Do Fuzz-e-grubs really outperform?

[James Morris]

I've been doing a lot of reading over the past few months and I've noticed that many walleye fishermen seem to prefer fuzz-e-grubs to a round jighead and a powergrub. Of course, Lindy would want me to believe this (as I don't have any right now) and I almost want to believe it (more walleyes in my future?) but I wanted to poll the audience to see what everyone thought. Do fuzz-e-grubs outperform traditional jigs and powerbait when each is tipped with a minnow?

Thanks everyone!

James

[ski]

Actually, I prefer a fireball jig tipped with a minnow especially in the spring and fall. It is more compact than a fuzzy grub and easier to connect when the bite is tentative. No I don't work for northland fish & tackle.

[cisco]

As with most choices, I think it's personal preference coupled with confidence in the choice (PMA and all that). For me, the mushroom jig-head with powerbait is a strong choice, and the Odd-Ball jig with leech, minnow, or half crawler.

Fish may disagree, but I don't like the fuzz of a Fuzz-E-Grub or the long shank of the hook.

[John in MN]

Why do you think it is easier to "connect" with a Fireball jig when the bite is tentative??

[Lund_Dude]

In my personal opinion, I believe it to be a confidence thing. If you think that it will work for you, try it. I prefer to pour my own jigs and use a premium light wire hook. I have used fuzzy grub bodies, but I don't believe that they work any better than a power jig worm with the tail ripped off. Just to add a little body to the bare hook. Remember that the plastic makes the jig fish a bit "lighter" than it really is. Good Luck!

[Frank from TBay]

I agree with you 100% Lund Dude.
Good fishing: Frank

[Ron]

Fireball jigs with live bait: short shank with wide gap for higher percentage of hooksets. Fuzz-e-grubs with no addition: the tail "breathes" and fish hold on to the "gummy bear" body longer.

[curt quesnell]

i used fuzzy grubs when i first started using jigs. i really
had no confidence in jigs at all and figured the body might
help. well the fuzzy grubs worked great and i got hooked on
jig fishin.

the one and only thing about fuzzy grubs that i dont love is
the fact that the plastic body will melt in a hot tackle
box. its a problem i have with all plastics. so the fuzzy
grubs eventually become regular jigs.

berklie power bait to the rescue. for some reason this stuff
doesnt seem to melt. so i can grab a naked fuzzy grub and
slap a hunk of power bait on the bait holding collar and
have a "super" fuzzy grub.

i also think that the northland fireball, the one with the
short shank, is a great unit. i have used oddballs and many
other shapes and configurations of jigs and it seems the
basic jig works as well or better than any of them.

there is a jig for every occasion dont be afraid to try em
all.

curt quesnell

[John in MN]

Why does the short shank with the wide-gap hook give higher hooking percentages?

[Bouncerboy]

John, short shank wide gap hooks are better for casting or jig trolling. The wide gap simply hooks up better when horizontal. For vertical jigging a long shank is better. This is a fact proven by the best pro jig fisherman out there. Try it and you will see the difference.

[GORD]

Fuzzy grubs work well but they are not the magic bullet. There is a time and place for all styles of jigs. For anchored vertical jigging a short shank jig like a fireball with live bait works best. Why? When you are stationary the fish have time to look at and study your presentation. They usually reject a piece of plastic if they have time to take a good look at it. The fireball with live bait is a compact presentation that is "real food". The Fire ball doesn't look like it would work but you will soon become a believer. It's good for ice fishing too. A longer shanked jig works better if it's dragged behind your boat at a longer angle. It's a geometry thing. The lenght of the hook should match the angle it is being presented at. Action type plastic tails are for faster jigging. Gentle action plastics ( fuzzy grubs etc ) are for slower presentations. What makes the fuzzy grub so good is it is middle of the road. Not too long. Not too short. It drops a little slower which keeps it in the strike zone a bit longer. The maribou gives it a soft natural action. Each jig is like a tool. Know your tools and use the right tool for the right job. Buy jigs with good hooks and keep them sharp. You should have a variety of jig styles and plastics on hand. Read every article you can about jigs and use common sense.

[O.A.]

I've used both. They seem to work equally well. I also have good success with the 3" Kalin grubs. The best jig I've used with these 3 grub types is 1/4 oz. with a 3/0 gold eagle claw jig hook. I do pour my own! I like the larger than normal hook size; for it gives me a better hook set on fish by supplying bigger hook gap. This allows me to leave the stinger rigs home because the 3/0's have longer shanks. In response to all this I have about 80-90% less snags than the traditional jig and stingers combos. Hope this helps. <*)))><

[James Morris]

It's good to hear so many different responses. I'll be sure to try out everything mentioned. I suspected that some of the articles substituted fuzz-e-grub for "your favorite jig" but I wanted to be sure I'm not missing out on something big. I'll probably pick up a few of them, as well as some fireballs (ouch, kinda pricey) and some others.

Thanks everyone!!!
James

[Al]

I like to pour my own heads with Gamagatsu hooks 3/0 and use Yamamoto twister tails. They are expensive, but well worth it.

[Ron]

Probably much more significant when fishing minnows as opposed to crawlers or leaches. Fish usually hit the head of a minnow, and the hook is right there due to the short shank. The wide gap allows the hook to be free and clear of the minnow for better penetration on the hookset (the bigger the minnow, the wider the gap needed). A lot of people take a pliers to other jigs to open the gap, particularly if they are missing fish.

[O.A.]

Were do you get them in bulk? I've been using Gamagatsu hooks for perch and other applications, but I've thought of the jig hooks more than once before. How much do you spend for how many?

O.A.

[John in MN]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-03-01 AT 10:45AM (CST)[p]I like your response. I have been using long-shank hooks exclusively for vertical jigging with a minnow for 2 years now. Before I was using Fireballs with or without a stinger. I thought if the fish are biting short, why not use a longer shank hook and get the main hook farther back to the end of the minnow (rigged by putting the hook in the mouth, out the gill and up through the minnow). My success has definitely increased. The jigs without the barb to keep plastics on work better when using smaller minnows.

[bob oh]

www.jannsnetcraft.com

[O.A.]

Thanks for the tip!

O.A.

[Backwater Eddy]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-04-01 AT 06:15AM (CST)[p]Fireball jigs work great for vertical jigging and larger live baits often used in fall and spring.

I prefer a ball style jig with a quality 2-3 o/t hook for working larger plastics in rivers, plastics that often go up to 5". The football head jig is another fine choice for dragging or slipping current.

A jig style that was not mentioned is the standup or flying wedge head jig, these jigs are a excellent choice for shad bodies (power shads or power minnows) and large live minnows. They tend to wobble with a swimming action and excel at quartering in current and parallel jig casting structure on most any body of water but especially rivers. They crawl over and through timber very well when equipped with a wire weed guard.

Backwater Eddy