Should I rig Weedless

[brw0513]

I fished soft plastics for the first time yesterday 29/01/06 in and around snags, rocks, pylons and canals on the Nerang River (2� atomic single tail grub in motor oil colour on a Squidgy 3gm #2 jig head). Great fun. Didn’t land any bream but had a few taps and short duration hookups. Can’t wait for next time.

Just one question. I lost about a dozen jig heads to snags – not all below the water! For some-one like me (lacking the casting skill to put the jig exactly whereabouts I want it) would it be better to rig the plastic weedless style? I’d much prefer the excitement of finding fish and getting taps and takes but not hooking up. At the moment, I am sure I would be encountering less fish because my jig heads get nowhere near where the bream actually are for fear of snagging up or the jig head gets snagged first cast.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[Rayman]

Mate, I was on the same boat as you not so long ago. I used to fish all my plastics with the hook point exposed all the time. That meant that I lost a lot of jigheads to underwater snags, with not so many fish caught (since I was such a bad breamer then). Buying new jigheads soon start eating into your wallet.

Decided to rig weedless one day at one particularly spot where I've often been snagged, but have often had a lot of taps by bream and a few moses perch. I only lost 1 jighead that day (compared to like 5/6 in the previous sessions), with the added bonus of a few fish caught. Rigging weedless, you can fish your soft plastic more confidently and closer to the snag/structure without the incessant fear of losing it/snagging up (and spooking the fish).

When you're not afraid that your hook point is going to find a rock or log underwater, you'll feel more comfortable slowing down the retrieve, and actually letting your lure work the bottom.

I find hook-ups to be decent also. Try to find jigheads with larger hook sizes. I'm testing out TT-lures jigheads at the moment (temporarily swapping over from Nitro's) since the TT-lures ones come in bigger hooksizes for those 1/16oz and lighter heads. Nitro's usually come in #2 and #1 hooks, which I find inadequate when weedless rigging. However, I do prefer the lead collar on the Nitro's. The TT-lures jighead collars don't seem the hold the plastic as well.

Talking about bad casting skills, I'm like totally ashamed to say I lost a SX-40F (brand spanking new except for a few earlier swims) to a tree god. Damn those sticky trebles. Haha.

Raymond

[ozbreamer]

I haven't caught a bream on a lure yet but but many other species and i have found when fishing in areas that u know to be snaggy or weedy is to lift the rod tip higher rather than pulling it towards yourself and once u think u have cleared the snag add a single slow wind to keep the lure moving. Maybe even try using lighter jighead in that sort of terrian, if the weather conditions allow it.
I hope this helps you a bit and if anyone thinks im wrong could they please let me know as im still after my first.

Ozbreamer

[Rayman]

@ ozbreamer
I don't think your technique is wrong, as I do that occasionally as well. However, I think what you're describing lacks the pause-in-the-strikezone element. That's how I fish, a lot of pauses in the strikezone, and then slightly quicken the retrieve a little bit mid way (but still relatively slow).

However, I haven't caught enough fish to make this advice valuable, but I still hope it helps you to catch your first.

Raymond

[CHUNQX]

I've got a special interest in this thread... I make my own jigheads and they work beautifully and although I have some gamakatsu jigheads I've never used them because the ones I make work just fine.
I've started making weedless jigheads now and I made them for casting into lily pads and weed for the ever-ravenous redfin. My tests so far hasn't been promising. Haven't got a redfin even biting on them when I rig them up weedless. Logic tells me if even the little suicidal redfin won't bite them on the weedless jighead, the bream will definitely turn its nose away from them..
Is there something I'm not doing right with a weedless jighead?

[Rayman]

When I say I rig weedless, all I'm doing is taking your conventional jighead, and rigging it (Ecogear's) Skip-in-the-shade style. The retrieve is as per normal.

I don't think there is anything particularly special about a weedless rig that you might be missing which would explain your 'test results'. But I suppose you could just try using your weedless jighead where you usually use an exposed point, and see.

[lure_muncher]

Your jig is too heavy IMO, opt for 1.5 or .5gm jigs or to make it easier actually buy weedless heads, less hassle

Owner make nice ones on very sticky hooks