I went fishing with a buddy of mine recently, and after making a few casts I noticed he was using a unique jighead that came with options called a Zodiac.
A jighead is a fish hook with a weight at the stem that simulates a fishhead. With a rubber body on the end it can be plunked to the bottom and made to look like a fish is feeding off the weeds. They are available in many shapes and sizes and their design hasn’t changed much throughout the years.
Freedom Tackle’s Zodiac offers something a little different that many anglers may just fall in love with. Heck, if they can hook my buddy—who I’ve only really ever seen use spinnerbaits and buzzbaits on the water—then they must be doing something right.
The Zodiac’s main distinct feature is that each jig possesses a fully articulated, free-moving hook on a strong 300-lb stainless steel wire. With the hook able to move independently of the jighead, fish aren’t able to get any leverage against the hook to throw it, empowering the Zodiac with a huge advantage over other jigheads.
What you’ll also love is the Zodiac offers the ability to swap out hooks on the jighead itself. Being able to quickly switch from a wide-gap hook to a wacky rig without retying was not only time-saving, but allowed the Zodiac to offer versatility that other rigs can’t. When you’re on the water, this option to adjust tactics or downsize your presentation quickly and effortlessly simply by swapping out hooks is a blessing.
The Zodiac is available in five color patterns—chartreuse, clear, pearl, black, and green pumpkin. It also comes in 1/16 oz, ¼ oz, 3/8 oz, and ½ oz sizes. They run around $6.50 online, for which you’ll receive two jigheads in your desired size and color, along with a pair of wide gap hooks and a pair of wacky hooks to interchange at your leisure.
My buddy let me tie on a Zodiac to get a feel for it and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I started with the smallest size, but found that it didn’t perform well in the wind, so I switched to a heavier size. I also found that, when comparing the Zodiac’s use with both my buddy’s fishing rod and mine, the faster tip on mine made all the difference in terms of detecting subtle strikes and setting the hook. We rounded out the day by targeting some vegetation, which the Zodiac punched through smoothly and effortlessly.
Photo credit: Youtube screenshot
