A Question On Jig Sizes

[FinCulture]

I enjoy fishing jigs for an obvious reason, but my question concerns flipping, casting, and football head jigs. what weight heads are the best for these jigs? I imagine something heavy such as maybe 3/4 for a flipping jig, but I don't know. I'm looking to further extend my jig collection so any advice would be apprecicated.

[MasonV]

For flipping and swimming I usually prefer a 1/2 oz. I also like a 3/8 oz for swimming. I like the running depth of the 3/8. Just a personal preference really and I don't want it falling too fast. I feel like that's the perfect weight for a good feel and workability for those presentations. For football jigs I'll go to a 3/4 oz to get better bottom contact on those longer casts.

[Stapsy]

My theory is to try out a bunch to find what you like best, then choose one weight and style and stick with it until you learn it inside out. General rule is use the weight and trailer selection to effect your rate of fall and the head style for the cover you are fishing.

I decided to keep it simple and stick with 1/2 oz as my go to weight. I like the consistency in feel regardless of head shape. By using the same size I also know how my rod movements will translate to the jig. I would rather change my trailer to adjust fall rate and the 1/2oz weight allows me to keep in contact with the bottom well enough for fishing in less than 15 feet of water.

There are a million variations you could try in terms of weight and trailer. Sometimes you may need to go to 3/4oz to flip in heavier grass, increase your rate of fall with a big trailer, or drag a football jig across the bottom faster than a smaller weight will allow. You could try every possible combination, but most of the time you are probably just not around the fish.

My advice is to get some arky heads and some football heads in 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, then try them with a couple styles of trailers and find out what you like the best. It is more important to be confident in what you are using than to find a magic fish catching combination.

[scaleface]

1/2 ounce is the heaviest jig I ever used . 3/8 ounce is what I use most of the time . I can pitch a 3/8 ounce with trailer really well .

[NotnatsSamoht]

3/8 for most of my jigs occasionally 1/2 for a football head.

[buzzed bait]

3/8 is my all around size.

i will go down to 3/16 and maybe up to 3/4 for really deep, but 3/8 is the sweet spot for me.

[WRB]

The weight depends on how fast the bass want the jig presented, the type of cover to crawl over of punch through, the depth of water you are fishing, wind conditions etc.

If you are asking about only 2 of jigs, Arkie/brush jig and football head jig, then 1/4 to 3/4 oz covers most presentations, however if punching through heavy cover is necessary you need 1 & 1 1/2 oz jig or use a punch rig.

I use very few different weight jigs because where I fish is deep clear structure lakes with sparse cove, 7/16 oz modified football stand up head about 90% for casting and water depths 1' to 30' for normal conditions and a 5/8 oz For windy conditions. 3/4 oz Arkie style for cover areas with heavy brush, 1/4 or 3/8 oz grass, lighter is better to work through aquatic weeds. When I fish heavy aquatic growth or tules mats I prefer a tungsten punch rig and 65 lb braid. Casting jigs I use 10 to 14 lb FC line, no braid.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

I like a 1/2oz for a majority of my jig fishing but will go down to 3/16 or up to 1oz if needed. 

[Mike L]

In the shallow salad bowls I fish down here, I rarely go heavier than 1/2 once. I'd rather use diffefent trailer's to control the rate of fall.

1/4oz for all swim types.

Mike

[MidwestF1sh]

3/4 for football jigs on most days. sometimes I'll go to 1/2 ounce or 1 ounce. As for my other style jigs 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce and in between.