By: Mark Romanack
Long line trolling for crappie calls for a long shank jig that features an ultra sharp hook. The Eagle Claw Pro-V Ball Head Crappie Jigs are perfect for dragging soft plastics and catching slab crappie.
The world has no shortage of fishing jigs. In fact, just my personal collection alone would keep a Jay’s Sporting Goods nicely stocked for a few years! My wife says I have a problem, perhaps but then again my wife collects leather handbags so I feel we are even….
Anyway, the world has plenty of jigs to choose from, but the lion share of those lures aren’t worth giving tackle box space to. A harsh statement for sure, but jigs are definitely not all created equal.
Over the years I’ve found a few select jigs that fill important niches in my jig fishing ambitions. None of these jigs are what I would consider a “do all” product, but rather they are very specific jigs for very specific jigging applications. Experience has taught me that presentation specific jigs are far more effective than trying to make a jig do things it clearly wasn’t designed for. In this situation, saving money on jigs isn’t part of the conversation. We’re talking about selecting the perfect jig that will help catch more and bigger fish.
JIG PITCHING
When I’m pitching jigs tipped with live bait or soft plastic, most of the time I’m after walleye. The Pro-V Eagle Eye jig by Eagle Claw only comes in two sizes, 1/8 and 1/4, but those two sizes are perfect for targeting walleye especially in the spring of the year. This aspirin style jig has two features that make it a stand out. First off, the Pro-V hook is ideal for jig pitching applications because it’s wicked sharp and the wire is thin enough to make it easy to stick every fish that strikes. Secondly, on the shaft of the Pro-V hook near the head of the jig is an unique plastic keeper that works like magic to keep soft plastics in place and it also does double duty keeping live crawlers in place. Simply break a nightcrawler in two, thread the bloody end up onto the hook point and over top of this plastic keeper. You’ll be amazed how well that piece of crawler stays on the hook shaft and how many walleye this simple presentation will catch.
The Eagle Claw Pro-V Tear Drop Bucktail Jigs were designed with the help of the Fishing 411 TV staff and also avid fishermen from Jay’s Sporting Goods to create the ultimate hair jig for walleye and smallmouth bass fishing.
RIVER JIGGING
River jigging calls for jigs that are larger in size, that feature larger hooks and also a long hook shaft ideal for fishing soft plastics. Eagle Claw’s new River Jig was designed especially for those anglers who spend countless hours on the Detroit River, St. Clair River, Illinois River, Wisconsin River, Fox River, Saginaw River and other places where walleye jigging is a religion.
Available in 1/2, 3/4 and one ounce models, these heavy jigs are perfect for vertical jigging in deep water or fast current. A No. 4/0 Pro-V is the perfect jig hook for river walleye jigging because it’s ultra sharp, super thin and the hook gap is big enough to fish not only soft plastics, but soft plastics in combination with minnows. Least I say it, the Eagle Claw River Jig is the jig all others will be compared to.
STEELHEAD JIGS
Jigs fished below a float have evolved as one of the most consistently productive ways of catching river steelhead. The problem is most small jigs have hooks that are totally inadequate for doing battle with a raging steelhead. The Yakima Bait Maxi Jig solves that problem with an Owner 4X strong hook in a 1/32 ounce jig!
The Maxi Jig features some marabou a little tinsel and a colorful bead to attract steelhead. Commonly tipped with a wax worm or a live wiggler, the Maxi Jig is the most perfect steelhead jig I’ve ever fished. The Maxi Jig also comes in other sizes including 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 and even 3/8 ounce models, but it’s the 1/32 ounce model I can’t live without.
CRAPPIE JIGS
Jigs suitable for crappie fishing come in two different categories including those that are designed to be pitched and those that are designed to be long line trolled. For long line trolling a crappie jig must feature a long hook shaft that readily accepts soft plastics. My “go to” jig for long lining is the Eagle Claw Pro-V Ball Head Jig. At first glance this jig looks like a thousand other jigs on the market, but the important difference is the hook. You simply can’t beat the Pro-V hook design for trolling up crappie.
For casting applications another Eagle Claw jig the Pro-V Crappie Chenille Jig shines brightly. These jigs feature a Chenille body with a marabou tail that are God’s gift to crappie jigging. Fish them clean, fish them tipped with live bait or fish them with spray on scent products. You simply can’t go wrong fishing these jigs designed with catching crappie in mind.
HAIR JIGS
Hair or bucktail jigs fill another important fishing niche. There is just something special about how a hair jig has action even when it’s sitting still. The second the jig moves it pulsates creating an irresistible action a host of fish simply can’t resist.
The Eagle Claw Pro-V Tear Drop Bucktail Jigs are built with the absolute best components money can buy. The results are an ultra premium hair jig for targeting walleye and smallmouth bass. Available in 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce sizes, you will simply not find another hair jig on the market that’s better designed than catching walleye and smallmouth bass.
Eagle Claw also produces larger bucktail jigs suitable for lake trout and salmon jigging. The Trokar Pro-V Bend Bucktail Jigs feature the famous Trokar jig hook that is razor sharp and strong enough for even bruiser sized trout and salmon.
Available in 3/4, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 ounce models, these work horse bukctails can be fished clean, tipped with a twister tail body, tipped with a live or salted minnow or simply treated with spray on scent products.
Big bucktail jigs are some of the best options when it comes to jigging for lake trout. The author likes the Trokar Bucktail Jigs because they feature a stout and wicked sharp Trokar hook.
TUBE JIGS
Tubes are one of the most versatile soft plastics ever designed for targeting smallmouth bass. Crawled along the bottom, nothing looks more like a crayfish than a tube bait. Swim the same tube above the bottom and it looks exactly like a darting minnow.
The problem with tubes is most of the tube jigheads on the market have bargain basement hooks. If you haven’t already noticed a theme in this article, having a premium hook is not just important when jigging, it’s absolutely essential.
The Eagle Claw Trokar Tube Jigs feature the famous Trokar hook and come in the most popular sizes including 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 ounce models. Eagle Claw also mades a wide gap version of this same tube jig for those who want to rig their tubes weedless.
SUMMING IT UP
So there you have it. This list of “must have” jigs outlines what I consider to be the presentation specific jigs every angler should own. None of these are the least expensive option, but all of them are proven fish producers.