Jig Heads?

[G4bama]

I am wanting to buy some jig heads but have questions about head styles. Ball head or fish head style? What, if any, are the differences or advantages of one over the other.

[CrappiePappy]

I've mostly used ball heads, with a few exceptions over the last 40yrs, and 95% of the time they've been weedless style jig heads. I really wouldn't think there'd be enough difference in shape to noticeably affect the dynamics of something that small.

IMHO ... it's a lot like "eyes or no eyes" on a jig head. I've used both, simultaneously, and haven't seen any noticeable preference towards one or the other. The jig heads I use for casting purposes are unpainted/no eyes, and most of the jig heads I use for "pushing" are painted & some with eyes. I catch fish on all of them ... so I've come to the conclusion that head shape, like eyes/no eyes, is a matter of personal choice. What prompts that choice may be personal experience, recommendations of others, looks (in the eyes of a purchaser), or what you were initially taught to use by a mentor.

[G4bama]

I mainly use ball head jigs. I do not mold my own and most that I buy are unpainted. I was just curious about the designs. for now all of my fishing is done casting jigs on offshore cover. I am in the process of rounding up the equipment to add spider rigging to my arsenal.

[Cray]

Like Pappy, over the years I have used a variety and see no real difference as far as casting and single poling. I pour my own and paint them all kinds of color's. I am partial to a couple of color's but don't know that it's anything other like Pappy said, in the eye of the beholder. I do have a preference for using pony heads as bottom jig when spider rigging though. Think that blade does make a difference. Everything besides pony heads are ball head.

[skeetbum]

I pour my own, as Cray does, and have several molds. I don't think one outdoes another much, and the vast majority are nekked. I like the profile of the minnow head but it's just personal as the guy in the other seat is using ball head and matching fish for fish. I have some ponies and roadrunners that also get a lot of play, mostly longline and spider rig. I will say that bigger jigs sometimes weed out the smaller fish, 1/8 and above, but some days I catch a 5" fish on a 1/4oz head and 3" body. Go figure.

[CrappiePappy]

I mainly use ball head jigs. I do not mold my own and most that I buy are unpainted. I was just curious about the designs. for now all of my fishing is done casting jigs on offshore cover. I am in the process of rounding up the equipment to add spider rigging to my arsenal.

If/when you start looking at plastic bodies for your spider rigging setups (if you use plastics with them) ... then you might take a look at Slabanator's Jigs ( http://www.crappie.com/crappie/-memb...-crappie-jigs/ ). "Slabeye" (Rodney) makes a great product ... very soft, yet durable - 4 different body styles (all 2" in length) - lots of great color combo's (2 or 3 colors) and can/will do custom color combinations by request. Reasonable cost and shipping charges.

[Ketchn]

may i take a moment to inject what i think in this thread please ......IMHO there is a major difference in the performance of a ball style head to a minnow style head ....
to get a better idea of this you need to swim a few beside the boat on the surface and watch how they act when worked ...most minnow heads will dart in an erratic manner when jigged , while a ball head will stay much more true to its original path . now of course the style bait you put on and if its on the jig straight or not plays into it as well .
and in the end sometimes its just what you have confidence in as well .......a confident angler will ketch more fish
tandem rigging ball head only for me .....heavy cover ball head again .....docks the same ....
open water and bridge columns possibly a modified walleye /minnow head .....
hope this helps you decide ....have a great day

[G4bama]

Guys, thanks for you input. I think that I will go with a mixture and do a little, ok a lot, of trial and error. Fishing is all good either way.

[Spoonminnow]

unpainted barbless ball head jigs (add a grub keeper wire to just under the line tie)

[Crestliner08]

Like Spoonminnow says above, plain ole' ball heads with the barb crimped down. Been doing this for many, many years. I do not see a benefit in changing jig head styles per say. I do switch to a weedless variety from time to time, if the conditions warrant. But I prefer plain.