Every time I try a jig, I spend half the time cleaning muck and algae off it. It’s not the hook, it’s the head. What’s the best head for algae? I’d really like to use jigs more. Especially if I can reduce the fouling. 

Swim Jig - keep it off the bottom.

Light weight Snagless Slider jig or don’t let the jig drag on the bottom.

Tom

The Harris Chain is the poster child for mucky bottoms.  Use as light a weight as possible in those areas. I often throw plastic worms with 1/16 & 1/32 oz. weights. 

Something narrow with a recessed eye. 

47 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Every time I try a jig, I spend half the time cleaning muck and algae off it. It’s not the hook, it’s the head. What’s the best head for algae? I’d really like to use jigs more. Especially if I can reduce the fouling. 

If there were bass living in the algae & muck on the bottom,

then I would definitely fish it.

But IME, there never is.

So I fish something that will NOT Penetrate it or sink down into it.

Like a heavy jig will;regardless of design.

I do fish a place that has a very soft bottom.

Lots of decaying weed and muck.

A light punch rig works fantastic.

Looks like a jig.

Fishes like a jig and even

catches fish like a jig.

But when I use a super light (1/8 oz) LEAD weight, a skirt & a style of plastic that

is rigged in a manner that allows the entire rig to "glide" over the bottom cover

rather than "Plunge" into it.

I get bites. 

A-Jay

 

Haven’t done it in muck, but sounds perfect for a light weight Tokyo rig. 
 

scott

I'm with @MN Fisher on the swim jig. I like Outkast tackle's swim jig because of it's cone shaped head. It really slides through standing weeds well. Keep it just off the mucky bottom and you should be good

Ok, to further clarify…I bet 75% of the bass I catch are on Texas rigs. Fished on the bottom. The bullet weight will get fouled at times, but nowhere near like a jig. Now, the head on the rig @A-Jay posted looks like it should be similar and would likely work. 
 

A-Jay, can you tell me the manufacturer and model of that head? 
 

FYI- I have tried swimming jigs but no success. These bass tend to eat right on top or on the  bottom. About the only baits I’ve had success with outside those zones are jerkbaits and squarebills. But those fall short compared to soft plastics on the bottom. 

We have a ton of the black filamentous algae on the lake bottoms here.  A tokyo rig is one way to do it.  If you go that route, when you bend the wire to hold the weight in place just put a 30 degree bend to it and not a full hook or loop.  It helps weeds slide off easier.  A pointy nose swim jig helps, especially if it has a recessed eye.  A punch rig like ajay pictured works well too, especially if you use the needle nose worm weights and NOT a really wide gap hook.  

On 2/27/2023 at 1:16 PM, BrianMDTX said:

Ok, to further clarify…I bet 75% of the bass I catch are on Texas rigs. Fished on the bottom. The bullet weight will get fouled at times, but nowhere near like a jig. Now, the head on the rig @A-Jay posted looks like it should be similar and would likely work. 
 

A-Jay, can you tell me the manufacturer and model of that head? 
 

FYI- I have tried swimming jigs but no success. These bass tend to eat right on top or on the  bottom. About the only baits I’ve had success with outside those zones are jerkbaits and squarebills. But those fall short compared to soft plastics on the bottom. 

 

 

Not sure which one specifically AJay pictured, but TW carries a whole stock of similar things.  Just add a skirt and you're there.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-TUNGSTNWTS.html?from=basres

24 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Ok, to further clarify…I bet 75% of the bass I catch are on Texas rigs. Fished on the bottom. The bullet weight will get fouled at times, but nowhere near like a jig. Now, the head on the rig @A-Jay posted looks like it should be similar and would likely work. 
 

A-Jay, can you tell me the manufacturer and model of that head? 
 

FYI- I have tried swimming jigs but no success. These bass tend to eat right on top or on the  bottom. About the only baits I’ve had success with outside those zones are jerkbaits and squarebills. But those fall short compared to soft plastics on the bottom. 

It's just a lead bullet weight.

Here's some more info . . .

Pretty sure I'm not the only one, but I've been throwing this thing around for a while.

Here's a video I made about it 10 years ago.

I think this is the very first video I ever posted.

A-Jay

Ok, just watched @A-Jay video. I think that’s the ticket right there! I’m guess pegging the weight would work, too, but that Uni-knot is likely foolproof. 
 

Time to make the Bait Monkey happy! 

I make weights with a skirt color using a spinnerbait mold . I use a piece of wire and no hook then just pull the wire out after its poured  .

32 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Ok, just watched @A-Jay video. I think that’s the ticket right there! I’m guess pegging the weight would work, too, but that Uni-knot is likely foolproof. 
 

Time to make the Bait Monkey happy! 

Since that video,  I just use a bobber stop and or a peg as well.

A-Jay 

If you need a little bit of standup vs the slither rig, you can add a skirt to this at the top of the keeper spring. Because of the way it is weighted and where the line tie sits, it won't jam up on the bottom, it just kind of sits on it. 

 

Northlands tackle Weed Wedge

I find 90% of my bites on a jig come on the fall and close to 100% for bigger fish.

 

I would just cast it, let it fall. Hop or dead stick it a bit and then reel in if no takers.

 

This is what I usually do fishing jigs on mucky bottoms.

 

I also like using a bulky trailer with lots of lift and as light a jig head as I can in muck but SOMETIMES the fish suspending around a log in the muck want the jig to rocket past their face on the fall...so there's that.

 

My best advice is work it back less and if fish wants  it presented horizontally, do so by swimming it as others have said and try to keep it just out of the sludge.

 

This is actually deep level jig theory you're getting into because there are times they won't eat a chatterbait or spinnerbait or crankbait or a fast falling jig but you start swimming your jig back slow?  They crush it.

 

I often time find this kind of a swimming jig bite is more common at the muckier bottom fisheries than harder bottom ones.

 

I don't think bass like that muck.

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

I find 90% of my bites on a jig come on the fall and close to 100% for bigger fish.

 

I would just cast it, let it fall. Hop or dead stick it a bit and then reel in if no takers.

 

This is what I usually do fishing jigs on mucky bottoms.

 

I also like using a bulky trailer with lots of lift and as light a jig head as I can in muck but SOMETIMES the fish suspending around a log in the muck want the jig to rocket past their face on the fall...so there's that.

 

My best advice is work it back less and if fish wants  it presented horizontally, do so by swimming it as others have said and try to keep it just out of the sludge.

 

This is actually deep level jig theory you're getting into because there are times they won't eat a chatterbait or spinnerbait or crankbait or a fast falling jig but you start swimming your jig back slow?  They crush it.

 

I often time find this kind of a swimming jig bite is more common at the muckier bottom fisheries than harder bottom ones.

 

I don't think bass like that muck.

 

 

I hear what you're saying about the fall, the issue I have here (and I'm not the OP) is that as soon as it hits the bottom you're stuffed.  The fine black filamentous algae is a stringy goo that clings to everything.  You can let it drop to the bottom, but as soon as it hits you're reeling it in and cleaning off the hook eye at the boat. That extra time to clean the eye after every drop gets old fast.  You spend more time cleaning than you do fishing.  A swim jig just off the bottom is one option once you get the feel down of how deep you're going. On the flat bottom lakes here I find a crankbait is another good choice if you have the right one.  A 1-3' crankbait (tiny bomber did it last year) in 4' of water is just enough to stay off the bottom and fish it pretty effectively.

 

As I was typing this, I had another thought that might be worth a try.  Even a swim jig will get gunked that doesn't clear because of the hook eye.  A 1" piece of shrink tubing might be a solution.  Thread it onto the line, tie on jig, and then slide it down over the hook eye.  A careful lighter shrink and that's a clean skinny taper to slide through the gunk.  

I fish water like that isnt good for jigs too.  While you arent going to find a jig that comes back clean 100% of the time you can do a few a things to minimize the amount of times you have to pick it clean.  

When Im using a full size jig thats 5/16 or heavier Im casting at target that is holding fish, like a laydown or stump.  I do drag jigs in lakes that have a harder bottom, but I keep the weight of the jig as light as possible, usually 1/4oz no heavier then 5/16, which is plenty of weight for the depth I'm fishing.  

For the non football dragging jigs, I look for jigs that have a flatter head arkie style head that spreads the weight out.  It kinds of acts somewhat like a snowshoe when its sitting on an algae covered bottom instead of sinking into it.  In combination with the head shape I look for a recessed, semi recessed or small eye.