The jigs pictured there are 1/4 oz - same weight as a #3 blue fox I believe. I make jigs in the following sizes: 1/8,1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 which are then painted and tied to suit the target fish.
3/8 and 1/2 are really heavy...too much for most applications. I like 1/4 in most scenarious. I fish jigs on a 9 foot bait caster or spinning rod. I intend to float them more often this year.
FA is mostly right, slow deep poosl are best for jigs but they work well in lots of other applications too. I remember walking into a gong show at the hatchery canal (chehalis). No on was catching anything (roe, wool, blades) and my jigs pulled out 6 coho for my dad and I. Jigs are so lively, I think thats what makes them so effective. Roe or wool have little movement to them and I think that coho being such an aggressive fish, they respond to all the movement of a jig.
Last year at on the way (in a realativley fast seem), pug pumper and I were hammering some really nice clean chum on my jigs. The one that seems to work best on the chum is the one on the top left in the pic of 6 different jigs.
I have heard of guys float fishing their favourite salmon and steelhead flies so BwiBwi you are right, the purple one is bascially an egg sucking leech tied onto a jig! I am going to tie popsicle jigs for steelhead season too. Infact I have committed to getting a steelhead on one of my jigs this season.
I am tracking down a supplier that makes circle jig hooks...I am totally pump as they will allow me to fish coho from a pool infested with chum without the snagging issues.
If anyone wants to order some, just PM me, I would be happy to tie some up for who ever.