Experiment-Kvd Line And Lure On Weed Guards

[Teal]

I might be getting a little over the top or going too far, but on certain jigs I feel that the weed guards are just too darn stiff and cutting them shorter has a fine line of good and bad when You fish very weedy lakes like I do. I was in the shop a little while ago and after applied a lip of themkvd sauce to my spools before I go fish after church tomarrow. I decided to experiment on a weed guard to see if the KVD line and lure would soften the weed guard enough to make it more effective and still prevent snags. I came to this because kvds sauce does an incredible job on line, and question in my mind was, would it work for this too

I applied a small amount to a used Hack Attack jig that has not been trimmed. Note the weed guard on this jig is very thick and stiff. I chose this one because i know it is a very thick weed guard and it is not one of my better ( or my choice of jigs. Didn't want to ruin a Dirty Jig). It will dry over night. I'm gonna to inspect it time and hopefully through some grass and through the mouth of af fish.

I hoping to hear y'all's thought on this and if y'all have tried it. And if I'm thinking too much ...lol

For past couple use I have been using mainly dirty jigs and haven't really had a problem with them.

[MarkH024]

Just trim it an angle and it will be fine. If it gets to soft it will defeat the purpose. A bass grip will almost always be strong enough where the guard will flex enough to get your hook set.

[Avalonjohn44]

When trimming a weed guard I thought rather than shortening it (which ends up making it significantly stiffer) one was supposed to trim the number of overall bristles not sacrificing any of the length... I thought there was a video, possibly by glenn about this...Can't find it just right now...

[Lunker7]

Two things I usually do when I encounter this problem.

 

1. Buy jigs and jigheads with less stiff weed guards.

 

2. Trim a few individual wires at the base of the weed guard to "thin out" the weed guard.

[LgMouthGambler]

Your better off to angle the guard than to trim from the bottom. At least when you angle you get strength at the bottom to mid area for deflection purposes.

[Sam]

Good post.

We like to experiment with our tackle and your idea may have merit.

What has to be done is to find out what material is used to create the weedguard. Once you determine this you can then do a number of things:

1. Contact a high school chemistry teacher and ask them what type of solvent would soften the material and not hurt its presentation nor be caustic to the bass.

2. Look up the material on the Internet and note if you can do something other than use KVD spray on it to soften the material. Such options may be boiling, heating in the oven or use another type of material to soften the weedguard.

3. Find out if a product such as Canola oil, vinegar, PAM, etc. could be used to soften the material without damaging it.

So do your homework and ask a high school chemistry teacher for their input and let us know what you find out and if you did conduct experiements to determine what works and what does not work.

[Teal]

Ok guys. I checked weedguard today before going out and it did not feel significantly softer, a bit softer, but not much. I went fishing at Roanoke rapids lake, ( infested with hydrilla and milfoil). I worked the jig through some weeds that haven't completely died off and some milfoil stalks. Even though it didn't feel softer to me by hand the jig actually came through a little bit easier. I set the hook on a fish with it and i didn't see a big difference. My only conclusion is that the KVD sauce doesn't hurt it at all. I'm gonna stick with trimming at an angle.

I talked to my dad about my it and he said that what I felt about it coming through easier could be that the sauce reduced friction by coating the guard... Who knows.

Same thanks for the advice, but I'm gonna leave this experiment alone. I'll use your advice when I run into a more pressing issue. I normally just just my weed guards at an angle and almost even with the hook. Weed guards are easily alleviated.

[Teal]

Oh forgot to give the fishing report. It was overcast and cloud with drizzles. I end the afternoon with 7 fish. 6 bass and one white perch. I caught one bass and the perch on the jerk bait on a flat off the main channel. 3 more on a 1oz football jig off of main points. And I caught one fish on the jig in question on a boat dock that sits on a main point. Overall the fishing was good for a dreary January day. All bass were keepers but only one would go 3lbs.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

If you want the effect of your jig coming through the weeds cleanly, I think you would benefit more from using Megastrike as opposed to the KVD for this purpose. Added bonus of a little scent on your jig.

[Teal]

I have been wanting to experiment a bit more with scents so that is cool. I may have to look into that. I have been using powerbait as a scent for years and haven't really tried anything outside of that..

[J Francho]

First, start with a jig that was built properly in the first place.  http://www.siebertoutdoors.com/ makes a brush jig with the perfect guard, no need to trim.  Just work it in a bit by flexing the fibers.  As SB said, smear it up with Megastrike.  When you trim the guard, you do two things: first, it makes it stiffer.  Second, you make it easier for the fish to shake the bait free.  The guard often helps keep the fish buttoned, especially when it's hooked through the lip.

 

[EastTexasBassin]

I use megastrike to lubricate weed gaurds. (and plastics)