Weed Gaurd Saftey & Trimming Tips?

[FunkJishing]

I've been hearing a lot about weed gaurds falling out of jigs lately and started thinking of the jigs I own. does anyone have any tips for reinforcing their jig's weed gourds so they stay in? also I was wondering if anyone could lend some advice on trimming weed gaurds. when should you trim them? how should they be trimmed? things like that.

 

I've heard of people applying superglue to the bace of the weed gaurd. I've also heard of people trimming their weed gaurds on an angle so as the weed gaurd gets closer to the hook it gets slightly thinner.  

 

anymore ideas anyone?

[FunkJishing]

no tips huh? thats surprizing.

[JakeKeenom]

I dont like to use the super glue to reinforce my jigs because most brands dry white on the jighead. As for the trimming I like to trim the weed guard to just barely longer than the tip of the hook to get the best hookset of the fish.

[JakeKeenom]

I also like to trim off a few pieces of the weed gaurd material to make it less stiff. I believe it help you hook off more often

[FunkJishing]

I also like to trim off a few pieces of the weed gaurd material to make it less stiff. I believe it help you hook off more often

 

 

I dont like to use the super glue to reinforce my jigs because most brands dry white on the jighead. As for the trimming I like to trim the weed guard to just barely longer than the tip of the hook to get the best hookset of the fish.

thanks for the info man. I don't want to use super glue either if it dries white, I'm also afraid of the offensive odor turning the fish away from my jig.

[J Francho]

no tips huh? thats surprizing.

 

Buy quality jigs, and it isn't a problem. 

[FunkJishing]

Buy quality jigs, and it isn't a problem. 

thats true but i'm looking more in the direction of keeping up with old quality jigs. and preparing new jigs for any harsh treatment they could endure.

[Catch and Grease]

Just remember trimming a weedguard will make it stiffer, Learned that not too long ago.

[Team9nine]

Buy quality jigs, and it isn't a problem. 

 

^^ We have a winner ^^   If your weed guards fall out before your jig skirt isn't totally trashed or your hook ends up breaking from too many fish, you have the wrong jig.

 

Thinning certain weedguards is a good tip, but be careful with trimming. The shorter you trim the guard, the stiffer the remaining fibers get (oops; C&G beat me by 2 mins. on this one). About all I do any more is lightly trim the squared off top/end (if there is one). I'd rather thin than shorten.

 

-T9

[J Francho]

thats true but i'm looking more in the direction of keeping up with old quality jigs. and preparing new jigs for any harsh treatment they could endure.

 

Your hook will rust or dull before an epoxied brush guard falls out.  We're still talking about $3 jigs, right?  Jigs are probably the smallest part of my fishing budget per year, even though I use them more than most anything else.  You'd be wiser to worry about rust, not the brush guard.  Rust doesn't care how old a jig is.

[FunkJishing]

^^ We have a winner ^^   If your weed guards fall out before your jig skirt isn't totally trashed or your hook ends up breaking from too many fish, you have the wrong jig.

 

Thinning certain weedguards is a good tip, but be careful with trimming. The shorter you trim the guard, the stiffer the remaining fibers get (oops; C&G beat me by 2 mins. on this one). About all I do any more is lightly trim the squared off top/end (if there is one). I'd rather thin than shorten.

 

-T9

okay thin dont shorten. good tip, thanks.

[FunkJishing]

I've heard of people fanning the weed gaurd as well...

[Bluebasser86]

I don't trip my weedguards at all, never felt like it was an issue. All my weedguards are either epoxied or put in with a good quality superglue, they don't fall out. 

[Matthew2000]

Just use the pro hook set..... Swing your rod like a baseball bat. No need to trim

[smalljaw67]

I use epoxy on jigs I make for friends, on my own I use Loctite super glue Gel Control, it is important that it is Loctite brand. Regular super glue will wick up the weed guard and then when it dries you will get a white film or residue that forms, if you use gel it don't happen. The reason I say to use the Loctite brand is because it you get too much and it oozes out a little, it dries clear so you don't get any bad spots but more importantly it doesn't break down in water like some cheaper super glue gels have been known to do.

[WRB]

I don't know why anglers that fish with soft plastic trailers, which is 99% of you, use a jig with fiber weed guards. The modern punch rig is a better choice when fishing moderate to heavy cover. If you use a nose hook trailer like a pork rind, then a weed guard is needed to prevent snagging the jig in cover.

Fiber weed guards come in 3 grades; light .018D strands, medium w/ .021 and heavy /.024. Most off the shelf jigs use medium fiber weed guards. TNT Wadda Arkie head uses light w/.018, good for nearly any cover.

*** uses a different weed guard design, 2 separate guards, leaving the point open, this is a good design!

The site sponsors will make the fiber jig guards that you request, not sure what their standard size is?

I rarely use a weed guard unless fishing cover that snags my jigs and prefer using piece of finesse worm attached with a hitchhiker spring to protect the hook point. Most of my jig fishing is in rocky deep structure. When fishing heavy cover I use either the *** or TNT jig, depending on what weight and skirt type is needed or I have with me.

Tom

[Catch and Grease]

I've said it before but since there is so much grass where I fish it would be crazy fishing without a weedguard, you'd get fouled up with grass every cast....

[Catt]

Buy quality jigs, and it isn't a problem.

[corn-on-the-rob]

Rather leave em the way they came or very slightly modified. Unless I know the guard is impeding the hook set I'll leave it alone.

If you go too short they get too stiff and tend to make good hook sets even harder.

Too thin and you'll start getting snags enough to reduce your time efficiency and even losing more jigs.

[boostr]

Your hook will rust or dull before an epoxied brush guard falls out.  We're still talking about $3 jigs, right?  Jigs are probably the smallest part of my fishing budget per year, even though I use them more than most anything else.  You'd be wiser to worry about rust, not the brush guard.  Rust doesn't care how old a jig is.

 

Not to hijack this thread or anything, but you guys mentioned the hooks rusting before the weed guard falls out. Is it bad to have rust on your hook even though its still sharp and functional? Do you just clean it or something?

[J Francho]

As long as it's just surface rust, and not the hook rotting away, it should be fine. I have a wire brush about the size of a toothbrush to clean that stuff off. Usually happens when I leave a jig and trailer tied up on a rod.

[A-Jay]

I don't know why anglers that fish with soft plastic trailers, which is 99% of you, use a jig with fiber weed guards. The modern punch rig is a better choice when fishing moderate to heavy cover.

Tom

 

+1 & X2

 

I've been singing this tune for a while now. 

 

The little extra terminal tackle required as well as the additional time it takes to rig (though slight) may be enough of a deterrent to keep some from going this way. 

 

I still use standard jigs in open water & spare cover but when not the going gets tough.

 

A-Jay

[FunkJishing]

Not to hijack this thread or anything, but you guys mentioned the hooks rusting before the weed guard falls out. Is it bad to have rust on your hook even though its still sharp and functional? Do you just clean it or something?

if you leave trailers that have salt integrated in them on your jigs your hooks will rust, the same with spinnerbaits and anything else. if the trailers are salt-less your hooks will be fine. just gotta remember to remove trailers after you're done with them if they contain salt.  

[J Francho]

In contrast, a heavy jika rig works better than a punch rig in most heavy weeds.