Hung up on stucture and lost tackle

Figure this would be the best place to post this lol. I am with every other guy when it comes to fishing structure brush piles etc. But man have I lost some tackle doing this I have gotten to the point I hate brush piles simply because within seconds of putting a shiner through the limbs im hung up and snap goes the line lol. Anywone know anything to fix this or maybe its just something thats never going ot stop lol. I almost went out and picked up some 20 pound braided line just so when this happens I could just rip it out of there.

I use 10# Power Pro yellow and get my jigs back from the rocks. If need be go to 15# in hi vis yellow and you will lose fewer jigs and the crappie wont care.

Braid and Litewire hooks.

Weedless jigheads work for me :ThumbsUp

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...y/jigheads.jpg

Custom made by Grousefly ... 1/32 & 1/16oz with #4 litewire bronze Aberdeen or #2 gold Aberdeen hook is what I've been using for over 10yrs.

PM - Grousefly
eMail - [email protected]
Ph - 6066423167

... cp :kewl

Use vertical stakes and not brush or anything horizontal. Very few hangups

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Originally Posted by cricket george

I use 10# Power Pro yellow and get my jigs back from the rocks. If need be go to 15# in hi vis yellow and you will lose fewer jigs and the crappie wont care.

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CG- I have trouble finding yellow Power Pro. Where do you normally get yours?

I heat my hooks up on my hot plate. Makes them a bit softer. If I hang up it will straighten out. Take my needle nose and re bend it.

Sounds like the lively minnows are wrapping the line and causing the snag. Heavier line will only disturb the brush pile and fish. If you are going to use minnows and go "IN" brush piles shorten the distance from the sinker (split-shot) to the hook so the minnow can't swim as much and tangle in the brush pile. Now if it is one of the brush piles you have put out then go to a heavier line and tear them up if you want but if it is a brush pile you have stumbled on then be conciderate and don't destroy it, they are not growing there themselves. Ferdi aka Fred

The EASIEST way to avoid snagging brush piles you KNOW are there is to fish at least 400 feet from it. The brush piles help provide cover for young game and panfish as well as other life forms that NEED it to complete their own life cycles and incidently help feed those young fish. I understand everyone only wants to catch barndoor sized slabs 25" long but unfortunately most crappie are not hatched that large; they as juvenilles along with bass and other fish NEED that cover as protection. Going snagless IS an option, personally prefere a bread twist tie wire minus the plastic wrapped 2X around the jig eyelet and sticking up 1/4th" over and past the hook end. OR, if you SERIOUSLY want to reach into the depths of the WORST, thickest nastiest densest tangle begging brush pile there is try this: get 4 or 5 welding rods and carefully and gently tap off the flux coatting on them with a hammer. Drill a hole in each end and file off any sharp edges. Tie your hook/ jig onto the end right next to the end of the rod. They can be used with floats but it takes some adjusting. The welding rod will NOT flex allowing you to haul them on out so long as you keep it off the bottom. Seems dumb until you use it and find out where those big ole gals like to hang out. Do not be surprised to also catch bass, cat and very large bluegills in that mess down there...I have about 5 at any time in my tackle box.

Forgot to mention, after removing the flux hammer the ends flat on steel or cement, then drill them.

x2 on the weedless jig heads. I don't feel I miss anymore than the missed opportunities of retying so much.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 Using Tapatalk.

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Originally Posted by cricket george

i use 10# power pro yellow and get my jigs back from the rocks. If need be go to 15# in hi vis yellow and you will lose fewer jigs and the crappie wont care.

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x2

Lots of good suggestions the guys have mentioned. If you want to minnow fish you might try putting a 3/8 oz sinker 12 to 18 inches below your minnow. Make a 2 inch loop knot for your hook and that gives the minnow some freedom to move around a little. The weight on bottom lets you jiggle your line and free the hook more times than not. I use 10lb test hi/vis mono and depending on your water clarity it works good at being able to straighten out your hook rather than losing them if you can't jiggle it free. The crappie don't seem to care how big the line is as was mentioned with the use of welding rods. If you want to jig fish, try using weedless jigs. It will cut way down on the hang ups. The guys mentioned litewire jig heads too. I just got some and and can't wait to try them. I doubt if I'll lose many with my 10 lb test mono, just hope they won't straighten out if I catch a wall hanger.

Forgot to mention in 8(?) yrs of using the welding rod rigs have lost exactly 1. Also managed to horse a 10+lb carp out of cover with it; that fish actually shook the branches sticking up out of the water going nuts initially, BUt the 10 pd line and rig held...without it it`ve been a fish story about the 1 that got away...

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Originally Posted by sls

Use vertical stakes and not brush or anything horizontal. Very few hangups

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Use verticle stakebeds either driven or on pallets and you will have very few hang ups. Most will come free if you shake it loose with out pulling hook deeper first! You also can fish right down on the bottom with out have'n to work it through limbs. They hold bigger fish on the average too in my opinion.

The egg sinker is the method I was taught to use when fishing buck brush and other gnarly brush piles. We use a 1/4 oz egg sinker and let it sit right on top of the hook. Drop that minnow in the thickest pile you can find, worry free. If the cork doesn't sit right, lift up a short way and drop again. If you get snagged, just let the weight take the rig down and pull up again. Sometimes it may take a few times of lifting up and letting it back down to get it off of that branch but it is effective and doesn't require any extra making of parts. We lose very few rigs with this method.

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Originally Posted by Lowellhturner

Going snagless IS an option, personally prefere a bread twist tie wire minus the plastic wrapped 2X around the jig eyelet and sticking up 1/4th" over and past the hook end.

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Cool tip, I will have to give it a try. Thanks.

X2 on weed less jig heads!!!

Guys,
These sound like good ideas. and yes i'm sure they work. I fish brush all the time and rarely have and issue. If the brush sticks up off the bottom say 5ft in 15ft of water I only fish with say 10ft of line out. yes you dont get all the way in there but depending on water clarity a fish will charge out from the brush to tag your bait. I have used this on jigs and minnows and it works. Hey, if i dont catch em all off the brush thats fine. it will leave me some for next time. Plus, as it's been said the big fish hover all around the brush not just staying tight to it. so fishing above and around it will work. And save you a couple rigs too. But since we are talking about it... guys that is just the nature of the beast. You get hung up sometimes. Good luck and Happy new year!

I have a couple different styles you may like to try.

Brush-guard
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P2060231.jpg

Stick-guard
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P2060233.jpg

Y-guard
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P1010799.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P1010109.jpg
NightProwler

I have used Nightprowler Y-guard jigs with Good success. I always keep some in boat they work good for me in heavy weeds & cribs. Thanks nightprowler for a great product............

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Originally Posted by jaxsprat

I have used Nightprowler Y-guard jigs with Good success. I always keep some in boat they work good for me in heavy weeds & cribs. Thanks nightprowler for a great product............

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I forgot to add that most of my regular plain jigs are those made by litewirehooker on this site an they work good,they will re-bend many times before breaking. Guess you all know now I am just plain lazy especially when it comes to breaking line & re-tieing.:fish

I like the weedless jigs when casting. I can usually tightline into the thick stuff with 1/8 oz. jig w/#4 hook w/o losing too many hooks. The key is not to snatch until you know it's a bite.

Mr. Lowellturner, would love to see a pic to see exactly what you were describing.

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Originally Posted by Nightprowler

I have a couple different styles you may like to try.

Brush-guard
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P2060231.jpg

Stick-guard
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P2060233.jpg

Y-guard
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P1010799.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P1010109.jpg
NightProwler

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I'm another Y-guard/Sickle Hook user and VERY satisfied customer!
Thanks Herb!

Basically a welding rod with the flux coating removed and flattened ends with holes drilled in them with a jig or hook tied on. These things WILL penetrate the nastiest densest brush piles you can find SO LONG as you use a snagfree jig with it. The weedless jigs that I make i simply burn the plastic off a bread tie wrap it TIGHTLY around the jig`s eyelet 3X and cut it off 1/4th" above the tip of the hook. I`m not very computer "saavy' to post pictures...

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Originally Posted by Lowellhturner

Basically a welding rod with the flux coating removed and flattened ends with holes drilled in them with a jig or hook tied on. These things WILL penetrate the nastiest densest brush piles you can find SO LONG as you use a snagfree jig with it. The weedless jigs that I make i simply burn the plastic off a bread tie wrap it TIGHTLY around the jig`s eyelet 3X and cut it off 1/4th" above the tip of the hook. I`m not very computer "saavy' to post pictures...

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I'm not getting the picture in my mind of how to connect the jig and welding rod. Could you please describe/explain the set up a little more? Thanks.

Simply short tie it on with same size line you`re using on the reel. 1 think forgot to mention is ENSURE the drilled holes have no sharp "burrs"; if so a fine jeweler`s "rat tail" file will smooth it up. It IS possible to rig the "rod" to a larger slip bobber, although it does take a bit of time to balance it. But it WILL work...has for me MANY times.

Light wire hooks from Lightwirehooker who is on this website and a product that Bass Pro carries which I made a link to!Bass Pro Shops® Hook Guard for Weedless Lures | Bass Pro Shops Maybe it will help!

What cray said...

someone may have already suggested this so im sorry if they have i havent read every post but I just a roundish hook with a weedless wire on it. the same hook you would rig a bass fishing senko with

For casting or one jig set ups...get a 1/2 ounce egg sinker open one end of a paper clip run it through the hole of the sinker and bend. You can now attach the sinker to your line get right on top of your jig attach the sinker to the line let it sink down to the jig and shake. It will come loose 90% of the time. I keep several of these sinkers in my boat always end up loosing them some how.