1st jig rig

[jojo]

OK guys I really need your honest opinion

1 Hook 8/0 HD live bait Gamakatsu
2 500lb JB hallow
3 knot is a cinch knot
4 3m heat shrink
5 owner split #8 and main ring solid owner #6.5
I fed the line through to make the loop and also fed it though to make one line total

[Minnow]

good looking assist hooks and jig. almost time to get it bloody.

[SkeeterRonnie]

sweeeeeet! best part of doing it yourself it getting to see how it performs!

[Ragman]

Hey jojo,

Looks really good!

[SkeeterRonnie]

hey ragman- howd you like the "funky chickenized" topwater, and feathered assist hooks? hehe.

[Ragman]

Sent you a PM

[ChrisW]

Nice job jojo. Try a wider hook than 8/0 as it should have a gape wider than the width of the jig at that point, you don't want the jig shielding the hook. Althought the assists hang away from the jig in the photo, in practise the cord becomes wet and limp and when lifting the jig, the hooks fall against the side of the jig. If you must use two hooks, use different lenght assist cords.

I don't mean to be critical of jojo because he has done a really good job in replicating what Shimano have done. It is just that I have noticed that Shimano have produced this exact setup as a benchmark - something that I and others (with more experience) believe is flawed. Don't get me wrong, the Shimano setup obviously works but there are fundamental design flaws with it and the jig should be more effective with the improvements as I have suggested. In fact use a much wider gape hook as we found more solid hook ups this way.


This image shows the hook sizes used by the AG Jigging Master guys. I don't approve of the twin hooks but you can see a comparison of hook gape to jig width.