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When you have a swinging weight that is connected to the eye of a hook by a single solid ring, you get a free flowing rigging system that changes things like:  how baits rig, how they drop, how they fish, how they swim, how well they drag over stuff and the trajectory the baits follow when pulled/hopped and dropped.   All things considered, the Jig Rig from Owner America, is a pretty cool innovation in traditional rigging and small bait fishing.

Trajectory:

I know, I contradict myself, talking about simplification one day, and then subjects like trajectory the next.   You have to get into the sophisticated at times to understand why some simple things are so genius.  The free swinging tungsten or lead weight associated with the Jig Rig changes the trajectory of the bait as it falls, drags, hops, etc.   Instead of a bait arching toward you, as you hop it, the Jig Rig falls straight down.  It almost feels like the bait is falling away from you, the drops are so steep.     What this means is, when you pitch your bait next to a stump, the bait is far more likely to be right under the splash.  Or when you pull a bait into a ‘sweet spot’ you can better guide your bait down into the sweet spot without it tending to bias toward you and the angle of your retrieve.

When I rigged the Jig-Rig up with a Basstrix Paddle Tailed Swimbait, it was pretty neat to fish a swimbait on a different style of jig head than I’ve ever attempted.  Couple of important things to note about how the Jig Rig influences a single swimbait (and small soft plastic creature baits too).

• Weedlessness:  Because you are ultimately Texas rigging the hook, you have another viable weedless rig, for grass and wood fishing.
• Rock-lessness:  Because the weight snugs 45 degrees back under the bait as your drag it, you have a different kind of leverage, as if you are standing right over top of it, when it comes to popping yourself free.  I was able to drag a Jig Rig with whatever bait I wanted to in heavy gravel and chunk rock bottoms, and it was clear the Jig Rig system provides excellence in fishing in rock and hard bottoms because you simply won’t get hung up
• When you look at the ‘rock-lessness’ it is interesting because you are making bottom contact and creating deflections while your bait is riding slightly above it all, unfazed by a traditional jig head system where the nose and forward part of your swimbait is damped by the weight and hook.  You can drag a swimbait over gravel and rock, and still get an excellent swim, where you get full swim out of your bait and don’t give up action because the swimbait is ‘anchored’ for lack of better term by the nose into a traditional jig head.
• Drop Bait:  When I was swimming the Basstrix over grass and over holes, it became apparent you can drop your bait right where you want it, and the trajectory doesn’t cause the bait to come at you, because the hinging action pulls the bait straight down at a super steep angle.  It made me think about dropping a swimbait in the holes of grass around Okeechobee around spawn time.  You could have all the benefits of a weedless swimbait, yet added benefit of a much better drop bait.

Pitching:

• You notice when you pitch the bait, the free swinging weight system of the Jig Rig helps your casting accuracy and lessons the momentum required to pitch.  It is strange, but the hinged weight sorta helps you sling the bait out there a bit easier.  You definitely can cast this thing where you want it, and then drop it where you want it too.

Tungsten vs. Lead vs. Hook Sizes

You have a couple of options when it comes to the Jig Rig. You can buy the Jig Rigs with Tungsten weights or with Lead Weights.  The hooks are needlepoint Z-lock shoulder bend hooks and are sharp, solid and rig cleanly.   You have 3 sizes:

1. A 3/0 needlepoint, Owner sharp, offset worm hook with either a tungsten or lead 3/16 ounce free swinging weight (which is what I used to film and take photos with).  I find this size of Jig Rig extremely appealing because it fits the ‘good’ small creature baits and smaller more finesse pitch baits so well.  You’ll notice I used a Netbait Baby Paca Craw and Zoom Speed Craw to highlight how well the Jig Rig fishes.  That was no accident, those are 2 baits that should be in your tackle box, always, all the time.    The 3/0 hook and 3/16 weight matched up with the smaller swimbaits like the 4″ Basstrix Paddle Tailed Tube very well, and had a ‘spinning rod’ feel to it.  Where I know I could fish that setup on a spinning setup (braid + floro leader of course) or on lighter action casting gear.  The Little Dipper  and smaller 4″ swim senko come to mind too, with this setup.
2. The 5/0 version has a 1/4 ounce weight available in tungsten or lead.  It rigs nicely with 8″ Zoom Lizards, Brush Hogs, and Skinny Dippers, which to me are a larger, and more bulky offering than the above, but still in the finesse department.   Basically, the 5/0 with the 1/4 ounce free swinging weight are more suited to pitching and small bait style swimbait fishing.
3. A 1/0 version in tungsten or lead with 3/16 ounce weights.  This would be my small water, small fish, small bait setup.  Like the Tiny Brush Hogs, or super small straight tailed worms, like 3″ Senkos.

I’m excited about the Jig Rig because it’s going to help me with my pitching and short range  soft plastic and creature baits for sure.  Grass, wood or open water, I think it’s going to give the fish a slightly different look and feel, and certainly will be a top performing system (ie, weedlessness, rocklessness, and steep drops). It’s also a good alternative to a ‘shakey head’, where you are just trying to catch stubborn fish.   The Jig Rig is going to add some color to my swimbait fishing too.   You can better drag and simultaneously swim a bait, which speaks to a spinning rod setup mentality to me in certain situations.  And the drop bait thing, to be dropping swimbait into holes in the grass, or in brush piles when you visually know you are right overhead, well, you just forget I mentioned it!   You can expect some videos of the Jig Rig  with fish catching involved.

Jig Rig Photo Gallery:

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