Thread: Using inside jigheads for tubes

GrouseFly is none other than Paul Mullins of P&S Custom Tackle .... THE man that makes all my weedless jigheads. He also makes some great looking, and productive, hair/feather/artificial material jigs ... and just about any other kind of "concoction" jig, that you can think of :p But, seriously folks ..... you want some fine, custom made jigs ... or weedless jigs ... give him a shout, tell him what you want/need, how you want it made, and give him some time to work it up !! You'll be glad you did !!

Paul/GrouseFly is listed in the "Crappie Small Business Directory" of Crappie.com .... link at top of page. Or email him at - [email protected]

........ cp

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

Personally, I don't see a need to "insert" the whole jighead into my tubes. I use several different style heads, and just thread the tubes (or grubs, etc) onto the hook. A touch of "superglue" between the lead and plastic ... and they don't slip down (and Sunfish can't "pull" them down, either) :p I, also, don't like having to remove the whole jig/plastic, to change colors or body versions, like you do with insert jigheads. That's one reason I use the "thread on" method, and the ball head or minnow head style jigheads.

CP,

I've been inserting the whole jighead into my tubes but have been reading articles suggesting that threading tubes onto painted heads is better. I've noticed that some jig head manufacturers paint large eyes and some use small eyes. Been wondering which is better. Do you use painted jig heads? If so, how do you match head color to tube color? Are unpainted heads as effective?

Any light you can shed on these questions would be most helpful and most appreciated!

Thanks...Dan

Grouse Fly has the right idea. I have been using insert heads with tube jigs for years this way. Never tear up a tube body this way. You can change colors
or put on a new body in 30 sec. or less. They hold up very well and body stays in place much better than using jig heads.
Joe

Thanks CP for the good words...I do the best I can for a one-man show...I have always used a insert head for tubes though. It just made more sense to me to hide the head instead of that big round knot on the end of my tube. That is just my opinion though and I know guys do different things. I always figured it was better to try to hide all the hardware I could for a more natural look. As for the roundheads and the eye size, I paint both and it is usually for the man more than it is for the fish. Some guys want a big eye and others want just a touch of a eye. When it comes to colors, it's like a woman buying a dress. The more colors you have to more you want, and trust me, some guys have a WIDE color range. Some work, some don't but you have to try to see. When it comes to crappie, COLOR is what makes the world go around.........Good Fishin'....The G-Fly

Originally Posted by CatchumDeep

CP,

I've been inserting the whole jighead into my tubes but have been reading articles suggesting that threading tubes onto painted heads is better. I've noticed that some jig head manufacturers paint large eyes and some use small eyes. Been wondering which is better. Do you use painted jig heads? If so, how do you match head color to tube color? Are unpainted heads as effective?

Any light you can shed on these questions would be most helpful and most appreciated!

Thanks...Dan

I've never really gotten into using "insert" jigheads. On my jighead/plastics rigs .... I've always used a weedless jighead, and threaded the plastic onto the hook. I mostly use tubes and Panfish Assassins. I use the tubes for straight casting/retrieving (swimming the jig) ... and the PA's for shooting docks (they skip better). I've never been concerned about whether or not the jig has an "eye" painted on it ... as I mostly use unpainted heads.
My reasoning for not being concerned about "eyes" on the jig, is due to the idea that Crappie tend to come from underneath and behind ... when they suck in the jig (that I'm slowly swimming back). They don't necessarily "see" whether or not the jig has an eye ... they're ambushing from behind. Now, that's not to say that an eye isn't important. It could very well be that when vertical jigging, or some other method where the jig isn't moving thru the water much, the Crappie may look it over longer. I just don't "vertical jig" enough to have enough experience to draw a conclusion from. When I'm "Vertical Casting" ... I'm still using a "eyeless" jighead ... since I'm usually using the same unpainted jighead & tube or grub, or a marabou wrapped/painted jighead.
GrouseFly has me pegged :D ... I'm one of those guys that "does different things". Actually, I haven't bought or won or had given to me, ANY jig that didn't catch Crappie (of the ones I've used) I've known times when color meant catching or not ... and times when it didn't matter. But, IN ALL CASES, it's always been "location, presentation, & speed" that were the primary factors in whether or not I caught fish. Color was just a "fine tuning" factor (for visability, under the current water clarity conditions) ... whether or not the jighead had a white eye, red eye, big eye, little eye, black eye, or the pinkeye ........ never entered the equation :D
If you've got confidence that a certain size or color of eye, on your jighead, is going to produce better for you ........ go for it. Even if it really doesn't matter to the Crappie ... you will fish it "better" (with confidence) and probably catch those fish. I really don't see any reason why a Crappie would turn its nose up at a jig ... just because it had too big, too small, or the wrong color eye. They certainly don't seem to mind hitting my "eyeless" ones ..... :p
......... luck2ya ... cp