Bobby Garland Head Lock'R Jighead
Downsized crappie plastics need a jighead that keeps them fishing — and keeps them pinned. The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R does both: a custom wire-form "screw-lock" bait keeper threads into your soft plastic to hold it straight and add real bait life, paired with a super-sharp BKK 9050 black-nickel hook. Purpose-built for the Itty Bit Series and other bite-sized bodies, Available in 1/24, 1/16, and 1/8 oz.
In stock
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Description / Bobby Garland Head Lock'R Jighead
About the Head Lock'R
Built to fit panfish plastics — including the Itty Bit Series
Most jigheads force a compromise. Tiny finesse heads come with undersized hooks that fold or pull on a good slab, while standard crappie heads are too big and heavy to swim a bite-sized bait naturally. The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R is engineered specifically around panfish-size soft plastics — the 1.25-inch Itty Bit Series (Swim'R, Slab Slay'R, Slab Hunt'R, and Mayfly) and other small bodies — matching the right hook and wire form to each weight. You can fish downsized, high-finesse baits without giving up hook-setting power on the biggest crappie in the school.
The screw-lock bait keeper: more fish per bait
Soft plastics slide, tear, and bunch after a few fish, ruining the straight-line posture that makes a bait swim right and forcing constant re-rigging. The Head Lock'R's custom wire-form "screw-lock" keeper threads into the nose of the plastic like a corkscrew, locking it in place and holding it straight. The result is more fish per bait, fewer stops to re-rig, and a true-tracking presentation cast after cast — a decisive edge when a dock or brush pile is loaded and every drop counts.
A super-sharp BKK 9050 hook for paper-thin mouths
Crappie have famously papery mouths, and light finesse bites often barely load the rod. The Head Lock'R is built on a BKK 9050 black-nickel hook — a premium, high-carbon 90-degree jig hook known for a needle-sharp point and a strong, medium-wire build. Sharp penetration means solid hooksets on subtle bites and light line, while the black-nickel finish resists corrosion and stays low-visibility. Hook size steps up with weight — #6 on the 1/24 oz, #4 on the 1/16 oz, and #2 on the 1/8 oz — so heavier heads carry bigger, stronger hooks for slabs and the occasional bass or hybrid.
Available Colors
The Head Lock'R comes in three Bobby Garland Mo'Glo patterns plus an unpainted option. Mo'Glo is a photoluminescent (glow) finish — charge it in sunlight, with a headlamp, or with a camera flash, and it glows at depth and in low light to keep your bait visible when crappie are feeding up into the water column.
The high-visibility workhorse. Bright chartreuse with Mo'Glo glow that carries in stained and murky water and holds visibility at depth and in low light. The first color to try when you're locating fish.
Stained / murky · Low lightA translucent pearl-white glow for clearer water and a more natural look. Subtle Mo'Glo output makes it a strong choice on overcast days and for pressured fish that shy from brighter heads.
Clear to lightly stained · OvercastA proven crappie reaction color in Mo'Glo formulation. Excels at dawn and dusk, in stained water, and in cold-water finesse situations where a soft pink glow triggers neutral fish.
Dawn / dusk · Cold-water finesseA bare lead head for maximum stealth. Ideal in gin-clear water and on heavily pressured fish where a painted head hurts more than it helps — and for anglers who want the soft plastic to do all the talking.
Clear water · Pressured fishWeight & Size Selection Guide
| Model | Weight | Hook | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/24 oz | 0.7 g | #6 | Slowest fall — shallow, clear, calm, or pressured fish; the smallest Itty Bit plastics and true finesse work |
| 1/16 oz | 1.6 g | #4 | All-purpose — casting and retrieving, long-line trolling, and moderate depths; the size to buy first |
| 1/8 oz | 2.1 g | #2 | Fastest fall — deep water, wind and current, quick drops to sonar targets, and the biggest slabs |
How to Rig & Fish It
Recommended gear setup
A sensitive tip telegraphs the light "tick" of a crappie inhaling a finesse bait, and a soft action keeps the sharp BKK point from tearing free of a paper-thin mouth. Go short (6–7 ft) for casting and dock shooting; go long (10–13 ft) for dipping, strolling, and spider rigging.
A small, balanced spinning reel with a light, smooth drag protects the hook hold on the hookset and the fight. Control retrieve cadence by hand — slow rolls and pauses let the Head Lock'R hang in the strike zone, which is exactly where the screw-lock keeper's straight-tracking bait earns its bites.
Light mono or copolymer adds stretch and slows the fall for finesse; fluorocarbon sinks and sharpens sensitivity to reach a little deeper. For forward-facing sonar, run 6–10 lb braid to a fluoro leader for a visible line on-screen and instant strike detection.
Tips from the water
- Wet or pinch the soft plastic, center the hook, and thread the bait onto the screw-lock keeper snug against the head so it tracks perfectly straight.
- Don't swing on the bite — a smooth sweep-set drives the super-sharp BKK point home without ripping through crappie's thin mouth.
- Charge Mo'Glo colors with sunlight, a headlamp, or a camera flash before dropping into deep or stained water for extra glow time.
- Downsize to the 1/24 oz during cold fronts and heavy pressure; step up to the 1/8 oz when wind, current, or deep sonar targets call for a faster fall.
Specifications
| Weights | 0.7 g (1/24 oz), 1.6 g (1/16 oz), 2.1 g (1/8 oz) |
| Length | 0.97 in / 2.4 cm, 1.1 in / 2.9 cm, 1.4 in / 3.6 cm |
| Hook | BKK 9050 super-sharp black-nickel jig hook — #6 (1/24 oz), #4 (1/16 oz), #2 (1/8 oz) |
| Bait Keeper | Custom wire-form "screw-lock" keeper |
| Techniques | Vertical jigging, strolling, dock shooting, long-line trolling, spider rigging, casting, slip-corking |
| Seasons | Late fall, winter, pre-spawn and early spring; effective year-round |
| Pack Count | 5 jigheads per pack |
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep does the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R jighead fish?
The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R has no fixed running depth — as a sinking jighead, its depth is controlled by head weight, line diameter, and technique. The 1/24-ounce falls slowest for shallow and finesse work, the 1/16-ounce covers moderate depths, and the 1/8-ounce drops fastest for deep water, wind, and current. Lighter line and heavier heads both reach deeper.
What size Head Lock'R jighead should I use for crappie?
Choose the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R size by fall speed and conditions. The 1/24-ounce (#6 hook) is best for shallow, clear, calm, or pressured fish and the smallest finesse baits. The 1/16-ounce (#4) is the do-everything choice for casting, retrieving, and moderate depths. The 1/8-ounce (#2) is for deep water, wind, current, and the biggest slabs. If buying one, start with the 1/16-ounce.
What soft plastics fit the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R jighead?
The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R is purpose-built for panfish-size soft plastics, including the 1.25-inch Bobby Garland Itty Bit Series — the Itty Bit Swim'R, Slab Slay'R, Slab Hunt'R, and Mayfly — as well as other bite-sized crappie bodies. Its hook sizes and wire-form screw-lock keeper are matched to small baits, holding them straight and extending their fishing life.
What is the best jighead for dock shooting crappie?
The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R is an excellent dock-shooting jighead because its screw-lock bait keeper holds the soft plastic tight through repeated skips under docks and overhangs, so the bait doesn't tear loose on impact. The compact head and super-sharp BKK 9050 hook drive clean hooksets in tight quarters. The 1/16-ounce is the most popular all-around shooting weight.
Should I use a glow (Mo'Glo) or unpainted Head Lock'R jighead?
Use a Mo'Glo Head Lock'R — Chartreuse, Ghost, or Pink — in stained or murky water and low-light windows like dawn, dusk, and overcast days, since the glow finish stays visible at depth after charging in light. Choose the unpainted Bobby Garland Head Lock'R in gin-clear water and on heavily pressured fish, where a bare head is stealthier and lets the plastic do the work.
What makes the Head Lock'R screw-lock bait keeper different?
The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R uses a custom wire-form "screw-lock" keeper that threads into the nose of a soft plastic like a corkscrew, locking it in place and holding it straight. Compared with a plain-collar head, it resists the sliding and tearing that ruins a bait's action, so anglers get more fish per bait, less re-rigging, and a truer presentation.
What rod and reel should I use with the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R?
Fish the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R on an ultralight-to-light spinning rod from 6 to 13 feet — short for casting and dock shooting, long for dipping, strolling, and spider rigging — paired with a 500-to-1000-size spinning reel and a smooth, light drag. Spool with 4- to 8-pound mono or fluorocarbon, or braid to a fluorocarbon leader for forward-facing sonar.
What jighead works best for forward-facing sonar crappie fishing?
The Bobby Garland Head Lock'R suits forward-facing sonar (strolling) well: the 1/8-ounce head drops quickly to fish marked on the screen, and the screw-lock keeper keeps the bait tracking straight through repeated drops and follows. Pair it with braided line and a fluorocarbon leader for a clear on-screen image and instant strike detection, and downsize to 1/16-ounce for a slower, more natural fall.
Is a screw-lock bait keeper better than a barb keeper for soft plastics?
For small crappie plastics, the screw-lock keeper on the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R offers a real advantage: threading the wire into the bait grips the full nose section rather than pinning it on a single barb, so the plastic stays put and straight through more fish and more casts. That means fewer re-rigs and better bait economy, especially when a school is fired up.
What jighead is best for winter finesse crappie fishing?
Winter crappie hold deep and bite lightly, favoring small baits and a slow fall — conditions the Bobby Garland Head Lock'R is built for. Use the 1/24-ounce head with a 1.25-inch Itty Bit plastic for the slowest, most natural presentation over pressured fish, and step up to the 1/16- or 1/8-ounce when you need to reach deeper brush and timber or hold depth in current.