A double jig head rig is two jigheads tied in tandem on the same leader, spaced 12 to 18 inches apart, so your baits look like two small fish traveling together instead of one lure swimming alone. It is one of the simplest multi-lure presentations you can tie, it takes about a minute, and it works because predators almost never hunt a single baitfish — they hunt schools.
Key Takeaways
- Two jigheads on one leader imitate a pair of baitfish and trigger competitive feeding that a single lure does not.
- 12 to 18 inches of spacing is the most versatile starting point — short enough to cast cleanly, long enough to look natural.
- Mixing a jighead with a hover hook gives the two baits different fall rates, which is usually what makes fish choose one over the other.
- 1/4 oz is the all-around weight; drop to 1/8 oz for shallow or suspended fish and step up to 3/8 oz for wind, depth or current.
- Check your state regulations first — some states limit the number of hooks or hook points allowed on a single line.
Why Throw One Bait When Fish Are Chasing Schools?
Predatory fish rarely hunt a single baitfish. They feed on small schools of shad, blueback herring, alewives, threadfin shad, minnows, juvenile perch and smelt. Bait moves in groups, and predators are built to pick a target out of a group.
So why do most anglers only throw one lure? The double jig head rig creates the illusion of two baitfish swimming together, and that illusion often triggers competitive feeding instincts a single lure simply cannot. It is one of the easiest multi-lure rigs to tie, yet surprisingly few anglers take advantage of it.
Whether you are targeting largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass, white bass or striped bass, this rig deserves a place in your arsenal.
What Is a Double Jig Head Rig?
A double jig head rig consists of two jigheads tied in tandem on the same leader. Unlike an Alabama rig, which spreads multiple baits across wire arms, this presentation keeps both baits swimming naturally behind one another.
The result looks less like a mechanical rig and more like two baitfish traveling together. Sometimes one appears to be chasing the other. Sometimes one looks injured and separated. Either way, it draws reaction bites.
Before you tie one on, check your local regulations. Some states cap the number of hooks or hook points permitted on a single line, and those rules vary widely between states and sometimes between individual waters. It takes thirty seconds to look up and it is worth doing before the first cast.
When Should You Fish a Double Jig Head Rig?
This rig shines when fish are feeding on schooling bait. Our favorite situations include spring shad spawns, fall feeding frenzies, schooling bass, white bass blitzes, striped bass, offshore suspended fish, forward-facing sonar fishing and open-water smallmouth.
It also works exceptionally well when fish follow a single bait but refuse to commit. Adding a second bait often creates just enough competition to force a decision.
What Are the Best Jighead Combinations?
One of the biggest advantages of this rig is versatility. You do not have to fish identical jigheads — in fact, we usually do not.
| Combination | Best for | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Two Upgrade Multi-Purpose Jigheads | Paddle tails, swimbaits, faster retrieves, bottom-oriented fish, current, offshore structure | Two nose-weighted heads produce a clean, predictable swimming action from both baits |
| Upgrade Jighead leading an Upgrade Hover Hook | Most days, mixed conditions, pressured fish, fish that follow but do not eat | Front bait tracks true while the rear bait falls differently and hangs longer on the pause |
| Two Upgrade Hover Hooks | Suspended bass, clear water, forward-facing sonar, slow retrieves, floating TPE plastics, cold water | The finesse version — few presentations stay in the strike zone longer |
Two Upgrade Multi-Purpose Jigheads
This is the traditional setup and the one to start with if you fish faster or deeper. Two nose-weighted jigheads create a clean, predictable swimming action, which matters when you are covering water and want both baits behaving the same way.
Upgrade Jighead Plus Upgrade Hover Hook
This is one of our favorite combinations. The front bait tracks naturally while the rear bait falls slightly differently and often hangs just a bit longer during pauses. That subtle variation makes the rig look much more like two real baitfish rather than two copies of the same lure.
We have watched fish repeatedly choose the second bait. Why? It usually appears slightly weaker than the lead bait — and a weaker fish is the easier meal.
Two Upgrade Hover Hooks
This is the finesse version, and it is the right call when fish are suspended and unhurried. Two hover hooks keep both baits in the strike zone for as long as possible, which is exactly what you want in clear or cold water and when you are watching fish react on forward-facing sonar.
Which Soft Plastics Work Best on a Double Jig Head Rig?
This rig works with nearly every soft plastic category. Our favorite paddle tails include the Z-Man MinnowZ, DieZel MinnowZ, DieZel KickerZ and the Mulletron LT Loose Body.
Soft jerkbaits deserve special mention. Flukes create incredible realism because they glide rather than constantly kick, so the pair looks remarkably natural moving through the water — one bait can even appear to be following the other.
Coike and urchin-style baits may surprise some anglers. Instead of swimming them traditionally, try fishing two together. The combination creates an unusually subtle presentation around suspended fish. Experiment with spacing and retrieve speed before you write it off.
Should You Fish Two Identical Baits?
One mistake we see often is using two identical baits. That certainly works, and it is a perfectly reasonable place to start. But forage fish in a real school are not perfectly identical, and building a little difference into the rig gives fish a reason to pick one.
Try combinations like a paddle tail with a fluke, MinnowZ with DieZel KickerZ, Mulletron with a fluke, or a Coike with a paddle tail. Sometimes that subtle difference is exactly what triggers the bite.
What Jighead Weight Should You Use?
| Weight | Reach for it when | Typical water |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 oz | Slow retrieves, suspended fish, fish that spook easily | Ponds and shallow water |
| 1/4 oz | Your default — the all-around choice if you are only carrying one weight | Reservoirs, most largemouth, smallmouth, spots and stripers |
| 3/8 oz | Wind picks up, fish move deeper, current strengthens, faster retrieves are needed | Deeper open water and moving water |
How Far Apart Should the Two Jigheads Be?
Spacing changes the personality of the rig more than almost anything else you can adjust, and it costs nothing to change.
| Spacing | What it looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Short — 8 to 12 in. | Two fish traveling tightly together | Active, aggressive bass |
| Medium — 12 to 18 in. | Natural, easy to cast, minimal tangles | The most versatile setup — start here |
| Long — 18 to 30 in. | The rear bait behaves much more independently | Pressured fish that shy away from anything that looks rigged |
Why Does the Upgrade Series Suit This Rig So Well?
This rig highlights something we noticed while testing the Upgrade lineup. Because the Upgrade Multi-Purpose Jighead combines a tapered nose with a belly-weighted bait keeper, it holds modern TPE and ElaZtech plastics exceptionally well. On a two-bait rig that matters twice as much — you have twice as many plastics to slide down, and a rig with one bait bunched at the hook bend stops looking like anything a fish wants.
The Upgrade Hover Hook complements it. Its rear-positioned belly weight creates a different fall rate without requiring a completely different bait, so you can show fish two slightly different behaviors using the same plastic out of the same bag. That variation is what makes the rig feel alive.
Build the difference into the trailer, not the leader. Most anglers try to fix a rig that is not getting bit by changing spacing. Changing the rear bait’s fall rate — swapping a jighead for a hover hook, or a dense plastic for a buoyant one — changes what the fish actually sees. Spacing changes how the rig casts; fall rate changes whether it gets eaten.
Which Species Respond Best?
| Species | Where to fish it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Offshore brush, points, docks, schooling fish | Two profiles pull fish out of cover further than one |
| Smallmouth | Rock piles, shoals, offshore humps | Two baitfish trigger competitive strikes from a group |
| Spotted bass | Open water, especially with forward-facing sonar | One of our favorite species for this rig |
| White bass | Surface blitzes and erupting schools | Perhaps the most underrated use — two baits, twice the opportunity |
| Striped bass | Anywhere they are chasing bait; jig it vertically, slow roll it, or count it down | Stripers hunt schools by nature, so a pair reads as normal |
How Should You Retrieve It?
| Retrieve | How to do it | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Steady swim | Constant, unhurried reel speed | The classic — start here and adjust from what you see |
| Kill and pause | Stop reeling and let both baits fall on their own | Fish following without eating — the trailing bait usually gets crushed |
| Rip and glide | Rip upward, then let the rig fall on semi-slack line | Stripers and smallmouth — watch for bites on the drop |
| Sonar-led | Watch which bait the fish tracks, then change one variable | Any time you are on live sonar — fish often chase the lead bait and eat the trailer |
What Mistakes Should You Avoid?
| Mistake | The fix |
|---|---|
| Baits rigged too close together | Give them room to swim naturally — 12 to 18 inches is the safe starting point |
| Hooks too large for the plastics | Match hook size to bait size, not to the size of the fish you hope to catch |
| Fishing it too fast | Two baits already create plenty of attraction — slow down and let them work |
| Never experimenting | Change one thing at a time: spacing, weight, bait profile or fall rate |
| Tying it without checking the rules | Confirm your state’s hook and hook-point limits before you fish a multi-hook rig |
Final Thoughts
The double jig head rig is one of those techniques that makes perfect sense the moment you fish it. Predators chase schools. Two baitfish are more natural than one. And slight differences in fall rate, action and spacing can convince a fish it is looking at the easiest meal in the group.
Our favorite setup is an Upgrade Multi-Purpose Jighead leading an Upgrade Hover Hook. The two presentations complement each other, behaving differently on every pause without ever looking unnatural.
Sometimes the biggest breakthrough in fishing is not a brand-new lure. Sometimes it is simply giving fish one more reason to bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Double Jig Head Rig?
A Double Jig Head Rig uses two jigheads tied on the same leader to imitate two baitfish swimming together. It is commonly used for bass, striped bass, white bass and other schooling predators.
What is the best spacing between jigheads?
For most situations, 12 to 18 inches provides the best balance between natural action, casting distance and reduced tangles.
Can you mix different jigheads?
Absolutely. In fact, combining a traditional jighead with a hover hook can create different fall rates and actions that make the presentation look more natural.
What are the best baits for a Double Jig Head Rig?
Paddle tails, flukes, DieZel MinnowZ, DieZel KickerZ, Mulletron LT, MinnowZ and even Coike-style baits all work exceptionally well.
Is a Double Jig Head Rig legal everywhere?
No. Some states regulate the number of hooks or hook points that may be used on a single line. Always check your local fishing regulations before using multi-hook presentations.
Two baits, two fall rates, one leader. Shop the Ebb N Flow Outdoors Upgrade Series →