NuTech jigs

[Eric Walsh]

These have been around for a while now and I was wondering if anyone has used these in place of their favorite jigs
and can give some definitive conclusions as to their hooking abilities? Some testimonials have been pretty persuasive
about the jigs ability to swim through some nasty cover and stay weedless. Any feedback would be great. - Eric.

[smalljaw]

As someone who has been making jigs and spinnerbaits for 15+ years I have to admit I was intrigued by the design and the claims of this jig when it came out. The problem I have is when I read reviews, they sound very similar to the language used on the advertisements I saw on them and of course I had to buy one and try it. Here is my take on it, I can throw it in the nastiest cover and bring it out, but I can do it with any other jig as well, even finesse jigs with small weed guards, but it is because I'm walking the bait out of cover and not fishing. What I found with the Nu Tech jigs in that they do seem to hang up less but I also found that you almost have to use a no stretch line, even fluorocarbon isn't the best, because you really have to set the hook hard. I know there are guys that will do that and say you have to when jig fishing in cover and I agree, but even in sparse cover situations you need to bring the power otherwise you won't stick them. It isn't the head design that makes them so snag resistant, it is the solid rubber weed guards and they are stiff, stiffer than the heaviest fiber guard I ever used and if you aren't just walking the jig out of cover you will get it snagged, it does happen. The reason is the pesky "Y" shape limbs, you lift your jig and feel the limb but as you are working it over you feel another tick and you instinctively set the hook, well when you do that you will get snagged, the same as a fiber guard. My assessment is this, yes, they are pretty good but I have fished a lot of good jigs, in fact skirted jigs are all good as long as you use the right head for the right cover and to me this is just an Arky style jig with a good weed guard system. As for the claims of getting a better hook up because of the head design with "cam action" or something like that, well my partner had a fish running with his jig as he was picking a backlash out and he set the hook hard and lost the fish anyway, so while it is good, it isn't so good that it eliminates other jigs but I do think the design is very good and it is a solid, good quality jig, no doubt about it.

[Eric Walsh]

Smalljaw, I think we fish similar areas including rivers and streams for smallies that have everything from branches
to chunk rock. Have you used the jig in various sizes in these different senarios. I guess what I'm trying to find out
is, they show the jig staying upright coming through chunk rock and rip rap surprisingly well, I get hung a lot with
footballs and am looking for the end all if that's possible. Thanks for the in depth review, Eric.

[smalljaw]

Smalljaw, I think we fish similar areas including rivers and streams for smallies that have everything from branches
to chunk rock. Have you used the jig in various sizes in these different senarios. I guess what I'm trying to find out
is, they show the jig staying upright coming through chunk rock and rip rap surprisingly well, I get hung a lot with
footballs and am looking for the end all if that's possible. Thanks for the in depth review, Eric.

Eric, I imagine we do fish similar types of water and here is what I can tell you, I fished the 3/8oz version only, in fact I got a plain head and put my own skirt on it. To me, it fishes just like an Arky head, I often felt like I was fishing my own Arky jig that I make, it is very good around brush and chunk rock but it hangs in rip rap and the river bottom just as much as all my other jigs. I figured the angles would make it easier to free it up from wedging but those beautiful rubber weed guards that help keep it from snagging in brush are miserable in rip rap, much worse than a fiber guard. I had it lodged in a few rocks directly below the boat and I could see it, I hopped the bait and then reeled up the slack and I pulled in head first off a rock into a decent size gap between rocks. When I was pulling on it we couldn't get the head to move as the rubber was dug into the rock, the fiber guard will separate and slide over the rock, the rubber does not and that makes it worse in that type of situation. That was actually the last time I used it in rock, I gave the jig to my fishing buddy and a month larer he lost it fishing the same area we were fishing when I decided not to use it in rock anymore. Now, normal substrate is fine, just as it is with an arky jig but so far I haven't found a jig that is very good in rip rap or heavy chunk rock, football and arky heads are still the best, I found that going light in those areas is what you have to do. The jig is a little more snag resistant in brush but rip rap and heavy chunk rock it is the same as what we have been using, good design but not the single solution.

[Eric Walsh]

Well, that's kind of what I thought, but thanks for clarifying. I may pick up a few this spring and try my luck.

[toddmc]

Thanks for the write-up smalljaw. That is most of what I was expecting. The inventor in the product video that I saw a while back was from the South (I think Texas). I think he may have said something to the effect that he created the jig for heavy brush in places like Falcon, Fork, and Amistad. My firewall at work won't let me see the the NuTech website. I fish a few areas like this and I may tie one up just for kicks. It will be interesting to see if the price drops drastically when the newness has worn off.

[iabass8]

Love the NuTech jig for brush. It' the only jig I use in heavy wood. I tried to Blitz football for 3 months. I hated it. Hung up in rock like crazy and 2 passes through an area the paint on the head was almost gone.

[H8R]

The head design seemed to pickup more snot than others I've used .

[sarcazmo]

I live in AZ so I don't fish the same conditions as everyone else.

I will say they are the only jigs I use. At least here and the conditions I fish They live up to all the hype.

I used them down in Mexico (Oviachic) with great success too. I don't notice having to set the hook harder than any other jig, but that could just be the way I set the hook overall. I've also found the weed guards become more pliable with use. I'll usually flex them a bunch the night before I fish or right after I order a shipment. I'll agree that they do seem to pick up a lot of snot and they're not my favorite in heavy vegetation. But for rocky areas or heavy brush I don't think they can be beat.

The above is only for the standard head. I do own a couple blitz heads but I haven't used them much.