What's your favorite floating jig head?

I've just recently "discovered" floating jig heads. Until last week, I've never used them or even thought of using them. My first experience was quite interesting. My *very first cast* with an 18" mono leader a highball floater and a baby crawler landed a very nice perch (10") and subsequent casts landed a few large gills and my first walleye ever on a Madison lake. I had been fishing that same spot for 30 minutes using my usual methods without even a hint that anything was there.

Ok, so now I'm hooked (sorry for the pun). I bought some Northland Highball floaters and some of their gumball floaters in a couple of different sizes. I learned quickly that these things don't have enough buoyancy to hold up a swivel so I tied directly to the monofilament line. Even then, the gumball floaters especially, will sink even with a baby crawler. The high ball floaters have the most lift, but still can't handle a large crawler without sinking to the bottom.

Do you have a favorite floating jig? Tips for using them better? I'm not trying to raise the Titanic, but being able to hold a large crawler off the bottom would be nice.

Thanks! --BF

When did Wis re-legalize sheringes for blowing up worms. If it was I missed it. I personaly wouldn't use them. To my knowledge the air disrupts the fishes system. Could be why it was made illegal. Just like using wd-40 is illeagal. I may again be wrong.

Don't know if you have noticed but when using a floating head you must hook bait upside down so to speak cause the bait if hooked normal will float upside down. With crawlers it don't matter but minnows and leeches it will. Minnows and leech must be hooked thru the top of head.

I may be dating myself but I call those gum-drop floaters 'Phelps Floaters', as that's their original name and they are my favorite floating jighead to use.

They were invented around 1980 by the Phelps Bait Co out of MN. They sold the design (and a contractual phase out of the 'Phelps Floater' name after a several year time period) to Northland in the late 90's. When Northland could no longer legally use the 'Phelps Floater' name they changed it to Gum-Drop Floater.

I've been using mostly the highball floaters. I've been putting crawlers on them. I get a lot of bites, but for some reason, I miss a LOT of hook sets. When I drag right on the bottom, I don't have this problem. I feel the tapping, I give a little slack, wait just a bit and I usually have a fish on. I try the same thing with the floating jigs, but 8 out of 10 times, I miss it. I've been thinking about what I'm doing wrong.

Maybe I need to wait longer before setting the hook? Not as long?

I think those are the gum drop floaters. Are you putting leeches on those? Or something else? Just curious because when I tried those, I found they pretty much couldn't hold *anything* off the bottom, even a tiny leaf worm.

How do you get the worm to bend over so you can insert the needle? I've seen those - my brother in law uses them once in a while. I may pick one up. Thanks for the tip!

Instead of trying to find a floating head that will keep a Crawler suspended, you should add air to the crawler. You can use a normal syringe or you can buy these little plastic bottles with a needle on the end called a Worm Blower or something. All you are doing is injecting the crawler with air, which will cause it to float up. I often add air to the tail of the crawler on Lindy rigs, to get it to ride up. You don't want to add too much because it will kill the crawler and make it look unnatural, but a small shot in various places along with the floating head should keep it suspeneded.

Any tackle store that sells jigs should have them, I would think. I get them from Dorn hardware on Midvale in Madison. I know Dick's Sporting goods has them as do Gander Mountain. Or you can buy them directly from http://www.northlandtackle.com. They have their own painted floating jig heads, which I've used with mixed success. Even the largest Northland floating jig head couldn't hold up a large crawler. The smaller worms it can handle fine. So far, I've only used them on the Madison lakes. But like I said, anyplace where you want to fish near the bottom and don't have a lot of weeds or brush to get hung up on should be fine.

where are you guys buying/ using these at. and what for (my dad want to know because hes interested in buyin some)

Depends on what you're fishing for. If you want to keep something just off the bottom (walleye/perch) I think this is worth a try. As far as location, don't try casting these into a clump of weeds. Try a weed edge near a drop-off or maybe a place that has a gravel bottom near some other kind of structure.

I stopped at Dorn on the way home from work. They have tons of jigs in the back in the bins. They have a large floating head 3/$1 that have the stinger hook loop, plain floating jigs and a good selection of Northland's high ball floaters in various sizes.

I can't wait to get out again and try these out, but the water looks so nasty. It's hard to not feel sorry for the fish! Hopefully the recent rain we had will help clear things up.

--BF

i have never heard of these i wanted to know if they would work good just in a random spot like on lake geneva? if it will i want to go get some. if no one replies ill get them and say how they work.

I do this constantly on Winnebago with a small split shot about 18 inches up the line from the floating head with a crawler. Works great on the reefs for walleyes, with less hangups.

Thanks! I never thought of that. I was using the swivel/walking sinker. I'll have to stop at Dorn and check out their floating jigs. I may try using a brass bullet sinker.

-BF

I use the ones out of the bins at Dorn Bait Shop (Madison). Black, white, yellow are the colors I use. (white mostly) I use the smallest size I can to still float the bait, tied directly. Never use a swivel. An egg sinker place within two feet of the jig with a split shot to adjust the length. A slooooww retrieve with long pauses has been the technique. I use this technique everywhere with success with all species. This last Saturday it was deadly for smallies and wallies. Works great in the river too.