Biffle Hardheads

[Ben77]

Gonna try some Biffle hardheads this year. I know it's a proven tournament winner. Never tried this technique before so I'm excited to give it a go. Legendary Tommy Biffle hit the nail on the head with this one. I got some rage bugs, pit bosses, hula grubs lined up and eventually will add some Biffle bugs as well. Any input on this would be great thanks!

[Finessegenics]

Keep it on bottom and constantly moving! Even if it’s only moving slowly. A 6 speed reel is perfect for this.

[river-rat]

1 hour ago, Finessegenics said:

Keep it on bottom and constantly moving! Even if it’s only moving slowly. A 6 speed reel is perfect for this.

 

I second this.

[Fishes in trees]

I think of it as a crank bait that always stays on the bottom.   I've had the most success throwing at or across 45 degree gravel/chunk rock/ hard clay points.   Secondarily  gravel/chunk rock/hard clay flats adjacent to points are worth checking out.  Never have had the opportunity to throw it around big rocks, (like parallel to a big reservoirs main dam, where they used big rocks )  but there isn't any reason to think that it wouldn't work.  A modest amount of timber/brush /stumps is ok, should you get too much I think other baits are better options.   A limited amount of vegetation is ok, a lot of vegetation and the bait gets bogged down.   Soft bottoms are maybe worth checking out, but I've had more success on gravel or chunk rock or firm clay bottoms.

 

 The only sizes I've thrown are ones between 7/16 and 3/4 oz.   Gambler makes some 3/4 oz football heads that you can attach your own hook to any my personal best came on one of these and not the original Lew's product.   Other companies make a similar product and I haven't tried them all but still, I think that " Biffle Bug" is more or less generic enough for me and companies that manufacture similar baits that aren't Gene Larew, I still refer to that style of bait as a Biffle Bug.

 

So far the baits that have worked for me are the original Biffle Bug and various Zoom craws.   I've thought about throwing the big size of the Reaction Innnovation Beavers, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.  

The lakes that I most often fish seem to have a little too much vegetation and I often get it clogged up there, sometimes I can pop the vegetation off, more often than not I can't.

 

The weekend that I finally figured this bait out, at Truman Lake, I had 2 16 or so pound days in a row, then on tournament day I caught 14 or 15 fish that were 14 & 3/4 ", so non of them counted.  MY co-angler caught 2 15" fish on a Timber Tiger and that is what got weighed in.    Depth didn't seem to matter, I caught fish 14 or so feet deep, toward the end of gravel points and I caught fish in 3 feet of water as long as it was a hard or semi-hard bottom.

 

I throw the bait on a relatively cheap 7' All Star Carolina Rig rod and an older Curado filled with 20 lb Abrazx, and I can throw out most of the spool whenever I want.    At the end of the day I think that this is a reaction bait and therefore covering the water is important, so being able to throw far when you want to seems important to me.. 

 

There, that's all I know about Biffle Bugs right now.

[928JLH]

Absolutely one of my favorite techniques to fish for prespawn until the hydrilla comes in. Just cast and reel feeling the hardhead clunk and bump on the bottom. Great search bait for deep non visable smallmouth beds on drop offs before the spawning flats here on Havasu. Secured a second place in a Kayak tourney with one. Why more people here don't fish them here is mind boggling! Well stocked up on green pumpkin biffle bugs ?

[PotatoLake]

Zoom Z-craw or Jr. was my most productive soft plastic w/ this application.
 

Just make sure you always have a feel for the bottom and use a sweeping hook set. I lost a lot trying to Jack them. Also found my only bites came in rocky / gravel bottom reservoirs.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

If you plan on fishing it fast use more weight then you would normally with a jig or shakey head.  The heavier weight will help keep body contact.  I really like the Biffle Bugs, you can keep the point of the hook in the rattle pocket so the point doesnt get beat up on rocks and helps with grass. 

[softwateronly]

The bass on my lake don't seem to key in on craws as much as everyone else experiences, so I've been using keitechs on a biffle, fishing them exactly the same way as everyone else is saying and it gets bit really well.  Something definitely worth trying in my opinion. 

 

scott

[ChrisD46]

17 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

I think of it as a crank bait that always stays on the bottom.   I've had the most success throwing at or across 45 degree gravel/chunk rock/ hard clay points.   Secondarily  gravel/chunk rock/hard clay flats adjacent to points are worth checking out.  Never have had the opportunity to throw it around big rocks, (like parallel to a big reservoirs main dam, where they used big rocks )  but there isn't any reason to think that it wouldn't work.  A modest amount of timber/brush /stumps is ok, should you get too much I think other baits are better options.   A limited amount of vegetation is ok, a lot of vegetation and the bait gets bogged down.   Soft bottoms are maybe worth checking out, but I've had more success on gravel or chunk rock or firm clay bottoms.

 

 The only sizes I've thrown are ones between 7/16 and 3/4 oz.   Gambler makes some 3/4 oz football heads that you can attach your own hook to any my personal best came on one of these and not the original Lew's product.   Other companies make a similar product and I haven't tried them all but still, I think that " Biffle Bug" is more or less generic enough for me and companies that manufacture similar baits that aren't Gene Larew, I still refer to that style of bait as a Biffle Bug.

 

So far the baits that have worked for me are the original Biffle Bug and various Zoom craws.   I've thought about throwing the big size of the Reaction Innnovation Beavers, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.  

The lakes that I most often fish seem to have a little too much vegetation and I often get it clogged up there, sometimes I can pop the vegetation off, more often than not I can't.

 

The weekend that I finally figured this bait out, at Truman Lake, I had 2 16 or so pound days in a row, then on tournament day I caught 14 or 15 fish that were 14 & 3/4 ", so non of them counted.  MY co-angler caught 2 15" fish on a Timber Tiger and that is what got weighed in.    Depth didn't seem to matter, I caught fish 14 or so feet deep, toward the end of gravel points and I caught fish in 3 feet of water as long as it was a hard or semi-hard bottom.

 

I throw the bait on a relatively cheap 7' All Star Carolina Rig rod and an older Curado filled with 20 lb Abrazx, and I can throw out most of the spool whenever I want.    At the end of the day I think that this is a reaction bait and therefore covering the water is important, so being able to throw far when you want to seems important to me.. 

 

There, that's all I know about Biffle Bugs right now.

*Very good information ^^ ... You want that "swing head jig" maintaining contact with the bottom at all times with hard deflections off of chunk rock and boulders (7/16th oz. good size head weight  to start) . To achieve that hard instant deflection that draws the best reaction strikes (what you want - like a crankbait) you want a 7 ft. + MH+/H  F action  rod (on the tip stiff side) , low stretch FC line of #15 lb. ~ #20 lb. to aid in that hard , instant deflection (6:3:1 reel speed is fine) . *A cheaper ,  lower end rod (i.e. All Star C-Rig rod) is actually the better choice than a higher end more tip sensitive / parabolic rod for the Bufflehead set up (I use a close out  Veritas 7' H / F broom stick nobody wanted) just for the Biffle Head technique. So , a stiff rod , low stretch  sinking FC line with hard instant deflections of the Biffle Head off of rocks (i.e. no rod slowly loading up junk here) is your best bet .

[BTSyndrome]

... and when you get tired of getting that football head shape stuck, try a Strike King Jointed Structure Head. Same concept but since it is more pointed to the line tie, I find it comes through trees/rocks with way less hang-up's.

[Ben77]

Wow this is some great info guys thanks!

[Biglittle8]

I often vary my retrieve by dragging, picking up a couple inches and letting it drop and sit a little bit... Repeat. I use alot of Yum Dingers soaked in JJ's or Edge Hot Sauce.

[Bluebasser86]

I drag mine, more like a regular football jig. The constant retrieve thing has never gotten a single strike for me, and it's one of my favorite ways to rig a plastic so I've tried.

 

A Rage Menace or Bug are both really good. The Berkley Pitboss is another standard for me. One of the perks of pouring my own is I can mess with head/hook matchups. One I like a lot is an 1/8oz head with a 7/0 monster worm hook. I rig mag straight tail worms like a YUM Mightee worm or Strike King Bull Worm (the 11" version), or a 7" stick worm, and sling that around. It doesn't take much addition weight on those already heavy worms, so the small weight just kind of glides them down to the bottom, if they make it there ?

[Fishes in trees]

I want some.  You tell me - you make em.  PM me for how much for a dozen & I 'm good for it. Believe tor don't.  To be specific - the 1/8 oz head with the heavy or med/hvy with a 6/0 or 7/0 hook

[softwateronly]

I'm trying the mustad fastach heads so I can better match my hook to baits this year, but they only drop down to 1/4oz.  Maybe they can hold you over till you get the sweet custom ones made. 

 

scott

[FryDog62]

The Biffle Bug on a hard head jig is good - but yes, the key is to keep it moving along the bottom - as fast as you can while still maintaining contact. For that reason, I found a lot of times I needed something heavier that hugged the bottom better. Here’s what I prefer now in 3/4 oz. Plus, I find the triangular head gets through cover much better:

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?sort=no&start=0&count=30&prevsearch=hard+head&searchtext=Strike+king+jointed

[KCFinesse]

Super interested in this- I fish the ozark lakes a bunch and have used hardheads quite a bit.

 

What are the pros and cons of bottom contact fishing a hard head vs bottom contact fishing a tokyo rig (heck or even a jika)? I feel like I fish them the same way...

 

-Jared

[Bluebasser86]

13 hours ago, KCFinesse said:

Super interested in this- I fish the ozark lakes a bunch and have used hardheads quite a bit.

 

What are the pros and cons of bottom contact fishing a hard head vs bottom contact fishing a tokyo rig (heck or even a jika)? I feel like I fish them the same way...

 

-Jared

I couldn't give you a for sure honest answer there as I've never fished a Jika or Tokyo rig. It seems like the Jika or Tokyo rig would pull your bait much more directly to the bottom whereas the lightly weighted swinghead has a tendency to hop and glide around with those big worms, especially ones with the flatter sides like the YUM Mighty worm.

[roadwarrior]

The Jika Rig helps keep the bait just off the bottom.  My most effective presentation is

with a Rage Structure. This looks like a baitfish feeding on the bottom.

[KCFinesse]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I couldn't give you a for sure honest answer there as I've never fished a Jika or Tokyo rig. It seems like the Jika or Tokyo rig would pull your bait much more directly to the bottom whereas the lightly weighted swinghead has a tendency to hop and glide around with those big worms, especially ones with the flatter sides like the YUM Mighty worm.

I completely get the glide concept and it makes a ton of sense for how you fish the biffle heads based on what you described (lighter weight, almost shakeyhead-like but with added natural movement).

 

But if the idea of biffle heads is scooting a heavier bait on the bottom and covering a little turf- wouldn't a tokyo rig be better? Or are there other advantages to the hardhead in those instances?

 

My thoughts with the tokyo rig are that the line tie is out of the rocks and the orientation of the weight facilitates getting to the bottom quickly.

 

Food for thought... I know I have way too much tackle for both options ?

 

-Jared

[Bluebasser86]

47 minutes ago, KCFinesse said:

I completely get the glide concept and it makes a ton of sense for how you fish the biffle heads based on what you described (lighter weight, almost shakeyhead-like but with added natural movement).

 

But if the idea of biffle heads is scooting a heavier bait on the bottom and covering a little turf- wouldn't a tokyo rig be better? Or are there other advantages to the hardhead in those instances?

 

My thoughts with the tokyo rig are that the line tie is out of the rocks and the orientation of the weight facilitates getting to the bottom quickly.

 

Food for thought... I know I have way too much tackle for both options ?

 

-Jared

The head rides with the line tie up on a swinging football head and the eye is tucked in close so there's rarely any damage to the line unless the whole thing falls in the rocks but that seems to rarely happen. Again, I'm not trying to get to the bottom quickly with this rig. It's a giant finesse presentation but once it's down it's moved pretty quickly and rarely hangs.

 

I have no idea where the line tie on a Tokyo rig even is, I've never see one in person or bothered to look that hard. It's always looked like a premade wire dropshot rig and never have seen a need to use one.

[softwateronly]

1 hour ago, KCFinesse said:

I completely get the glide concept and it makes a ton of sense for how you fish the biffle heads based on what you described (lighter weight, almost shakeyhead-like but with added natural movement).

 

But if the idea of biffle heads is scooting a heavier bait on the bottom and covering a little turf- wouldn't a tokyo rig be better? Or are there other advantages to the hardhead in those instances?

 

My thoughts with the tokyo rig are that the line tie is out of the rocks and the orientation of the weight facilitates getting to the bottom quickly.

 

Food for thought... I know I have way too much tackle for both options ?

 

-Jared

 

I'm thinking the tokyo rig and the swing head can be used interchangeably at times, mainly when bouncing off of hard bottom or chunk rock.  My guess is that muck would make the tokyo rig better and that a swing head would provide a better presentation if the bait is swimming just off of the bottom.  Don't have enough experience to say definitively.

 

scott

[Ben77]

I would like to try the gika rig in time but I have to admit that I'm excited to try the Biffle Hardheads. I like the fact that it has a swinging head it makes the bait look more natural to the bass. I will add the strike king jointed structure head's as well since I've heard good things about them. I also picked up a pack of arkie u heads finesse swinging worm hooks. It has the same concept as the Biffle Hardheads but with a long shank worm hook. I will rig these up with some zoom ol monsters and power worms and see how that goes. Has anyone tried these? Thanks again guys!