JIgheads, Hooks, Systems
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Headhooks are hooks with a weight for grasping soft bait. The headhook, or rather the weight, is made of lead or tungsten, but the European Union's green course is leading to the elimination of environmentally harmful lead in many areas, including recreational fishing. Tungsten headliners are unlikely to replace lead completely, as it is a relatively expensive metal, so there must be a cheaper alternative on the market. There are already signs that lead headliners will be replaced by tin, despite the fact that tin is almost 40% lighter than lead. There is already a lot of tin available on the internet, especially in the Benelux countries. The headliners, like the rubber lures they are designed for, come in different lengths. The length of the head-hook is marked in the same way as the hook: the higher the number, the shorter the head-hook. This would mean that the largest head should be size #1, but larger than size #1 is 1/0, 2/0, i.e. from this point onwards the size goes in ascending order. Thus, the shortest headjoints are size #6 (for a nano jig they can be even shorter) and the longest #14/0. The shortest #6 head is for 1-2cm elastics; #4 is for 2-3cm; #2 is for 3-4cm; #1 is for 4-6cm; 1/0 is for 6-7cm; #2/0 is for 7-8cm; #3/0 is for 8-9cm; #4/0 is for 9-10cm; #5/0 is for 10-11cm; #6/0 is for 11-12cm. #7/0 - 12-14cm; #8/0 13-15cm; #10/0 14-16cm; #12/0 16-18cm; #14/0 lengths of the head hook are suitable for rubber bands of approx. 20cm length. The headbands are also available with different rubber fixations. The lead rubber fixation, which is cast with the weight, is already out of fashion as it damages the rubber. The most popular fixation at the moment is simply a few thermowells on the hook. However, if the rubber is soft, it is difficult to hold onto such a fixation. Probably the best way is still a spring wrapped around the hook, but this type of headgear is more expensive.
Lead or tungsten head?
There are several major disadvantages to a lead headstock. Lead is much lighter than tungsten, which means that it will weigh more. This is not good for sturgeon or perch fishing, where the lures are small enough and the lead head is disproportionately large for the lure. For the same reason, lead does not have the sinking and ballistic properties of tungsten. Another disadvantage is that lead is soft and it does not sound when it hits a hard bottom. That strong thud is often more enticing to a predator. Lead is also a toxic metal and damages the environment. Lead's only advantage is its low price, because lead itself is cheaper and its processing is much simpler and does not require large investments.