Swinging jighead

[Fishin' Fool]

What is the best situation to use the swinging jighead ie like the Gene Larew Biffle hardhead? I bought some last year but never had a chance to use them. I definitely want to give them a shot in 2017.

[jr231]

I don't have many rocky areas where I fish and this is where it would be ideal.... But I use the VMC swinging rugby jighead with success in sandy bottoms with sparse vegetation .. using a beaver style bait (rage bug is my choice) , spade tail worm  , and a crawfish (I use many but hard to beat the rage craw) 

[Fishin' Fool]

41 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

I don't have many rocky areas where I fish and this is where it would be ideal.... But I use the VMC swinging rugby jighead with success in sandy bottoms with sparse vegetation .. using a beaver style bait (rage bug is my choice) , spade tail worm  , and a crawfish (I use many but hard to beat the rage craw) 

What type of retrieve do you use? Slow and steady?

[jr231]

Yessir . Basically a slow drag with added stops.  Not my go to but I have had success with them. These would be ideal in Rocky bottoms, just as any football head jig would.. but I bought some just to try and caught fish with them..

[iabass8]

There really isn't an "ideal" condition for these. We use them on the river a lot in area with strictly sand a lot more than we use them in rock. Transition areas or depressions/ditches were fish sit are places a wobble head works really excels. They key to these is to keep them moving and have the correct weight to keep in constant bottom contact. find your success /w these go up quite a bit if you keep them moving and having constant bottom contact. Head weight is the most important. Don't slowly drag/stop them(though that can work). Defeats the purpose of what they do. 

[DCales84]

I use them just about anywhere I would use a normal weighted Texas rigged setup. I bought the mold to make them about 2 years ago and have used them very often since. I use weights from 1/4oz and up depending on what baits are being used. If you're a Zman fan you can use a 1/4oz with a finesse worm as you would a shakey head as it will stand straight up. Same with Zman craws and even the TRD if you have a swinging head with a smaller sized hook. For baits such a Rage Tails use a heavier weight to keep them on the bottom and crank them in while bumping the bottom and any other structure along the way, I've done this on hard and soft bottoms with good success. To me its one of the most universal rigs for the way I normally fish.

[jr231]

I have good luck with a stop and go with these ! Especially when using the rage bug or craw! 

 

@iabass8 what's your favorite trailer with these in rivers ? 

[iabass8]

 Rodents and a custom color 702 Craw cover most situations. Depends on the area I'm fishing. 

[WRB]

Catt has been posting photos of the SK swing head jig this year with a craw worm trailer that looks good.

swing heads go way back, Shannon made it back in the 60's that I used with a 9" UJ Blackwidow eel because you can use whatever hook needed. Forgotten lure until Biffle reintroduced as his Biffle bug. Advantages, allows the trailer more movement and you can change hooks.

Tom

[Catt]

[Bluebasser86]

I use them about anytime other than in weeds. It's one of my favorite ways to present a soft plastic.

[FishOnLMB]

I like to use it when I have a hard rocky bottom. Ideal depths can be from 4-50 feet, more or less. I like to slow drag it and sometimes pop it once in a while. Usally I like to throw it in post frontal conditions when the pressure is high. So bright blue bird skies after a rain storm would be ideal, but you can fish it anywhere you want. 

[Catt]

I flip, pitch, & punch em

[smalljaw67]

I didn't buy a mold but I may do it next spring. For my waters the ideal condition is hard bottom with scattered rock and it works best when the water is like glass. Early in the summer we had a day when there wasn't a bit of a breeze and the skies were partly cloudy. I threw square bills, spinnerbaits and swim jigs, nothing. So we started hitting some cover and pitching worms and I was getting ready to finesse fish when I decided to give the Biffle Hard Head and a beaver a shot for a few casts. Over the next two hours I landed 11 fish with my smallest being a 17" smallmouth and the biggest was a 21.5" largemouth. It didn't seem to be a fluke either, almost every outing when the water is super calm and the fish are scattered this works, you'd think the square bill would be just as good but it isn't, so ideal conditions for my water is hard bottoms with smooth as glass water. We fish them like a square bill but slower with no stops, we will alternate speed but never stop and almost all my strikes come after hitting rock.

[Airman4754]

Use them anywhere you would use a deep crankbait and fish them the exact same way. Grind them into the bottom and whenever you hit anything solid, pause.

 

The bite is usually much more noticeable than a regular football jig.

[bagofdonuts]

Great river bait. I just slow roll them on bottom. Heavy weight for fast retrieve less weight when they want a slow retrieve. My only gripe is the drum love them. 

[kadas]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 0:42 AM, Catt said:

I flip, pitch, & punch em

I do the same as Catt--do not have much hard bottom in the lakes I fish so I do not do much bottom dragging  but I have had pretty good luck flipping and pitching them--seems to add a different presentation to the baits that the fish have not seen or like because I have been pleasantly surprised with the results when I started flipping and pitching with them

[Catt]

10 hours ago, kadas said:

I do the same as Catt--do not have much hard bottom in the lakes I fish so I do not do much bottom dragging  but I have had pretty good luck flipping and pitching them--seems to add a different presentation to the baits that the fish have not seen or like because I have been pleasantly surprised with the results when I started flipping and pitching with them

 

Soon as I saw em at Academy I thought flipping-n -pitching!

[primetime]

On 12/24/2016 at 0:42 AM, Catt said:

I flip, pitch, & punch em

Did you add that Tungsten weight above the hook? I have never seen the Grigsby version but That has to weigh more than a 1/2 ounce right? I have the strike King swing Jigs that are made up to 3/8 but Now I see why you use them in grass. Love that idea. Going to get on that ASAP. I usually only swim that jig but adding a weight is such a good idea. Or maybe they come that way. Grigsby knows grass.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, primetime said:

Did you add that Tungsten weight above the hook? I have never seen the Grigsby version but That has to weigh more than a 1/2 ounce right? I have the strike King swing Jigs that are made up to 3/8 but Now I see why you use them in grass. Love that idea. Going to get on that ASAP. I usually only swim that jig but adding a weight is such a good idea. Or maybe they come that way. Grigsby knows grass.

 

There's no tungsten weight, that's the skirt band.

It's a 1/2 oz jig

Shaw Grigsby version is all Academy has in 1/4, 3/8, & 1/2 oz.