Open Hook

[Mobasser]

Prior to Texas Rigging becoming the accepted way to rig plastic worms, lots of folks rigged them on a ball head jig. This predates the Shakey head by many years.         It can be a great way to rig plastic worms, when you can do it. I can use this rig in early spring, before weeds get thicker.                                        I've done best with an open hook jig worm, around sparse cover, and casting parallel with moss and weed edges, rock walls, sides of docks and boathouses etc.             Almost any plastic worm can work, but I've done best with straight tail Zoom Trick and finesse worms. Owner makes great ball head jigs, and for less money, the Eagle Claw jigs have worked well too. I like the sickle hook jigs in 1/8 oz, mostly solid black. The open hook makes an easy hook set, and just a quick lift of the rod gets it done.                                                   It's an old, but proven way to catch bass. Does anyone else rig plastic worms on a ball head jig? If so, what jigs and worms are you throwing?

[WRB]

Use a small rubber band under the hook barb and over the hook eye for a weed guard for a ball head.

We used to squeeze the round ball head flat on 2 sides with a vice to make a aspirin head. Old School stuff that still works.

Doll Fly, the original hair jig was a ball head.

Tom

[T-Billy]

Great early season rig. Trick worms and 4" ring worms are my favorites.

[thediscochef]

a 6" fat straight tail roboworm on the back of a chatterbait micro has done work for me with spotted bass

[crypt]

an old school Jelly Worm for me on a ball head jig head.

[looking45]

A 6” spade tail worm on a dart head is killer for spotted bass

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I start fishing them in Oct and use them until I cant find any healthy grass to snap them out of.  

Trick is to use a light weight (Typically 1/32-1/16 with 3/32 being the absolute heaviest) and small (#1) hook so it clears grass easily without getting bogged down (1/0 will work in a pinch).  I want a JH with a 90* line tie.  I like darter heads as the weight is distributed a little more, which helps the bait glide.  I will use ballheads if I am going to fish the worm on the bottom as well.

Owner Darter Head 

Outkast Money Darter

Blockhead 1/32 #1

Halfhead 1/16

Hayabusa Brush Easy

 

Bubbling Shaker 4" or 5" 

GB Airtail cut down to 4"-5"

 

 

[OkobojiEagle]

Gopher Tackle "Big John's" jig head dressed with straight tail 6" worm clipped to 4 1/2".

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/jig-worm-technique.html

[scaleface]

On 11/7/2023 at 4:27 PM, crypt said:

an old school Jelly Worm for me on a ball head jig head.

Me too. 

 

I use them on coverless points and flats close to a drop-off. 6 inch Manns Jelly worm on a 3/16th 0z jig head is a   good producer.

[MIbassyaker]

The open hook jigworm is still used a lot in northern natural lakes to probe the edges of deep weedlines.  Especially where the main deep vegetation is a clasping-leaf pondweed (often called "cabbage"), which creates these underwater "forests" on flats and along drop offs.  The stalks can reach up 10 feet or more through the water column with bass at any depth, and the leaves and stems are brittle enough that an open hook will rip free pretty easily. Strikes often occur as the worm begins to fall right after a "rip." 

 

The usual presentation is to work vertically around the edge of a cabbage bed with a lift-drop motion, without letting it stay still very long, to find more active bass. Then you move into the bed itself where the veg. is thicker with a more weedless presentation like a t-rig rig, for less active fish.

 

Anything from a 4" to 7" worm on a 1/16 to 3/16 oz head is good.  I like an old-school 6" mister Twister phenom worm on 1/8oz head.