Football Jig for Bass
A head shaped so it does not fall over on rock.
ChronicAnglers is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Dragging a jig across rock, gravel and shell is one of the most reliable ways to catch bass in deep water, and it is also one of the easiest ways to lose tackle. A football head solves both halves: the width keeps the hook point riding up rather than lying over, and the rounded profile tips over rocks rather than sticking between them.
Why the Football Jig for Bass stands out
Head shape is a snag-avoidance feature
A round or pointed head wedges into gaps in rock. A football head is too wide to fit into most of them, so it rolls over instead. That difference is the reason people fish this shape on exactly the bottom that eats other jigs.
Drag it, do not hop it
The productive retrieve is a slow drag with the rod, then a pause while you reel up the slack. You are reading the bottom through the rod, and most bites feel like the jig has simply become heavy.
A craw trailer matches the food
Bass on rocky bottom are largely eating crayfish, and a soft plastic craw trailer with claws that move on the pause is the natural pairing. It also slows the fall, which helps on the drop into a hole.
At a glance
| Type | Football jig |
|---|---|
| Bottom | Rock, gravel, shell |
| Retrieve | Slow drag with pauses |
| Trailer | Soft plastic craw |
The verdict
The deep-water bass jig. Fish it on the hardest bottom you can find, drag rather than hop, and set the hook when the jig gets heavy.
ChronicAnglers is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.