Click on the logo to go straight to the store!

Welcome to JarodJigs.com!

Round head jigs

When you think of jig fishing, You might think of Denny Brauer, or Lonnie Stanley, and flipping jigs with a big pork rind on the back.  Rightfully so, these are awesome jigs and can catch some big fish in the right situations.  What about clear water?  What if there is a lot of smallmouth, and spotted bass where you fish?  Maybe you need to downsize, or finesse a little bit.  There is a jig out there that can catch big fish as well as numbers.  It has become famous in the lakes of Missouri and northern Arkansas, and I'm sure its popular in other areas of the country as well.  It’s a round headed jig.  A small, more compact jig, that catches a lot of fish, and guys like Jim and Troy Eakins, and Jimmy Davis have made this little jig famous.  Guys that throw this little jig are in the money a lot.  It’s a great tool to catch bass in a lot of situations.  And can be fished virtually anywhere.

The most popular model of round head jigs to many is the Eakins jig.  Their 5/16 ounce model is so popular on lakes like Table Rock in Missouri, that if you ask anyone from there, they are likely to have many of them.  The 5/16 ounce model fits a lot of situations, and has a little different falling rate than most other jigs, creating a lot of bites.  Most people use the signature Eakins Craw trailer on the back.  A good way to rig it is to pinch off a couple segments off the top of the craw, and put it on the hook and make the point come right out between the eyes of the craw.  A twin tailed grub works awesome on this jig as well.  If you want to make the jig a little more bulky, and add some flavor, try putting a chompers on the jig.  My favorite jig of this model is the J-Rod jig made by J Bar T Tackle.  In most colors you can find this jig with rubber skirt material that has been hand tied, making for great natural action. 

There is a number of different lines and rods that you can use with this jig.  Depending on the cover I usually use 10 or 12lb line.  In crystal clear waters I may use a spinning rod and 8lb test.  Most people use a 6 1/2 feet or 7 feet rod that is medium to medium heavy action on a bait casting rod with a high speed reel.  This way after your flip or cast, you can reel it in quickly, then make your next pitch.  When using a spinning rod, it makes it easier to skip the jig under docks.  If you’ve ever seen Dion Hibdon on the water, you’ll see him skipping small jigs under docks a lot, and I wouldn’t argue with the Hibdon’s success.  If you are fishing heavier cover you may want to beef up to 14lb test, but heavy line kills the action on this jig.  If you have to go heavier than this, I would throw a flipping style head, rather than a round head.

Round headed jigs work great in many types of cover.  Rocks and timber seem to be their best cover types.  You can fish them around grass too, but a snootie type head works better for grass.  What's great about round headed jigs is that they offer a smaller compact style jig, that you can flip way under docks and around places that many other anglers don't fish.  These jigs come down rocky banks well, and when in timber or brush piles, you can work your way through them easily.  You can fish these jigs just like any other type of jig.  Flip them, pitch them, cast them, or swim them until you find what the bass want.  Casting these jigs down rocky banks is a great way to catch fish. 

If you start to catch fish on these bad boys you may want to throw them all year, but they work the best threw the winter and spring.  February through the end of May seem to be the peek times for this jig.  Don’t get me wrong, working this jig through cover all year will work, so don't set it down after the bass spawn. 

Don’t be afraid to pitch this jig anywhere.  Pitch these jigs into cover and places around docks where other anglers tend to miss.  Get the bite, then worry about getting the bass out of there.  Experiment with other sizes as well, especially when structure fishing.  A heavier jig can get bites on points, rock piles, or brush piles that some anglers might have missed.  Especially when the bass are tight in the cover or when everyone else is throwing Carolina rigs or crank baits on the structure.  What's cool about this jig is it catches all bass too.  You can catch a mixed bag of smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass easily with this jig.

The round headed jig is a tournament winner, and if you learn to fish and stick with it, you may find yourself to be a tournament winner as well.

 

The more you learn about jig fishing, the more you will be on the winners stage.

Article headline

Date: 05/25/06