There are now jigheads to suit just about all fishing scenarios. So how do all these patterns, shapes and configurations work? Soft plastic specialist KEVIN SAVVAS explains.
MODERN sportfishing has become a complex phenomenon. Gone are the days when a length of line wrapped around a piece of cork is an “adequate” tool for the job. I have a suspicion we might have all become fishing snobs. The landscape has changed and even the way we speak about our trade can be confusing for the average punter. Nowadays you will hear things like fishing reels possessing aero wrap line lay with silent oscillation, gel spun polyethylene super lines made from Dyneema and polycarbonate crankbaits with tungsten weights. For a first timer, this may as well be another language.
The use of soft plastics epitomises this cultural change. When I first started out I used an amalgam of gear I already owned and a smattering of new stuff I thought was ample for the job. When I gaze upon this gear 10 years later I’m amazed I ever got off the ground and took flight.
Soft plastic fishing has become a highly specialised area of angling with specific tools designed to perform specific tasks. The gear used is an integrated system right through from the super light and sensitive graphite rods mated to space-age technology reels that are equally as light. Whack on some of that “GSP super line made from Dyneema” and join it with some “light refractive” fluorocarbon leader material and the picture is almost complete.
The last component to this equation lies in the presentation. This is where things can become even more confusing. There are thousands of plastics on the market in various sizes, shapes and colours; knowing which one to pick is only slightly less confusing than selecting the appropriate jighead to bring it all to life. Jigheads, like plastics, have evolved in design over the years to give anglers specific attributes in action, sink rate and sink attitude that aid in different scenarios and on different species. The problem is getting the right lure to match the right head. Get this incorrect and catch rates will decline. Lures are designed to be used with a specific type of jighead for optimal performance. While this is not a hard and fast rule, the best option is to learn the right process first and experiment later. This article will attempt to piece together the jigsaw puzzle and highlight which jigheads to use with different plastics and what those fandangle new shapes hanging on the shelves are designed to do.
Round Heads
Let’s start with the basics. The quintessential jighead on the market is the “round head”. This was one of the first designs available to anglers “way back when”. There are a few variations to the theme, but basically the round head was designed to be used on plastics that have a built-in action. What I mean by this is plastics that have a tail that swims or pulsates when it is dragged or moved through the water. This includes fish tails, shads, grubs and paddletails. These lures all have a tail that swims, which means the jighead only has to create motion to bring the lure to life. The lure itself creates all the life-like action.
The optimal use of the round head is a basic lift-and-drop technique. This technique allows the plastic to swim on the upstroke and flutter on the drop. You can play around with this a little and try small 20cm hops on the retrieve or massive hops that incite a reaction bite. Either way, it’s the lures tail that is enticing the fish.
In various sizes and hook configurations, the round head is suitable on all species that hit plastics and in most habitats where you want to make constant contact with the bottom. For this reason it is well suited to fish that forage on the bottom. Also, round heads and accompanying plastics are great beginner combos as the technique is quite basic … but deadly.
Finesse Heads
Without doubt, the introduction of bullet or finesse heads revolutionised the whole soft plastic movement about eight years ago. The widespread take-up of stickbait or jerk minnow-type lures opened up a whole new world of opportunities for anglers, not to mention a whole range of new target species as well. The point of difference was the new stickbait lures were designed with minimal or no in-built action and were a far subtler presentation than lures that had a tail that swam on movement.
In this scenario the jighead actually provides the movement for the plastic, not the other way around as with the round heads. If you have ever seen footage of a bullet being shot in the water, it has a dramatic impact on the bullet’s trajectory. Usually the bullet careers off to one side as the water catches an edge. Same goes with finesse heads which are angular and designed to shoot off to one side erratically when jigged correctly. If you have ever seen a fish dying you will see what the innovators are trying to emulate. A wounded fish tries to swim away and then flutters to one side half concussed. This is a prominent attack trigger for predatory fish. Finesse heads imitate this action perfectly. This is why the style of jighead and plastic when perfected is so deadly. It really imitates an easy meal.
To bring this presentation to life, a few key points need to be highlighted. With finesse heads, the action of the lure needs to be imparted by the angler. “Tapping the slack”, as I like to call it, is the best way to make the lure dance. This is snapping the slack line with the rod using a flick of the wrist just till the line comes tight to the jighead. If you repeat this quickly, the lure will come to life and shoot around erratically from left to right. This is an advanced jighead and plastic combo but one I encourage all plastic fishos to master. The finesse heads work on most species but are best suited to predatory fish and worked best on or near the bottom.
Weedless Heads
Weedless heads are used in either shallow water, around areas of snaggy or weedy terrain or to suspend a lure in the strikezone. Typically, a traditional weedless head is designed with a hook only and no lead. See the pic at the top of the opposite page. You’ll note the hook shape has a Z-type bend in the shank that allows the point of the hook to be buried in the plastic during rigging. What this means is that an angler can throw a plastic deep in tiger country and work the lure out without snagging up.
Obviously without lead the plastic will sink very slowly. This can be a real advantage if a submerged tree is only just under the surface or fishing skinny water over the top of weeds. It also has a benefit for pelagic fish if a lure needs to be retrieved fast to attract speedsters such as kingies on big Lunker City Slug-gos.
On occasion where the structure is deeper in the water column and the lure needs to get into the strike zone quickly, a number of weedless heads come with additional weight added to the shank of the hook (see images above). This gives great sink attitude as the lure descends horizontally and can be twitched to give natural movement.
Weedless heads are best worked with subtle movements of the rod tip and left to hang in the zone. I prefer to use this presentation for bigger species as the hook is embedded in the plastic. On strike, a decent amount of force is needed to penetrate the hook from inside the lure into the fish’s mouth. For this reason I like to use them on pelagics like kingies but are also perfect for targeting barra in the timber and bass held tight in weed beds.
Hidden Weight Heads
This sneaky head and plastic combo has come into its own in bream tournaments right across the country. Hidden weight heads are designed with the lead on the shank of a standard jig hook. As you rig the plastic, the lead is actually inserted into the body of the soft lure effectively hiding the lead for an extremely deceptive set up.
While this is applicable to most species, the most common target for this jighead is bream. The reason is simple. Bream are very finicky feeders and flighty at the best of times. In an era where 2lb fluoro straight through to the lure is common, anglers need to hide any unnatural facet of the lure they can. The hidden weight jigheads therefore are ideal for this purpose. Currently these jigheads only come in light weights so they are best suited to shallow water or estuaries. You can use a variety of small plastics with this head but my absolute favourite is the 2” Gulp! Shrimp.
The action and rod work is similar to the weedless heads where subtle movement of the rod tip allows the lure to flutter naturally under or around structure.
Neutral Buoyancy Heads
Neutral buoyant heads are made from different materials than the standard lead used in most other scenarios. Composite material such as resin is now available and gives us another tool for the arsenal. Typically, resin heads come in a few different shapes such as fish heads used for shads or finesse heads used for stickbaits. As their name suggests they are a slow sinking jighead that allows you to target fish sitting higher in the water column.
Some applications where this might be effective are casting to bank-side structure or over oyster leases. In this instance you want the lure to sit high in the water to avoid snagging. You may also want to use this head on pelagic fish busting up on the surface. You don’t want the lure to sink “through” the fish so a neutrally buoyant head will keep the lure in the fish’s face longer. Another benefit of these heads is that they cast well.
The fishhead for shads can be worked violently and allowed to sink slowly. This makes them particularly deadly on flathead in shallow water. The finesse resin heads are perfect for light line estuary work on all the usual plastic-eating suspects.
Swinging Heads
New to the market are the swinging heads. Basically swinging heads have the head detached from the hook via a split ring. This is ideal for deep water applications. If a standard round or finesse head is used in deep water the action of the lure is extremely unnatural and bulky. This design frees up the movement of the lure and allows heavier lead to be used without hindering the action of the lure. Current reports coming through suggest snapper are falling victim to this crafty presentation, however, it is suitable for any deep dwelling species such as mulloway, kingies or any inshore reef fish.
You can use a variety of lures with this style of jighead. The lure you use will depend on the hook configuration you select. The swinging jigs come with either standard straight-shank hooks that are suitable for most plastics or Z-type hooks such as the weedless which are ideal for stickbaits.
A standard lift and drop or erratic retrieve is suitable.
Bladed Heads
Bladed jigheads have been around now for quite some time and are a solid favourite with bass anglers on the east coast. As the name suggests, bladed jigheads have an extra appendage sprouting from the head in the form of a willow or Colorado blade. The blade gives off flash and vibration which makes it perfect for reaction strikes or when fish need to be frustrated into striking. Usually the bladed jigheads are based on a round head configuration.
Typically on lighter heads a willow leaf is employed. It is the subtler of the two types and isn’t as obtrusive and unwieldy. I like to use them on flathead in the estuaries or, as suggested, for bass or EPs. They were once used to target bream as well but I believe there are far better presentations for these blighters.
On heavier heads the Colorado blade is used to create a larger profile and cause greater disturbance for species such as Murray cod, golden perch and barra.
There are a number of applications and retrieves that you can use with bladed jigheads. You can straight retrieve like you do with spinnerbaits, hop the lure off the bottom or “whipping” shads for a seductive flash on the drop.
Bibbed Heads
Bibbed heads should rate some mention too. These are not widespread but have been in existence for quite a while. They have a bib on the head similar to that of a diving crankbait. The most famous is the Scrounger (above). Like hard-bods, the bib imparts the action even though it is mated to a lead head. The onus of this presentation is to straight-retrieve to get the lure working. On the pause the lure flutters to the bottom. Rod work from the angler can keep the lure at the desired depth.
