Hey all do any of you know if the jig heads for tube baits come in thinner sizes? I have a few tubes and jig heads but I cant seem to find any jig heads that stay closer the the tube.
I was out practising on Farmington Pond the last couple days and I would watch the fish come up hit the bait but none seemed to be able to get the tube in their mouths because of the size of hooks. Yet when I tried to get ones that were closer to the tube the size drops imensily and the jig would be too short for the tube size.
Any tip or suggestion would be wonderful thanks
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[cool][#0000ff]The best argument I have for making my own jig heads is that I can get exactly what I want...and not have to settle for whatever is available at a tackle store.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]To fish small tubes, you need to use the slender crappie tube heads...like in the picture below. I use these to either insert inside small tubes or to flatten and paint for vertical jigging by themselves (Flat Rinkees).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]However, for most small tube fishing I employ variations of the "minnow head" jigs. These have the barb closer to the head and it is on the backside of the jighead...especially designed for fishing small tubes. I generally make them on about size 4 hooks, for fishing 1 1/2" tubes...but also pour them on larger size 2 hooks for fishing 2" tubes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I modify most of my molds to allow me to create exactly the combination of hook size and head size I want. Thus, I have 1/16 oz. heads on hook sizes from size 6 to size 3/0...using the latter for fishing large plastics in shallow water without snagging. I also pour up to 3/16 oz. heads on size 4 hooks...to allow fishing small tubes in deep water...to get down quickly and to maintain feel in the deeper water.[/#0000ff]
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Hey Man,
For tube hooks the sky is really the limit. There are probably well over a hundred different style out there. You can see a lot of them on ebay. if you are looking to buy some i would suggest looking at some bass fishing forums.
shoot me a pm and i'll give you a few really good ones that i use all the time.
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Google Barlows Tackle. They have quite a few options.
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check out TCI fishing lures on e-bay. He has allll sizes of jig heads and good prices. Try the sickle hooks, they are thin and sharp as any hook I've use. Only had three fish out of 37 hook ups get away last thur. at the berry. Great hook.
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I have been too a few outfitters and still have not found what I was hoping to find. in your experience have you ever seen Tube Heads that had a long (3.5 inch tubes) "Shaft" and smaller "Gap" between the shaft and hook tip?
If you don't understand I mean like, Long enough to touch the top of the tube but hook only barely is wider then the skirts? The ones I have found are either too short length wise or too wide of a hook.
If this makes sense I will be impressed
! Maybe I can draw it...
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[cool][#0000ff]I understand what you are looking for...a jig head with a hook long enough to reach all the way down the length of the tube but with a narrower gap. Most tube jig anglers favor a wider gap to allow adding a bit of bait or to give them a better shot at a solid hookset.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since that is not a common request, tackle manufacturers are not likely to make them on a regular basis. It is a "custom" application. If you fish a lot, and learn to appreciate the differences in hook types, hook sizes, style and weight of jig heads, etc. you will likely develop a "want list" for some specialized jigs that are difficult or impossible to find.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That is one of the best arguments for making your own stuff. You do not have to settle for what is available on the market. You can create your own personal preferences in sizes, shapes, colors, actions, etc. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Although what you want is not likely available through any source I know of, it is something that is simple to make if you have the right hooks and the right jig molds. I have both. There are jig hooks that have extra long shanks so that you can have a narrower hook gap on a longer jig. Here is a pic that shows an example...using a dart head jig.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have also customized my jig molds to allow pouring heads on straight shaft hooks too, as well as the 90 degree jig hooks. So I can take a long shank regular hook and put a tube jig head on it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you ever get down this way you can bring some of the tubes you fish most and I can quickly pour up a batch of heads/hooks that will accomplish what you want.[/#0000ff]
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That would be awesome thanks!
Maybe I just need to wait till next season and really learn how to feel the bite better as I am guessing that if the majority of people agree with one way and I alone go for the opposite I might not be doing exactly as I should... Though being the first to make a ground breaking discovery would be kinda cool. Though I doubt the width of my hook would be that ground breaking...
Gotta say that line sounds kind of put downy and awkward when re read...
Thanks for the help and clearification.
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[cool][#0000ff]The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask...and it costs you time, money and stress. The only dumb ideas are ones you don't try...and miss out on potentially great new discoveries.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Never doubt your ideas...until you try them and prove definitively that they won't work. And then don't give up. Keep trying new twists until you can finally make it work. Thomas Edison had to try 1000 different experiments before he finally got a working light bulb.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'm sure you have a good reason for wanting the narrower hook gap. I can see where it might help present a narrower profile or reduce snagging or picking up weeds. But not sure I would want to trade that off for missing more strikes or getting poorer hook sets on bigger fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have a specific application in mind, then you should get set up with a few of the heads like you want them and give them a workout. If you can go on a day when the fish are biting well enough to get a good side-by-side comparison then trade off back and forth between the new models and the "standard" models and make your own evaluation.[/#0000ff]
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"Maybe I just need to wait till next season and really learn how to feel the bite better"
[#0000ff]Good observation. Fishing any kind of jigs requires a lot of experience...and the right kind of practice...to develop your skills and technique. A big part of that is the "touch" aspect...having a feel for what is going on down there at the other end of your line. Some fish smack a jig hard enough that ANYBODY can feel it and set the hook in time. But often the "take" is much more subtle. It may be only a light "tick"...or just a bit of back pressure...the "rubber band" feel. You need to use a sensitive rod and pay attention to the line as well as what you feel on the rod. Sometimes only the slightest twitch on the line will turn into the biggest fish of the day...if you set the hook. Just remember HOOKSETS ARE FREE. You may whiff a lot but you will also catch more fish than if you wait for the fish to hook themselves.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, my garage and my lure boxes are full of "great" ideas that didn't work out. But you never know unless you give it a shot.[/#0000ff]
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