Jigheads

Jig heads at Charlie's Fishing: round, dart, tungsten, Ned and screw-in heads for every softbait

A jig head is the smallest part of a softbait rig and the one that decides most of what happens under water. It sets how deep your softbait runs, how fast it drops, how much bottom contact you keep and whether a fish that takes it stays hooked. Change nothing but the head and the same shad becomes a different lure. On this page you find all our jig heads in one place: round heads, dart heads, tungsten and lead-free heads, Ned and stand-up heads, screw-in heads for big softbaits and system heads made for one specific bait. They come from BKK, VMC, Toppies, Capt'n Greenfin, Berkley, Illex, Fiiish and BIM Tackle, for perch, zander, pike and sea bass. Below we explain which jig head to pick, which weight suits which depth and current, and which hook size fits which softbait.

Round jig heads: the all-round choice

The round head is the one you fish most. It drops straight, keeps a shad or pintail swimming level and gives a clean lift and fall you can read through the rod. The BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks are our widest range, from 5 to 25 g on hooks from 1/0 to 5/0, with an ultra-sharp hook and the Hyperlatch keeper that holds your softbait in place without tearing it. The VMC Bullet Jig has a bullet-shaped head that casts far, with a forged hook and a locking curve that keeps the fish pinned: from 1 g on a #4 for perch up to 28 g on a 5/0 for pike. Rapala names the VMC Bullet Jig as its own pick for the Rapala CrushCity The Kickman. The Toppies Tungsten Jighead is a round tungsten head from 3.5 to 10.6 g with a Mustad hook and bait holder, and the Toppies Tungsten Jighead BIG series takes the same head up to 28 g on hooks up to 7/0 for bigger softbaits, deeper water and current. The lead-free Capt'n Greenfin Round Jighead 2/0 (6 to 15 g) is made for softbaits of 9 to 11 cm, and the Capt'n Greenfin Round Jighead #4 (3 and 6 g) for softbaits of 4 to 6 cm. See all Paddle Tails and V-Tails & Pintails to go with them.

Dart jig heads for reaction bites

A dart head does the opposite of a round head. When you jerk the rod, the softbait breaks sideways to the left and right instead of lifting straight up, like a baitfish trying to escape. That often draws a take from perch and zander that follow without biting, especially in clear water and on hard-fished spots. Use slim softbaits such as pintails and V-tails, and give short, sharp twitches with a slack line in between. The Toppies Tungsten Dart Jig is a compact tungsten dart head in 5, 7 and 10 g on hooks from #4 to 1/0; Toppies made it to work with the Toppies Pintius 7 cm. The Toppies Double Dart Jig links a 5 g and a 7 g dart head on a #1 hook, so two small shads dart across each other like a small shoal fleeing. The VMC Dart Jig (3.5 and 5 g) has an XL eye and a Needle Sharp hook made in France; our tip is to combine it with the Kickman or the Rapala CrushCity The Stingman. The lead-free Capt'n Greenfin Dart Jighead 2/0 (6, 9 and 12 g) suits softbaits of 9 to 11 cm such as the Greenfin Tango Pin 10 cm, and the Capt'n Greenfin Dart Jighead #4 (3 and 6 g) suits softbaits of 4 to 7 cm such as the Greenfin Tango Pin 5 cm.

Tungsten, lead-free or classic jig heads

Tungsten is much denser than lead, so a tungsten head is far smaller for the same weight. That gives you less air and water resistance, longer casts, a faster drop and a clearer feel of the bottom and of every bite. It costs more per head, which is why many anglers save tungsten for finesse fishing and clear water. All our Toppies heads and Charlie's Tungsten Ned Rig are tungsten. Capt'n Greenfin heads are lead-free too, made in Europe from their own high-density alloy: cheaper than tungsten, and harder than lead for direct bottom contact. If you fish waters where lead is banned, or simply prefer to leave no lead behind, choose one of these. Classic heads such as the BKK Hyperlatch and the VMC Bullet Jig give you the widest choice of weights and hook sizes. Browse the brand pages of Toppies, Capt'n Greenfin, BKK Hooks and VMC.

Ned heads and stand-up heads

A Ned head is a small, light head that keeps a short softbait standing up off the bottom while the head stays down. It is the presentation to fall back on when perch and zander have shut down: drag it slowly, let it rest, and lift it with small hops. The Charlie's Tungsten Ned Rig is our own 2.8 g tungsten Ned head with a flat head that keeps your softbait upright. Rig it with a Ned bait such as the Rapala CrushCity Ned BLT or the Rapala CrushCity Salted NedRoll. The Capt'n Greenfin Elephant Jighead 2/0 has an elephant-foot shaped head that stands up on the bottom even with softbaits that do not float, in 3 to 15 g on a 2/0 hook for softbaits of 9 to 11 cm. More baits in Ned's & Worms and Craws & Creature Baits.

Screw-in heads for big softbaits and stingers

For big softbaits for pike, a screw-in head is often the better choice. Instead of a hook through the body, a spiral screws into the nose of the softbait, so it stays in place cast after cast, and you add one or two stingers in the belly. The Berkley Screw-In Jighead covers the biggest weight range, from 5 to 80 g, for casting along weed edges and drop-offs and for vertical fishing in deep water. The Illex Dexter Tip Up Head (5 to 25 g) has a back plate that fits the flat front of the Illex Dexter Shad 200 and the Illex Dexter Eel 210, a top ring for your trace and a bottom ring for belly rigging or a blade. Add a BKK Chain Stinger Rig or, in shallow water, a BKK Stinger Screw. The BIM Tackle Crazy Head is the spare head for the BIM Tackle Crazy Rabbit Shallow in 15, 30, 40 and 50 g, so you can switch between shallow and deep water; read our BIM Tackle Crazy Rabbit guide. See also Pike Softbaits and Rigs & Stingers.

System heads: Fiiish Black Minnow

Some softbaits come as a closed system with their own heads. The Fiiish Black Minnow heads work with the hidden PH2S hook system, so the softbait stays weedless and snag-resistant around rocks and structure. Each size has its own head: the Fiiish Black Minnow 90 N2 Jigheads from 5 to 20 g for the 9 cm body, the Fiiish Black Minnow 105 N2.5 Jigheads from 8 to 16 g for the 10.5 cm body, and the Fiiish Black Minnow 120 N3 Jigheads from 6 g (Shallow) to 50 g (X-Deep) for the 12 cm body, for example the Fiiish Black Minnow 120 Spare Bodies N3. The names tell you where to use them: Shore for shallow water, Search to cover more water, Off Shore for deeper water and vertical fishing, Deep and X-Deep for deep water with heavy current. Read our Fiiish Black Minnow guide, and see Fiiish and Seabass Softbaits.

Which jig head weight for which depth and current

Fish the lightest head that still lets you feel the bottom. A good check is the drop: after each lift, your softbait should take roughly two to three seconds to touch down again. If it lands faster, go lighter; if you lose contact, go heavier. Bigger softbaits have more drag and need more weight than small ones at the same depth. As a starting point:

• Perch in canals, polders and harbours up to about 3 m deep: 3 to 7 g
• Perch and zander in lakes and canals of 3 to 8 m: 7 to 14 g
• Rivers with current, or water of 8 to 15 m: 14 to 28 g
• Deep water with heavy current and vertical fishing from a boat: 28 g and heavier, such as the Fiiish Black Minnow Deep and X-Deep heads or the Berkley Screw-In Jighead up to 80 g
• Strong wind or a deep bow in your line: go one step heavier

For drop shot, Texas and Carolina rigs you need a separate weight instead of a jig head, such as the Toppies Tungsten Bullet Weight or the VMC Drop Shot Sinker. See all Weights and Terminal Tackle, and for fishing suspended fish in open water see Pelagic.

Which hook size for which softbait size

Lay the jig head next to your softbait before you rig it. The hook point should come out of the back roughly in the middle of the body, with the gape standing clear so it can find a hold. A hook that is too small buries itself in the softbait and costs you fish; one that is too big stiffens the body and kills the tail action. As a guide:

• Softbaits of 4 to 7 cm: hook #4 to #1
• Softbaits of 7.5 to 10 cm: hook #1 to 2/0
• Softbaits of 10 to 13 cm: hook 2/0 to 3/0
• Softbaits of about 15 cm: hook 4/0 to 5/0
• Softbaits of 18 cm and longer: hook 5/0 to 7/0, or a screw-in head with a stinger

Need loose hooks, offset hooks or stingers as well? See Hooks and Rigs and the hooks of BKK Hooks.

Which jig head for which situation

• Everyday jigging along the bottom with a shad or pintail: BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks or VMC Bullet Jig
• Clear water, hard-fished spots and fish that follow without biting: Toppies Tungsten Dart Jig or VMC Dart Jig
• Finesse fishing for perch when bites are slow: Charlie's Tungsten Ned Rig
• Waters where lead is banned: Toppies Tungsten Jighead or Capt'n Greenfin Round Jighead 2/0
• Big softbaits for pike with stingers: Berkley Screw-In Jighead or Illex Dexter Tip Up Head
• Sea bass along rocks and structure: Fiiish Black Minnow 120 N3 Jigheads
• Deep rivers and strong current: Toppies Tungsten Jighead BIG series

Find the softbaits to go with them in Softbaits, Zander and Perch Softbaits and Pike Softbaits, or browse by species: Perch, Zander, Pike and Seabass. New to zander? Read our zander guide for beginners.

Why buy jig heads at Charlie's Fishing

We stock jig heads in many combinations of weight and hook size, and every product page lists the weights, hook sizes and pieces per pack, so you know exactly what you order. Everything ships from our stock in the Netherlands, with fast delivery across Europe. Not sure which head, weight or hook size suits your softbait? Send us a message and we are happy to help.

What weight jig head should I use?

Use the lightest head that still lets you feel the bottom. As a starting point, 3 to 7 g for perch in shallow canals and harbours, 7 to 14 g for zander in water of 3 to 8 m, and 14 to 28 g in rivers with current or deeper water. Your softbait should take about two to three seconds to sink back to the bottom after each lift.

Which hook size jig head for a 10 cm softbait?

For a softbait of about 10 cm, a hook of 1/0 to 2/0 usually fits best. The hook point should come out of the back roughly in the middle of the body, with the gape clear of the softbait.

Are tungsten jig heads better than lead?

Tungsten is denser than lead, so the head is smaller for the same weight: you cast further, the softbait drops faster and you feel the bottom and bites more clearly. Tungsten heads cost more, so many anglers use them for finesse fishing and clear water, and they are a lead-free option where lead is banned.