When to use different sizes of Football Jigs

Football jigs come in variety of different sizes from 1/4oz all the way up to 1oz.

1/4 oz and 3/8oz football jigs are typically used in 10 feet of water or less. These smaller jigs are not only good for fishing shallower water, their smaller profile makes them much more appealing to fish of all sizes and usually get the most bites.

1/2oz football head jigs are most effective in the 10-20 feet range and while they can be fished deeper, this range is where the 1/2oz size is most effective.

Football jigs 3/4oz to 1oz are the biggest ones you will find and where they excel is that 20 feet and deeper range. These larger sizes are also very popular for anglers who are fishing places that have a lot of current where the heavier weighted heads keeps the jig on the bottom rather than the current picking it up and moving the jig.

Pairing the right trailer to football jigs

There are thousands of different trailer options out there for jig anglers. You have everything from chunks, craws, creatures, and bugs to choose from and the endless possibilities can be overwhelming.

When selecting a trailer, one of the best methods to use is by assessing the water temperature on the lake you will be fishing. As a general rule of thumb, the warmer the water is, the more action you want. In colder weather, try something with appendages that do not move much when the jig is being fished.

Chunk trailers and creature baits with flat tails are typically the most popular during colder months. During the warmer months, look at craws or creature whose tails have a lot of action like a Strike King Rage Craw or a Zoom Fat Albert Twin Tail. Once you make the selection for the style of trailer, all you have to do is find the color that most closely matches the jig that you are fishing and you are ready to go.

One other consideration when selecting a trailer is the fall rate. Bulky trailers will slow down the fall of a jig while smaller trailers will make the same size jig fall faster. This is important because by using a bulkier trailer with a smaller jig, you can have a larger profile while still being able to fish it effectively shallow. On the opposite side, using a smaller trailer can give you a more finesse presentation while still being able to fish the jig deeper when the bite is tough. Making adjustments with trailers and finding the correct fall rate can really increase your success with fishing football jigs.

Equipment setup for different Football Jigs

When talking about setups for different football jigs, most anglers are just adjusting the rod or line size when throwing any football jigs. Higher speed baitcasting reels in 7.1:1 or 8.1:1 gear ratios are the preferred reel for all sizes of football jigs. The higher speed allows anglers to take up slack quickly and get good hooksets even on long casts. Football jigs are fairly aerodynamic and heavy so they are able to be cast a long way.

When throwing the heavier football jigs from 1/2oz up to 1oz, 7'2" to 7'5" rods are preferred. Medium Heavy action rods with a fast taper are best suited for this technique because they have enough backbone to get a good hookset and move fish away from cover while the fast action has just enough flex to help keep the fish from throwing your jig.

Related: Recommended rod, reel and line setup for football jigs

For the smaller sizes like 3/8oz, most guys will use a 6'10" to 7'0" rod with either a medium heavy or a medium for the smallest sizes with a fast taper. Line size is fairly simple as 15lb is pretty much standard for football jigs. Some anglers will go up to 17lb if they are around bigger fish or thicker cover and some will go down to 12lb if the fish are smaller or they are looking for a more finesse presentation with a smaller size line and jig.

With tons of options for sizes, styles and trailers, there's a football jig for just about every rocky situation you might encounter.