Swinging / Articulating Jig Head Weights ?

[ChrisD46]

*Curious what weight people use with their swinging / articulating jig heads with worms / creature baits running say 15 ft. or less ? ... I was thinking 3/8th oz. or 1/2 oz. weight using 15 lb. FC main line would allow you to crank these jigs while maintaining bottom contact (the most important part of a swinging / articulating jig head retrieve is maintaining bottom contact) .

[Jig Man]

3/8 and heavier or they don’t get close to the bottom.

[ChrisD46]

Thanks - I know these jigs work best when they are colliding  into and careening off of  rocks and such ... I'm now leaning towards that 7/16th oz. ~ 1/2 oz. range as perhaps the best weight to start with as you will be reeling faster during warm water , summer conditions versus winter where you could probably get by with a 3/8th oz. weight slowed down a little on the retrieve . All I know to do with these jig heads is to let them reach bottom , hold your rod low to the side and steadily crank them on the bottom seeking maximum impact with bottom obstructions .

[Heartland]

2 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

Thanks - I know these jigs work best when they are colliding  into and careening off of  rocks and such ... I'm now leaning towards that 7/16th oz. ~ 1/2 oz. range as perhaps the best weight to start with as you will be reeling faster during warm water , summer conditions versus winter where you could probably get by with a 3/8th oz. weight slowed down a little on the retrieve . All I know to do with these jig heads is to let them reach bottom , hold your rod low to the side and steadily crank them on the bottom seeking maximum impact with bottom obstructions .

Tommy Biffle seemed to have managed the learning curve of the swing jig a little ahead of most others.  He was deadly on the rivers of OK with that rig.  If it were me I would do some reading and  see what line, rod, baits, and structure/cover he found the rig most successful in, may cut down some of the learning curve or just fill in a little info.

[Fishes in trees]

In my limited experience with these baits, I think that 3/8 is a little light and a 1 ounce is a little heavy.  My personal best Truman Lake fish, which I caught last fall, came on a half ounce or so Biffle Head with a Zoom crawfish trailer (South Africa Special color).  It was 22" long, which I guessed to be in the 6 lb range, fish was fat so probably in the upper 6 lb range.

 

Current Biffle Bug gear would be a MH 7' All Star Carolina rig rod ( which is on the heavy side of MH ) with a Curado 200 E / 20 lb Abrazx.   I'm sure I could go a little longer rod and get a little more distance casting, but this rig stores ok in my truck and 7'6" or longer rods don't.

[ww2farmer]

For me, the wobble/swinging/Biffle head is strictly a bottom bumping, constant bottom contact presentation. I want that thing on the bottom at all times so I don't fart around with light weights. I use 3/4 oz most of the time no matter what depths I'm fishing it. 

[Big Swimbait]

1 hour ago, ww2farmer said:

For me, the wobble/swinging/Biffle head is strictly a bottom bumping, constant bottom contact presentation. I want that thing on the bottom at all times so I don't fart around with light weights. I use 3/4 oz most of the time no matter what depths I'm fishing it. 

So much this^^^^

[ChrisD46]

Good replies - will save me some money ! I have the exact same All Star C-Rig Rod plus a Abu Garcia 7' Veritas H/F rod with 6:3:1's on both along with AbraZX 15 lb. ... Now Time to find some new VMC Swinging Rugby Heads in 1/2 oz - 3/4 oz. and cover water in my local rocky / pea gravel reservoir with expansive flats .

[RoLo]

16 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

Good replies - will save me some money ! I have the exact same All Star C-Rig Rod plus a Abu Garcia 7' Veritas H/F rod with 6:3:1's on both along with AbraZX 15 lb. ... Now Time to find some new VMC Swinging Rugby Heads in 1/2 oz - 3/4 oz. and cover water in my local rocky / pea gravel reservoir with expansive flats .

 

I would favor the 3/4 oz size, as @ww2farmer said; one stop shopping.

 

Roger

[Teal]

Does @Siebert Outdoors make a hard head or swinging jig head 

[Ogandrews]

For an all around size it’s hard to go wrong with 1/2. I really like throwing swing heads when I’m smallmouth fishing up north on rocky reefs and islands. If the rocks are super gnarly or shallow I’ll drop down to 3/8 but otherwise it’s a 1/2 with a zoom z craw or a rage menace on it.

[Siebert Outdoors]

13 hours ago, Teal said:

Does @Siebert Outdoors make a hard head or swinging jig head 

 

Hello Teal,

 

Not at this time.  I had offered them for awhile but they did not sell at all. 

[Teal]

1 hour ago, Siebert Outdoors said:

 

Hello Teal,

 

Not at this time.  I had offered them for awhile but they did not sell at all. 

Oh ok... at least you tried.  I just recently started using them myself.  

[Bluebasser86]

I use 1/4oz 90% of the time, 1/8oz 5% of the time, and something heavier then 1/4 5% of the time, but I never use them with the constant cranking retrieve, it's never worked for me like that.

[ChrisD46]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I use 1/4oz 90% of the time, 1/8oz 5% of the time, and something heavier then 1/4 5% of the time, but I never use them with the constant cranking retrieve, it's never worked for me like that.

*Interesting - so I take it a drag and stop or stroking  retrieve works best for you on this jig head type ? ... At 1/4th oz. I would even try swimming it too .

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, ChrisD46 said:

*Interesting - so I take it a drag and stop or stroking  retrieve works best for you on this jig head type ? ... At 1/4th oz. I would even try swimming it too .

Yes I use them for dragging. Basically my replacement for a C-rig or standard football jig.

[scaleface]

I just picked up  some 1/4 ounce ones off the clearance rack . I imagine I'll use them like any other jig head , bounce it around , toss it in brush piles...