Bass Jiggin' 101: Football Jigs

Football jigs earned their name because of the shape of the jighead; it resembles a football. There's a reason for this; football jigs were designed to be fished in deep water. They also excel at being dragged across the bottom. The head of the jig has a wider surface area than other jigs, which gives the angler a better feel when fishing deep water structures.

The most common weights of a football jig are 3/8 to 1 ounce, but there may even be times where a heavier jig is needed. Most of the time, I'm fishing ½- to ¾-ounce football jigs. Most of the lakes here in Kansas are not very deep. However, there are times when heavier jigs are needed. I prefer using bulkier trailers on football jigs because I like dragging them. A bulkier trailer is going to displace more water and give more vibration when being drug on the bottom.

I find the football jigs come through rock better than almost any other jig. Given the shape of the head, they don't come through brush as easily as a flipping jig, but a good hop will usually get them to come through a brush pile.