Football Vs Traditional Headed Jigs

[jeb]

I've just gotten into fishing the larger rubber skirt bass jigs this year, and I'm building a lot of confidence in the technique. Mostly because I've caught a bunch of nice fish with it! I fish mostly the round or somewhat pointed head jigs. I keep reading about the football jigs and have tried them. But I can't say as I've caught any fish using them, and they seem to get hung up a lot more in all the rocks we have here on Beaver Lake. I lose a lot less jigs with the non-FB heads.

So what am I missing? Is the FB still preferred even in rocky lakes, or is it more of a brushy, weedy lake thing? What makes them preferred in any condtions? It seems like they'd all perform about the same skipping or dragging them across the bottom.

Just trying to talk myself into trying them more, I guess. Or find an excuse to stop buying them!

[Wayne SW/MO]

The main idea behind the football is that it can't be pulled into rock crevices. At least the idea behind their use on rocky bottoms. The other idea is that they can be tipped up to indicate a live bait. I'm not sure any one uses this feature, other then the fact it will do this to some extent when dragged.

The bottom line is that location, location, action and color are probably most important. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[eric1978]

I agree with Wayne. The shape of the head only changes the way the jig moves over and through cover. I don't believe either will catch you more or less fish. Some people say that a football prevents it from laying over on its side, which I tend to agree with if you're talking about a totally flat bottom, but I think that many types of trailer will perform the same function. I'd just fish with the jig that you hang up less and have more confidence in.

[Ham]

Every jighead will hang up. I have tremendous confidence in a football jig, but you're catching fish and like other designs. KOKO.

[jeb]

I don't believe either will catch you more or less fish.

That's what I wonder about. The way some folks rave about the FB, I figure I'm missing out on something. Maybe I'll try them some more on less rocky points/areas, but I sure have a lot more confidence in the non-FB jigs at this point.

But like Wayne says, I hate fixin' what ain't broke, at least without a good reason.

[RSBreth]

The brand new issue of In-Fisherman has a really good article about using football jigs. It's probably on the newsstand now.

I mainly use them for dragging gravely areas, like you you would a Carolina rig. That's about it.

[smallmouthjoe]

I've been using football heads for what I call a spot bait. I'll throw one next to a dock or piece of cover, let it sink to the bottom, then shake it. If I don't get bit I'll reel it in and throw to another spot. Seems to work better than a regular jig at this approach, I can get a little more movement out of shaking it than I would with a regular jig.