Keitech jig heads

[mixermarkb]

I need to try some of Bo's 1/8oz heads. I've mostly been using the Zman Ned heads. I don't like the hook sizes in them for Neds, but they work great on Keitechs. 

[Ham]

VMC Mooney’s Jigs are an option as well

[Guest]

for very shallow bass and a 3"swimmer, i use the 1/8 Crappie Jig.  many will say that the size 2 hook is too small, but i have not found it to be an issue.  earlier i was putting them on an a-rig to see how they would do using 50 lb. braid and i caught a tub full of 3 lb. plus whites and several lmg's in the 4 lb. range.  that smaller hook allows the swimmer to work well.  for a 1/4 oz. head, i use the 1/4 Pro Series, which has a 4/0 owner hook.  for 3/8 and up, i go to the GrassJig.  i adjust sink rates by using different sizes of line.  i like the z-man swimmers.  they would up very well.

basically, many setups will work.  the most important factor is to be putting them in front of bass.

 

bo

[mixermarkb]

Hey Bo, 

How about a 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 with something like a 2/0 grub and swimbait head? I really feel like the 4/0 is too big for the grubs and paddle tail swimmers In the sizes I use, but it's hard to find a quality head with a smaller but still good hook. Might really be a good seller with your weed guard design...

[Old plug]

If I was you all I would listen closely to what BO is saying here. He is a good gig fisherman I can see that and manufactures therm. So you cannot go wrong

[Guest]

10 hours ago, mixermarkb said:

Hey Bo, 

How about a 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 with something like a 2/0 grub and swimbait head? I really feel like the 4/0 is too big for the grubs and paddle tail swimmers In the sizes I use, but it's hard to find a quality head with a smaller but still good hook. Might really be a good seller with your weed guard design...

one of the problems for us is the hooks we use are a custom design and something you can not just readily buy off the shelf.  because of my head designs the bend in the neck of the hook is a compound bend, not just one single bend.  not only does this allow the hook to fit the head as it should, it also lowers the level of the eyelet and opens up the hole throat of the hook much as a straight shank hook. but still maintaining a lever to help rotate the hook.  so, to justify having a custom hook made, their has to be sufficient sales of that hook to be able to use up a minimum number of them each year.

so, what basically is a "swim head"?  the "swim heads" on the market do not basically hook well by their design, but they are made as they are so they will not roll over on their side during retrieve.  you will find that any of our heads, by design, will never roll over during retrieve.  so, any of them work quite well to swim.  

many folks have a big misconception about hook sizes.  in a jig hook, the distance from the hook point to the eyelet is the same in a 2/0 hook as it is in a 5/0 hook.  where the extra hook length is added is from the hook point to the bottom on the hook bend.  so, the straight part of the shank is the same in both of them.  so, a 3"swimmer will fit a 2/0 and 4/0 jig hook the same.

the reason that NuTech heads will not roll over is because of head design.  the cams and flats work as hydrodynamic plane, the the guide arms act as stabilizers and make the head track straight regardless of speed.  it would be possible to put enough tork by drag behind the head to make the want to lay over, but i have not found any swimmer that would do it.

i caught a whole lot of bass this past winter on a 3/4 GrassJig head with a 3" z-man swimmer.  many people are figuring out that the 3/16 and 1/4 Pro Series heads work great to load their a-rigs with.  they not only swim great, but hook better, and you can pull your rig through the trees and not be hung up all the time.

hope this helps bring to light a few things about head design and hook sizes.

bo 

[vernon]

Dang Bo, as much as I enjoy fishing your jigs and heads I gotta admit that hardly any of that stuff ever went through my mind!

OK, absolutely none of it.

However, now that I am "woke" to all the technological aspects of the design and engineering I can't wait to spring all of that stuff on my brother and make him think that I are smart!

Thanks for sharing all of that with the unenlightened among us.

 

[dtrs5kprs]

2 hours ago, vernon said:

Dang Bo, as much as I enjoy fishing your jigs and heads I gotta admit that hardly any of that stuff ever went through my mind!

OK, absolutely none of it.

However, now that I am "woke" to all the technological aspects of the design and engineering I can't wait to spring all of that stuff on my brother and make him think that I are smart!

Thanks for sharing all of that with the unenlightened among us.

 

Most folks have no idea of what goes into jig design, hook design, component selection, etc. Which is probably just as well, lol. It'll drive you bats.

[Quillback]

Dirty jigs Guppy heads, the 3/0 hooks do have a longer shank than the 1/0.  

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Quillback said:

Dirty jigs Guppy heads, the 3/0 hooks do have a longer shank than the 1/0.  

and when you put more length in the shank, it also diminishes the swimming action of your swimmer.

bo