BASSIN’ DIY: Weedless Swim Jig

WORDS: Duncan Murfin IMAGES: Supplied

Casting a swim jig has become popular but in waters that are heavily overgrown with grass and other plants it tends to become stuck quite often. Here is a quick breakdown of how to build your own extremely weedless version using a bullet-weighted hook, spinnerbait skirt and an appropriate trailer.

Bullet-weighted hooks have been a mainstay in Florida when swimming Buzzing tail worms around dense cover similar to fishing a buzzbait on the surface, but have never gained popularity locally. But here’s a bullet weight from Japanese manufacturer Owner, the “Sled Head” that improves upon the concept and opens up a whole new world of quick lure customization.

At first I simply dismissed the Sled Head as being just another Florida Rig variation until I noticed the unique skirt keeper. I was given a 1/4oz version combined with a 4/0 hook and decided to play around with skirt variations until I settled on a regular spinnerbait replacement skirt and matched it to a swimbait. Due to the length of the hook it isn’t suitable for use with craw-style trailers used for conventional jig fishing. The finished swim jig it produced has a very tiny head, which is concealed by the skirt and allows the bait to be swum through cover with ease.

What you need:

Owner Sled Head hook.
Natural baitfish-coloured skirt – Golden Shiner, Shad, Watermelon, Green Pumpkin variations.
Swimbait or Craw Trailer.

Customisation Tip: For an ultra-realistic head, paint the leadhead with spray paint or nail varnish and match it to your skirt colour.

Lubricate the weighted head with water or a drop of oil (even bait attractants will work) and work the skirt onto the skirt holder.
Nose hook the trailer and slide it up to the hitching post.
Screw the head of the bait onto the hitching post as far as it will go ensuring the tail is facing upright in relation to the jig head.
Thread the hook through the body and skin hook it. The entire rig is now complete and extremely weedless.