Jig weight

[latex]

I'm new to crappie fishing.
I have different weight jigs and I'm interested in what determines what weight is used most often?

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[DockShootinJack]

Lighter weights will slow the fall keeping the bait in front of the fish longer. Heavier weights help when you are fishing deeper. Lighter weights seem to have more action

[yobuck]

You can always add a split shot above a light jig.
Im to the point i only have 1/16 1/24 and 1/32 along with me.

[CrappiePappy]

For casting purposes -
"Most often" used jig head weight is probably 1/16oz.

But if you have a selection from 1/32oz to 1/8oz, then you're pretty well covered for most depths.

"Why" they're used is determined by a lot of different factors, like fall rate, casting distance, hook size/style, head shape, depths fished, etc.

[Techno2000]

The lighter the Jig, the lighter the line must be to cast it effectively. For example, you will get no casting distance trying to cast a 1/64oz jig with 6# mono.

[Spoonminnow]

The lighter the Jig, the lighter the line must be to cast it effectively. For example, you will get no casting distance trying to cast a 1/64oz jig with 6# mono.

If the soft plastic lure you're casting is heavy in comparison to the jig weight, it can go 40' or more. This swimbait has no forward weight but casts far:



....same for thse Kut Tail worms using 1/64 and 1/32 oz jigs:


Hook size must be long enough though not too long depending on lure. I would match hook sizes in the range of #4 (small) to # 2 (large) to body length.
Hook length determines hook gap and too little gap means lost fish.

Round head, unpainted jig heads do as well if not better than painted heads.

Small diameter lines with no memory cast the light stuff better than say old 8# test mono (seen in the photo to the right above). Braid is all I use for casting distance and better strike detection/hook sets.

As was stated on the above posts, jig weight should not determine lure action when lures are worked parallel to the bottom along with pauses.
Too heavy the jig, the faster it has to travel to stay at the depth you're fishing whether in 3' or 8'.
I recently found that switching to a 1/64 oz jig with #4 hook got fish to commit to the strike better with more hook sets than a 1/24 oz jig with the same hook size (#4) and the same soft plastic lure. Depth was less than 3'.

[yobuck]

Do you use a mono leader, or do you tie directly to the braid?
If so what type knot on your lure connection?

[Spoonminnow]

8# test braid all the way. Uni-knot always for lure-to-line connection or line to leader.
I tried using a float today with small soft plastics and 1/64 and 1/32 oz jigs. Killed panfish for over 4 hours in one area!!! Hook sizes were #8 and #6 to match lure body size.
Fish dragged it down like no tomorrow. Even caught a bunch directly tied to the jig using various soft plastics and the same incredible action and easy hookset. Nicest thing was making casts over 40' long and working the lure nice and slow in 3.5' of water.

Took a bunch of photos if anyone is interested. I'm sure everyone has caught 11" and 12" crappie under a float so it might bore some.

[crappie wrangler]

For me, jig weight is mostly determined by the water depth I am fishing in. Yesterday I used two 1/8 oz tube jigs in tandem to catch crappie 38’ deep in 47’ of water. In 8’ of water I use a much lighter jig.

[NIMROD]

Fishing method , depth and line weight makes a difference . I use long rods and verticle jig or flip a bait . Fish livescope most of the time whether open water or cover . I use either 1/8 or 1/4 with tube jigs .