michang5

I agree with DarrenM, the weedguards are really more protection from stumps and throwing your rigs into trees. I've done extensive testing with two of the mentioned weedless hook options: 1) Gamakatsu weedless finesse wide gap -- I started with these. The guards lose their shape/tension after a few fish. After a few more fish, the glue that holds the guard to the shank weakens. The guard will then slide down the hook. A drop of super glue will repair it for a few more fish. Annoying to have to re-hook the guard below the barb every few casts. 2) VMC weedless wacky -- Friend gave me his after he complained about missing fish (kinda like "This milk's gone sour, will you taste it to make sure?"). The metal weedguards was UNBELIEVABLY rigid. It took a lot of pressure to push it down and off the hook barb. I threw them in the trash. 3) Owner weedless wacky -- Different guard design from the other two. The stiffness of the V-shaped guards seemed sufficient and were durable after many fish. --- With #1 and #3, I would usually bring in weeds and have pick them off. If the BOW was choked with grass, the entire wacky setup was pointless. However when you skip/throw them into branches like I often do, I would say they have a slightly higher chance of dislodging with a pop of the rod versus a open-faced wacky hook. I say "slightly" because I was forced to buy the regular Owner wacky hooks at Cabelas one day when they were out of the weedless. I went out with them and really had no more tree snags than with the weedless ones. I've since fished them exclusively from the banks and my kayak. Finally, I thought about the economics. The weedless Owners are quite a bit more per hook over the regulars. Even if I snagged and broke off the regulars at a (slightly) higher rate than the weedless, it wouldn't justify the extra cost.

Leave them in their original bags if you can. Don't mix different soft plastic baits or any other plastics in a box or bag*. You should be fine. I keep most of my soft plastic packets in a tackle bag in my car year round in Texas. *I threw a GYCB shad-shaped worm on top a plastic Rat-L-Trap box. They oddly fused (likely from plastic reaction, not heat). I threw some Bitsy bug trailers (which I think are Elaztech) in a bin with another brand of trailer. The Bitsy trailers melted (again likely from plastic reaction).

FWIW... I used my Boga grips to pull on the 20# braid. Several times it wasn't the hook that gave way, it was the braid. Maybe going up in 40+# test changes the equation, but I didn't like leaving yards of my line floating in the water.

I bank fish with braid and fluoro leader (unless throwing frogs and topwater). I went a week last year going straight 20# braid. I still got bites, but when I did get hung up, I would frequently break off long lengths of expensive braid getting unstuck. As much as it was about confidence, it was also about economics. Learn the Alberto knot. I can tie it very quickly. And when I get stuck, I usually break off at the hook knot. Occasionally at the leader knot, but it's still better than losing yards of braid.

Buy real senkos. Buy cheap o-rings here: http://www.oringsandmore.com/nsf-b70-orings-size-010-price-for-100-pcs/ I prefer a more compact wacky presentation versus the ginormous EWG hook, zip ties, bicycle inner tube that's exploded here recently. Owner 1/0 wacky hook, o-ring, 5" senko and a spinning reel. I can skip that into/under a tiny opening of cover. Good luck.

I had been doing a lot of research on kayaks before I bought a used Mariner Propel recently. One suggestion I would offer is to allocate a significant amount of cash for accessories, too. Paddle, PFD, paddle leash, whistle, anchor and rope are mandatories. I would highly recommend an Onyx inflatable PFD from Academy ($80) or you'll have a thick layer of foam getting between you and the seat back. If you're going to fish at night, you'll need a 360 light. I think mine cost $20 from Walmart. According to YouTube and Google, you can also make your own for cheaper. I don't know how you're planning on transporting your kayak, but I bought Yakima bars cushioned wraps for the top of my car. And you'll need straps and tie downs. Those were the second largest investment behind the boat itself. Obviously ignore if you have a pickup. Then there are the optional accessories that you really should have for an enjoyable experience: rod holder(s), crate, anchor trolley, kayak cart, waterproof case for your phone/wallet. When I was renting kayaks from a local place, I "borrowed" a crate from a nearby restaurant and zip tied a piece of PVC for a rod holder. And I made my own trolley using $20 worth of hardware and rope. But again... these things still cost some amount of money. I'm not saying you can't have a good setup for a few hundred bucks, but you might have to adjust your expectations to match. Good luck.

This is a very odd thread. I bought a 2011 Mariner Propel a month ago. Along with two flush-mount rod holders and a XL crate with three more holders, it came with a Lowrance 5x depth finder. I'm still figuring out how it works and how it will put me on fish, but the one thing it does perfectly is tell me the depth. And my Mariner is so incredibly crowded with all of the stuff that I just installed a second RAM mount for a rod holder for trolling. I don't know where I'm going to sit.

I alternate between Gamakatsu 1/0 drop shot/split shot hooks and Mustad #1 drop shot/live bait hooks. I nose hook trick worms, finesse worms, tiny flukes and shad-shaped worms. I also will wacky hook the worms. Both work great and are inexpensive (which is critical since I snag a lot throwing the DS from the bank). If I know the BOW I'm fishing has fish over 3#, I will use the 1/0. Otherwise, I use the #1. Just a confidence thing.

I have a standard Buff. But I was looking at the new ones made from tech fiber. Was curious if it was any better -- cooler, more wicking, etc. -- than the original.

The drop shot is my second favorite rig -- next to a wacky senko. I fish it from the bank quite a bit, and my PB 7.25# was caught on a DS GYCB shad-shaped worm. My recommendation is to find the cheapest high quality hooks and weights you can find. From the banks, you will snag and lose a bunch. Comes with the territory. I've been using Gamakatsu drop shot/split shot hooks #1 or 1/0. I also buy Mustad #1 DS hooks. Academy and DSG will frequently carry one or the other on sale for $2.50-2.99 for a pack of six. As for the weights, Academy has stainless steel Water Gremlin drop shot weights (tear drop shape) with slide-on attachment for ~$1.50 for pack of 4. Good luck!

I picked up a Megatail pack recently. Am waiting for *** to send a warranty replacement rod so I can try them on a c-rig. Would like to hear of other rigging successes in the meantime. Thanks!

I bought a new-to-me Mariner Propel 12.5 kayak 10 days ago. I took it out twice this past weekend. In between I got Whispbars installed on my Prius. Quite pricey, but I wanted to preserve the quiet ride of the car, along with the gas mileage. I did cheap out a bit and get the nylon-covered foam wraps for the bars instead of the saddles. Partly it was for ease of removal, thus maintaining quiet and mileage again. Just about as important as getting rack and wraps was figuring out a load assist. The Mariner is ~80 pounds and has an odd hull shape. Equally difficult to manage is the back half of a Prius. I found several options at Austin Canoe and Kayak and Amazon, but either they were too expensive, flimsy or were rated for lighter yaks. So I found several DIY solutions via Google and YouTube that I ultimately combined into a "perfect solution" for me. Price tag = $30. The attached pictures show the loading position; I flip it around (so the "kickstand" points down) for unloading. So very happy with this creation.

I throw a bunch of senko colors -- watermelon red flake, cinnamon with red tip, green pumpkin with chartreuse tip, watermelon/green pumpkin laminate, black with blue flake, black no flake, watermelon black flake, and purple. And those are just the 5" colors. I've caught fish on all of them on various local bodies of water. Different times of day (although I don't fish at night much) and different water conditions. I honestly don't think colors matter. However I'm trying to consolidate to 2-3 colors: black with blue flakes, green pumpkin chartreuse, and one more (likely WMRF or cinnamon with red tip).

Stopped by a local pond after work to test the hybrid rig. It's not a match for the lake I plan to fish this Sunday, but there is plenty of submerged vegetation. I caught a 1 pounder on the first cast using a 1/0 straight shank hook and trick worm. Nothing after, but it did work right off the bat. I have been unable to find mojo/cylinder weights at local Academy, DSG or Gander Mountain. Picked up a pack of rubber core weights in 1/16 and 1/8. I don't have high hopes for them coming through the milfoil cleanly, but it was the best I could do. If they work moderately well, I can remove the hassle of tying the swivel and pegging the bullet. I also picked up a pack of round split shot weight (no tabs) and might try a straight up split-shot rig.

Excellent and obvious point about the split shot being on the braid. Duh. With my rigging with swivel, a split shot would definitely simplify things. I went with the 1/16 bullet thinking that the swivel would bump the total weight closer to 1/8. I definitely have heavier bullets. I'll swing by the store store and pick up some split shots and/or mojo later today. Thanks for the suggestions!

The small lake I fish has milfoil growing like crazy from the bank out to 15-20 yards. I'm seeing more and more little white flowers popping up above the water surface closer to the shore. While it is very thick, I would not say it is a "matted canopy" yet. I have been reading about working a mojo rig or split shot rig on top of these types of grass flats. While the components are cheap, I was wondering if I could build something equally effective with what I have in the tackle box. My hybrid mojo, split shot, c-rig:: Hook > 18-24" fluoro leader > #6 swivel > pegged 1/16oz bullet weight > braid main line. I will start with 3/0 EWG hook > super fluke and caffeine shad Then transition down to 1/0 hook with trick worms and smaller baits. Any thoughts or gotchas? Am I "doing it wrong"? Thanks in advance. ---- My research notes and compromises: Mojo -- pegged cylinder weight. I don't have any of those. Split shot -- crimped shot. I have a few tiny shots, but I don't like the idea of crimping line. And I don't want to buy bullet-shaped split shots when I can just peg a bullet. C-rig -- weight is not pegged. Usually heavier weights and bead.

I use S8S on two spinning rods -- 15# and 20#. Both float. Fuzzies gonna stick.

Interesting to see how shallow most of these big fish were caught. My 7.25# was in 2-4 FOW. I was on the bank throwing the smallest soft plastic bait I own (GYCB shad-shaped worm) on a drop shot with an 18" leader to a 1/8oz weight.

As I mentioned, price is a consideration for my DS hooks. I've been able to find the Mustads at different Academys around town. They're about $2.50 for a pack of 6. It is odd that one store will have them, while another a few miles away will never carry them. The Gamakatsus usually go on sale for about the same price as the Mustads at D I C K S Sports Goods.

I alternate between the Gamakatsu Drop/Shot Split Shot hooks you mentioned and the Mustad UltraPoint Drop Shot/Live Bait hooks (pic below). I switch between the two purely based on price and size availability. Because I lose so many drop-shot rigs (mostly) fishing from the bank, I try to find the cheapest hook that I have confidence in. Both have performed well, bringing in bass up to my PB 7.25#. The Gamakatsu I use are Size 1 or 1/0. The Mustads are larger than comparably sized Gammys, so I use the Size 2.

x2. I've done a lot of tests with different hooks, from bank and from yak, perpendicular vs. parallel, o-rings vs. rubber bands, weedless vs. regular hooks, etc. The single adjustment that made the biggest difference was counting a slow 2 or quick 3 -- WHILE DROPPING ROD TIP AND REELING UP SLACK — and then firmly popping the rod tip up. Then follow through with standard retrieve procedures: keep pressure on the fish and drop your rod tip when you expect a jump. FWIW... I've settled on 4" and 5" GYCB senkos, single o-ring, Owner 1/0 wacky hook (no weedguard) inserted under o-ring parallel with bait, 15# PowerPro Super 8 Slick high-viz yellow braid (the yellow is also critical for line watching) with 10# fluoro leader.

Yes, they work for LMB with spinning gear. It was one of the first lures I used regularly when I started fishing last July. You MUST MUST MUST have a high quality swivel above the inline spinner or else your line will twist horribly. I actually stopped using them because it would twist up my braid so badly.

Go to office supply store and get a pack of these 4-color pens. Use the bottom half. A friend also uses the bottom of a highlighter, but I don't know what brand or size. Optional: Add a SHORT screw to the end for a o-ring holder. Perfect for wacky rigging 4" and 5" senkos. You will have to insert the thinner end into the tool and twist. It is a tight fit, but it will get very close to the center of the 5" senko.

I've been having a lot of success with the Owner 1/0 wacky hooks with o-ringed Senkos. The last two weeks I've pulled in four 6 pounders and over a dozen 1-4 pounders with the camo hooks. I sent a message to my friends last night talking up these hooks. I included a pic of current hook I have tied on that has all of the camo coating rubbed completely off from catching a dozen fish -- including 2 of the aforementioned 6 pounders. It is still super sharp though!

I use and have shared the removal technique posted above numerous times. It's the best thing on this entire site, which is full of great things. To the OP's original question: Set the hook sooner if you can. Also try a larger hook. I was having problems with a KVD Caffeine Shad awhile back and upping the hook size helped. Are you keeping your rod tip up and removing excessive slack line? Is your rod sensitive enough to fish the rig you're using? Have you considered using yellow/high-viz braid (with fluoro leader) for increased sensitivity and to help with line watching? All of these factors can help you feel the bite sooner, which is the key to fewer gut hooks.