beaver style bait or a baby or full sized brush hog on the back of them. I've made some small ones for personal use and put trick worms or finesse worms on the back and had good success too. I've even caught some good fish with them with a 10" worm on the back   The hook is much longer than a standard jig hook so a really large, bulky trailer isn't a issue with them. Seems like with the swinging hook and head the fish have an almost impossible time throwing them. I had one tournament that I had a hard time hooking fish with them but at weigh in everyone reported having difficulties hooking up with fish so I'm chalking that one up to the bite being a little off. 

[Will Wetline]

I've been thinking about ways to attach a skirt since I got the Do-It mold.

 

Here's something I put together with a Gamakatsu 584 hook, Bio-Silk skirt material and a 5" GYCB trailer:

 

 

 

 

I haven't fished this yet but see no reason why it wouldn't get eaten. Since I like to make/modify baits I'll certainly try it but doubt it would produce significantly better than a Hula Grub.

 

. . . Speaking of Hula Grubs or any other soft plastic bait on the Swing Football Jig connected to an EWG hook,

has anyone tried cutting a rubber skirt collar to fit on the short vertical part of the hook shank and used a drop of Loctite Gel between it and the bottom of the bait to help prevent the bait from sliding down the shank?

 

Gotta laugh when I think about all this rigging rigamarole - I caught bass with the baits and weights available 40 years ago! Still having fun, hey.