In the world of bass fishing, jig fishermen are surgeons and jigs their scalpels. Using the proper tool, an experienced bass angler makes the precise and penetrating presentations needed to draw strikes from reluctant, cover-hugging bass. Like a surgeon’s tools, jigs are designed for specific jobs.

By design, jigs differ in components and proportion. As a result, no single jig serves best in all applications. A jig designed for probing open-water structure won’t be efficient for flipping heavy cover. Consistently successful jig fishermen must understand both the function and application of each jig’s design and components.

Head First

Arguably, the greatest differences among jig designs occur in the head. Head shape strongly influences how a lure passes through cover, falls through the water column, and rests on the bottom. The weight of the head affects the jig’s rate of fall, too.

A heavy, faster-falling jig can entice a reactive strike from reluctant bass and is efficient for covering water fast. Conversely, the slower fall of a light jig is desirable when pitching to shallower targets or when bass disposition requires it.

Jig heads molded in a bullet shape are best for flipping and pitching in soft cover, including weeds and soft brush, as the streamlined head penetrates the cover. But this cone-shape design is less effective at pulling through a dense canopy of standing timber. The pointed nose that allows the jig to slip through grass has a knack for snagging the forks of limbs. A round, broad head is a better design for thick wood, allowing the jig to deflect off limbs.

That round, broad head design also works for hopping over riprap or rocky substrate. The stand-up head is another good design for fishing around rock. Its flat bottom makes the jig sit upright on the bottom. Combined with a crawdadlike trailer, this bait accurately imitates the crustacean’s defensive posturing.

One advantage of a streamlined head also is a disadvantage. Its slithering motion fails to telegraph information about the bottom. Conversely, a round, broad head design (like a stand-up or football jig) far more effectively conveys information about cover and bottom type.

Jigs with rounded, broad heads are ideal for fishing deep structure with a dragging retrieve. One of the traditionally popular head designs, the “Arkie”-style, is a compromise between the cone and broad head designs. It works quite well in timber, vegetation, and rock.

Hookup

While head designs vary greatly, hook choices are more limited. Most bass jigs sport heavy-gauge, wide-gap hooks. The deeper bite and large gauge of these strong 3/0 to 5/0 jig hooks are ideal for flipping and pitching. The strong hooks hold up to the tremendous force of stout “flippin’ sticks,” unyielding superlines, and the weight of giant bass surging in thick cover.

On the flip-side, heavy gauge, wide-gap hooks are heavy and fall fast. When combined with a soft weedguard, a wide-gap jig hook is less effective in wood. The hook gap allows the cover to leverage too much pressure against the fiberguard, eventually snagging the lure.

Unlike jigs designed for flipping and pitching, those made for casting to deeper structure and rocky environs often are equipped with smaller hooks. The clear water normally associated with deep, rocky lakes often requires finesse presentations, and the smaller hooks allow a more compact look.