So are the swing heads mostly a warm water tactic or do they work in cold water just as good? Looking for more ice out/ early prespawn options

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

So are the swing heads mostly a warm water tactic or do they work in cold water just as good? Looking for more ice out/ early prespawn options

 

I used them in upper win water temps that would have likely been mid to upper 60s with multiple cold fronts during the week on vaca. Not sure what you would consider that temp.

I make my own.  The size I like best is 7/16 with a 4/0 hook with a full sized brush hog.  I fish it with short jerks to stir up bottom debris.  It has worked best at night in warm weather.

On 1/5/2021 at 2:09 PM, WRB said:

Fish it like a football jig and read my Horizontal Jigging In-Fisherman article.

Tom

*I'll add here : Fish it also  like a bottom contact crank bait reeling steady  with various soft plastic trailers - yet still keeping bottom contact. I use 3/8th ~ 1/2 oz. swing head jigs mostly using various makes on bare bottom pea gravel , sporadic  rock reservoirs . The rod I use is specific to a swing head Jig : A 7' Abu Garcia Veritas H/F action and line is a low stretch FC or Co-Poly line in 14 lb. to 20 lb. strength . Reel can be a 6:3:1 which is a nice medium speed for cranking . **With low stretch line and a H/F I get an immediate ricochet of the swing head jig when ever it hits a rock or other obstruction on the bottom - that's when you usually get that desired reaction  bite ... A rod with too much tip and / or a line with too much stretch will make that swing head jig hesitate and provide a soft ricochet on release from an obstacle (which again , you don't want) . Besides Tom's article, various articles by Tommy Biffle - forum member   @smalljaw67taught me a good deal of what I learned about the swing head jig presentation & equipment choices. Lastly , I will also 2nd the use of an All - Star Carolina Rig specific bait cast rod 7' MH / F (which is more on the heavy side for a MF/F rod) and it does a very good job as a Swing Head Jig / Carolina rod  with a low price point . 

In my swampy bayous, there are NO rocks to bounce anything off of.   The jig head just buries itself into the muck. 

 

   When Stroker weighted hooks came out,  the Biffle bug and Rage craw were (and are) the hot item: a horizontal fall, and light landing on the bottom works great 

 

    Alsothe Jika rig in lighter weights did well also.  

On 1/8/2021 at 1:41 PM, DitchPanda said:

So are the swing heads mostly a warm water tactic or do they work in cold water just as good? Looking for more ice out/ early prespawn options

Caught 2 keepers in a tournament Saturday on a swinghead/Menace in 45* water.

Strike King Swinging Swim Jig with Trokar EWG 

 

I'll cast it, swim it, flip it, & pitch it!

 

 

7 hours ago, Catt said:

Strike King Swinging Swim Jig with Trokar EWG 

 

I'll cast it, swim it, flip it, & pitch it!

 

 

Was curious about these. How do they do for dragging and bottom bouncing? Will they still stand up like a normal jig head?