Swing Or Fixed Jighead?

[Smokinal]

I have been looking at new jigheads and noticed the ones ww2farmer uses, the VMC Rugby heads. My question is, when would you want a swinging hook and when would you want a fixed? Any disadvantage to just using a swinging hook all the time?

[Megastink]

It's my understanding that although they can be used interchangeably, the swinging head is designed to slow roll across the bottom with a high-action plastic. While a rugbyhead is used like a traditional shakey or football head, dragged or hopped. To me, it's two different techniques. I don't see a disadvantage to using one or the other exclusively, but why not employ both?

[WRB]

I have been looking at new jigheads and noticed the ones ww2farmer uses, the VMC Rugby heads. My question is, when would you want a swinging hook and when would you want a fixed? Any disadvantage to just using a swinging hook all the time?

The rugby head is shaky head version of Owner sled head jig designed for soft plastic worms and creatures.

The fixed shaky head design allow the jig head to stand upright, the rugby or sled heads don't stand up and the swing heads don't stand up and are more like using a pegged weight T-rigged hook soft plastic. You get a similar action to the swing jig by pegging a bullet weight 1/4"-1/2" above the hook, can't see any advantage to using swing jig heads.

Tom

[ww2farmer]

Smokinal...it's pretty simple, I use the Rugby heads when I want to fish a bait in place in and around a specific target (under docks, weed pockets,

next to a log etc...), I use the swinging jig heads when I want to move the bait along while maintaining bottom contact, almost like cranking. You

could use just the swinging, or just the fixed for both, but I prefer to use them the way I mentioned after trial and error using each type head...Key

word USEING.  BTW, i am not saying Rugby heads are the greatest things since sliced bread, they are just the heads I like. For swinging jigs heads

I like the Mustad Fastach system, that way I can put any hook I want on the weight.

[smalljaw67]

As you already head, the swinging jig is used to fish a soft plastic like a crankbait most of the time and from peope doing it a lot it seems that the best time to use that technique is when you have one of those dead calm days when the water is like glass.

[Choporoz]

I have not used VMC Rugby yet, but I'm intrigued.  I did, however, throw the Biffle swinging jig head quite a bit this fall and absolutely loved it.  Much more than just working horizontally.  It went into and came through laydowns particularly well.  As it falls through timber, it seems to keep a beaver style bait more horizontal than other presentations I've tried and just seems to get bit a lot more than other rigs I was trying.  I was amazed at how well it worked through weeds, grass and wood.  I also think that having hook swinging free from the weight gives it more action bumping across the bottom, too. 

 

That doesn't answer the OP comparison question, but I thought it important to note how great the swinging jig is for flipping denser cover...compared to some jigs and some trigs.  The more confidence I have that it won't get hung up, the better I place a lure.