Warbaits Neck Breaker Swing Head Swimbait Jig — 2 Per Pack, 1/8 oz to 1 oz

On a fixed jig head, the hook and the lead are one rigid piece. The bait goes where the weight goes, at the speed you're reeling, and on a slow retrieve it looks like exactly what it is — a piece of plastic being pulled through the water.

Short version: the Neck Breaker separates them. The hook hangs off the head on its own pivot, so the bait rocks, glides, and settles on its own while the head does the sinking. Two heads per pack. Six weights, 1/8 oz through 1 oz.

Why a Swing Head

That independence shows up in the two situations where fish get picky: on the drop, and on a dead-slow retrieve along the bottom. A fixed head falls nose-down in a straight line. A swing head lets the bait glide off to the side and settle, which is what a dying baitfish actually does.

The pivot also changes the hook angle. Instead of tracking nose-down locked to the lead, the hook rides up off the head — a better position for a fish that eats from behind and below.

Where It Earns Its Keep

• Slow-rolling swimbaits through kelp stringers and over boiler rock for calico bass.
• Bottom work inside harbors and bays for spotted bay bass, where the pause matters more than the retrieve.
• Dragging sand flats for halibut.
• Umbrella rig arms — see below. This is the standard head for an A-rig.

The Umbrella Rig Setup

Five baits tracking together at identical speed is the hardest presentation to make look alive. Every bait moving in lockstep reads as a lure, not a school. Swing heads give each bait its own motion inside that group, which is why they're the default choice on an A-rig.

The weighting rule is keel effect: your two heaviest heads go on the bottom two arms, lighter heads on the top three. Even weight across all five gives the rig nothing holding its orientation, so it rolls, spins, and twists your line.

How many packs a five-arm rig takes

Three packs covers a full rig every time — one pack of the heavy weight, two of the light. You'll finish with one spare light head, which is the one you'll want when a fish takes a head off in the rocks.

Weight Selection

Pro Tips from the Tackle Express Crew

• Let it fall on a slack line. The swing head's advantage is the glide, and a tight line takes it away. Most bites on this head come on the drop.
• Slow down further than feels productive. A fixed head needs speed to look right. This one doesn't, and speed is what kills the independent action you paid for.
• Buy in pairs of weights, not pairs of colors. When a head goes in the rocks you want the same weight back on, not the same color. Head color matters far less than bait color.
• Match the head to the bait's body, not to the fish. A head too heavy for the plastic kills the tail action no matter what you're targeting.

Common Mistakes

• Fishing it like a fixed head. Steady fast retrieve, tight line on the fall — that's a regular jig head presentation and the swing does nothing for you.
• Buying five heads for a five-arm rig. They come two to a pack. Five arms takes three packs, not two and a half.
• Even weights across an umbrella rig. The number one cause of a rig that helicopters and corkscrews your line.
• Going too heavy for the depth. On the drop, a head that outruns the bait pulls the plastic straight down and eliminates the glide.

Specifications

Warbaits does not publish hook size, hook model, wire gauge, or head material per weight for the Neck Breaker. Call the shop and we'll pull one out of the drawer and measure it for the size you're considering.

What's Included

Two swing heads per pack, in the weight and color selected. A five-arm umbrella rig takes three packs — one of the heavy weight for the bottom two arms, two of the light weight for the top three. Swimbaits and the rig itself are sold separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many heads come in a pack?
Two.

How many packs do I need for a five-arm umbrella rig?
Three. One pack of the heavier weight for the bottom two arms, two packs of the lighter weight for the top three. You'll have one spare light head left over.

What's the difference between a swing head and a regular jig head?
On a swing head the hook pivots independently of the weight. The bait moves on its own instead of being locked to the lead, which matters most on the drop and on a slow retrieve.

What weight should I use for calico bass?
1/2 oz covers most of it. Drop to 1/4 oz inside harbors and calm water; go 3/4 or 1 oz for deeper structure or current.

What weights do I need for an umbrella rig?
Heavier on the bottom two arms, lighter on the top three. With 5" baits, 1/2 oz on the bottom pair and 1/4 oz on the other three. For deep water or current, 1 oz on the bottom and 1/2 oz on top.

Can I use it in freshwater?
Yes. It's built for saltwater but the same slow-roll and drop-and-pause presentations work on largemouth and smallmouth.

What swimbaits fit it?
Any soft paddle-tail or boot-tail swimbait. Match the head weight to the bait's body — a head too heavy for the plastic kills the tail action.

Does the head color matter?
Less than bait color, but it matters at close range in clear water. Raw and White disappear, Red and Hot Pink give the bait a visible strike point, and Camo and Cosmos are the low-visibility picks over structure.

Gear That Goes With It

• Kicker PK-Rig Umbrella Rig — the five-arm rig these heads mount to.
• Kicker Pickle Kick PK-5 — the standard 5" profile for 1/2 oz heads.
• Kicker Pickle Kick PK-3 — harbor and bay size for 1/4 oz heads.
• Kicker Booty Spin — blade-tail body on the same heads.

Buy It From People Who Fish It

We sell Southern California saltwater tackle from our shop on Soledad Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, and we fish these heads on the same water you do. Not sure what weight your bait wants, or how many packs your setup takes? Call us or come in — we'd rather work it out at the counter than have you find out you're a head short on the water.