Selecting an proper jig head is an important part of fishing. The shape of the jig head will determines if the lure look like natural prey to the fish. Additionally, the jig head will determine whether or not the fish will react to the lure at all.
Using the wrong type of jig head may cause the fish to not strike at the baited lure. However, using the correct jig head will increase the likelihood that the fish will strike at the lure. The environment in which you are fishing will determine which type of jig head you should use.
How to Pick the Right Jig Head
For instance, if you are fishing in areas that contains many rocks, using a round ball type of jig head will cause the jig head to wedge into the rock crevices. If the jig head becomes wedged into the rocks, you may lose the lure. In this same type of environment, a football type of jig head will roll over the rocks.
The football jig head will allow the lure to create a side-to-side wobble movement that mimics the movement of a crawfish. In areas of the lake that do not contain rocks, grass or open water areas, a swim jig head should be used. Swim jig heads has an angled face that will allow the lure to track straight through the water.
Anglers commonly use swim jig heads to mimic the movement of a shad or perch. Additionally, if you attach a paddle tail trailer to a swim jig head, it will create a vibration in the water that the fish can feel. The swim jig head should be retrieved in straight lines to maintain the posture of the lure.
Finesse fishing techniques requires the use of jig heads such as Ned or shakey jig heads. Fishermen use finesse fishing techniques when the water is particularly clear and when the fish are under many pressure from other fish. Both Ned and shakey jig heads have a mushroom shape.
This mushroom shape allows the lure to stand vertically on the bottom of the lake. When standing vertically on the bottom, the lure begins to look like a natural insect or worm to the fish. Additionally, because these jig heads are among the lightest types of jig head, they will not move much in the water.
Understanding the anatomy of the jig head can significantly impact your fishing success. The angle of the hook eye will change the function of the jig head. A ninety-degree angle is used for vertical jigging.
A sixty-degree angle is used for swimming and falling. Additionally, many jig heads contain a keeper barb that prevents the plastic trailer from sliding off from the hook. The weight of the jig head should match the depth and the strength of the current in the water.
Using a jig head that is too heavy will bury the jig head in the mud in deeper water. This can make it difficult for you to feel the bottom of the lake. If the jig head is too light, the current will move the jig head away from your strike zone in the lake.
You should use a jig head weight that allow you to feel the jig head as it tick against the bottom of the lake. Depending upon the season in which you go into the lake, you should change the type of jig head that you use. During the spring, you should use lighter jig heads that allow the lure to stand up on the bottom.
During the summer, use heavier football type of jig heads that will allow you to reach deeper waters. During the fall when the fish are chasing shad, use dart jig head or swim jig heads. Finally, during the winter when the fish are lethargic, use tiny finesse jig heads.
By selecting the appropriate type of jig head based upon the bottom of the lake and the current season, you will increase the likelihood of your fish take the bait.