ideal weight and jig head shape .

[tackle whore]

If you had to choose an ideal all round weight and jig head shape what would it be ? also best all round hook size - from the shore drop shot fishing and then off the boat. I know its a broad topic with diff fish species etc , so heres the senario - you going to MOZ -  unexplored northern part got an opertunity to fish off boat and shore with drop shot , what would be your go to jighead and why ?

[benniejordaan]

I reckon 3/4 Oz and 1 Oz if you have to use it from the beach and boat. From a boat minimum 3/4 Oz or you will not get down.
I suppose it also depends... If you want to catch Blacktail you need 1/8 Oz, 1 Oz will be too big on the beach but that won't work on the boat for Kingies let alone Amberjack. Yet on the beach you need bigger for cob.

Hell, I would make for the boat only 2-6 Oz. Small Jig heads are so cheap now, it's not worth making. Just my opinion.

[benniejordaan]

That's weird... I could swear Reefman replied??

[REEFMAN]

I did reply Bennie, but seem to behaving some serious formatting issues here.... 

For KZN shore dropshot, most of the target  species have quite small mouths, (Grunter, Blacktail, Stumpnose, Pompano etc) so the hook sizes  need to be small, really small – and with the size hooks being so small, they  need to be top quality.
Commercially made jigheads have WAYYY too big hook szes, making them completely ineffective.
Owner and Ratfink have recently come up with jigs with decent size hooks.

1/8 oz and ¼ oz jigs should have  #10 or  #8 size hooks.
3/8 oz should have #6 hooks
½ oz - #4 hooks
¾ oz - #4
1 oz - #2 and #1 hooks.
We haven’t even got to the 1/0’s yet!

[benniejordaan]

Cool, thought I was losing it! LOL

For shape... Ball type are great especially off the surf but nitro type is better off the boat if they are light.

[PH]

Has anybody tried the new "rugby-ball" shaped jig heads as yet. Reefz posted something a while ago. It prevents the lure from falling over (side-ways) when it hits the bottom. Not available at B Manning yet.

[benniejordaan]

Has anybody tried the new "rugby-ball" shaped jig heads as yet. Reefz posted something a while ago. It prevents the lure from falling over (side-ways) when it hits the bottom. Not available at B Manning yet.

In a fish tank it will be perfect but where there is current, or wave action and you have a 1/4 oz jig head, I cant see the point of them. They will wash and roll just the same.

[REEFMAN]

It depends on the retrieve.. if you're fishing with minnows, the retrieve is reasonably constant; if fishing with worms and inverts, the retrieve should be making contact with the bottom, bouncing it's way along. But still there is tension on the line, and the rugby ball should prevent the lure from rolling over. Well that's the theory anyway!

[benniejordaan]

So you need the following...

Shapes:
nitro shape
Ball shap
Rugby ball shape

Weights in each...
1/8 Oz
1/4 Oz
1/2 Oz
3/4 Oz
1 Oz
2 Oz
3 Oz (most popular off the boat in Moz)
4 Oz
6 Oz

Then each of those need a some hook size options.

That should narrow it down ...

You know that saying... Making something to do all jobs, never really does any one of them well! You will have guys fishing from the boat and you will have guys fishing from the surf, seldom both.

Hope that helps. I've been down this road... Everyone wants something different.

[benniejordaan]

Mark,
Why don't you just make the smaller moulds then you can use my 2,3 and4 oz mould. These work great off the boat. I generally only make/use the 3 and 4 Oz. Smaller ones I buy.

[Capt. Hook]

Round head, 3/4oz with 2/0 hook is best all round

[tackle whore]

was just wondering what the guys use, bought lead the other day from my scrapyard and the owner gave me a batch of sinker moulds he got from a factory that closed down mixed in were alot of do-it moulds and hooks mostly small bass size lead heads etc 1/4 oz , got the minnow moulds from 1/2 all the way to 8oz , we never fish light as well mostly 2oz upwards . is that a do it mould ? what hooks 8/0 ??