Trimming Jig Weed Guards?

[hoosierbass07]

  When you use jigs that have those weed guards,  do any of you trim them?  I've seen a few videos and read a book that talked about trimming those weed guards to help hook ups.  I was wondering how many people actually do it and if it really is necessary.  Will not trimming any of my jigs with weed guards really cut down on the bass I catch with them?  I've not used jigs much.  I did not use any jig with weed guards all last year.  I'm planning on trying jigs this spring and summer.  

 

Thanks!

[Bluebasser86]

I never mess with mine. 

[tbone1993]

I'll trim them down on some jigs. Booyah and terminator used to have a really thick guard that went way beyond the tip point. I also trim my skirts down if they bait looks too bulky.

[Cgrinder]

I'm experimenting with it. If you trim the weedguard, it becomes stiffer so you need to offset that by removing a few fibers, which is a pain in the behind. On a related note, I am considering cutting the weedguard completely off on some of my finesse-y swim jigs. 

[Ozark_Basser]

I never mess with them. I use the heavy weed guards on the ones I make, and I don't think it hinders hook ups. Jig hooksets take a little practice. You'll lose fish starting out, but that's just because jigs are heavy and bulky, and its harder to penetrate their mouths with a thick jig hook. Just reel down until your line is tight then drill 'em. If you stick one good with a 5/0 jig hook and keep your line tight, they won't come off unless they jump.

Cutting them shorter will have zero effect on how well you hook up unless you cut it before the hook point which defeats the purpose of having a weedguard in the first place. I'll cut mine shorter when I make jigs with 3/0 hooks just because it looks too long, and that's the only reason.

[Mainebass1984]

 I am a jig fisherman. At times I trim the length and thickness of the weed guard depending on the thickness of the cover I am fishing. In my opinion the thickness and length of the weed guard doesn't effect my hook up very much. I have a very hard hook set, " I like to cross their eyes". If the cover I a fishing is extremely thick, like 4 Christmas trees stacked on one another for example, a trimmed weed guard will get stuck more often then a non trimmed weed guard.

[HookdUP]

I Usually leave it alone unless I know I'm going to be in very open water ...

[gulfcaptain]

I never cut it shorter then it is.  I may take a few pieces of it out and thin it some, but I don't trim it shorter.

[Montanaro]

Exceptionally long weed guards get trimmed. They do get stiffer the shorter they are so I usually pull out a few strands and then I bend them a bit to spread them out to make the guard about a 1/4 inch wide.

[Siebert Outdoors]

99% of the time I do not trim.  If there is a jig with a real long weed guard I will take a little off. This is extremely rare.

[scaleface]

I dont trim. I fan it out .

[Big C]

I trim them only if they are excessive.  When they do get trimmed, I cut the weedgaurd just past the barb of the hook.  If they are trimmed too short it makes them stiff and prone to getting hung up. 

[Dogmatic]

I trim, thin and fan.

[Mike L]

I trim, thin and fan.

Ditto... (As needed)

Mike

[F14A-B]

I will in certain cases, say throwing a brush jig in rocky areas, backside of fibers, at the jig head, then fan out.. Works good, hooks fish!

[BannedForSpamming-1234555]

Do you guys like your weed guards stiff?  Or with some give?

 

I don't usually fish with jigs but I find most jigs are very stiff.

 

I'm not a heavy hook set type of guy, more of a medium hook set.

[A-Jay]

I never trim but or rare occasions I'll thin.

 

A-Jay