Ads7633 Posted March 16, 2016 Posted March 16, 2016 I went out today to learn how to fish a jerkbait and I did really well. However on my two biggest fish(both about 4lb) the 3rd hook had hooked Into the bass' gills. Is this common with jerkbaits, a fluke, or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the help. Quote
Super User iabass8 Posted March 17, 2016 Super User Posted March 17, 2016 It's normal. Hooking a fish on the outside of the mouth or on the gills is a product of a fish slapping at the jerkbait. Quote
Ads7633 Posted March 17, 2016 Author Posted March 17, 2016 10 minutes ago, Lendiesel22 said: Outside or inside? I had one on the outside and one on the inside Quote
IndianaFinesse Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 Yes, unfortuanately it is normal, especially with jerkbaits that have three trebles. I have hooked them just about everywhere, gills, eyes, belly, tail, everything. Sometimes it is because they slap at the bait and get hooked, sometimes they will be hooked with the back treble in the mouth and during the fight the other trebles will snag into the rest of the fishes body, occasionally ripping the back treble loose. Quote
Lendiesel22 Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 The one on the inside sucks if it got him bad, but at least he ate it good. The outside one he just slapped at it and you stuck him. Common id say. Quote
Ads7633 Posted March 17, 2016 Author Posted March 17, 2016 Okay well that's unfortunate. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything that I could be doing to prevent it. It was a real shame that it happened to the two biggest fish of the day. 1 Quote
Lendiesel22 Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 I hear ya, just handle them the best you can and quick release. 1 Quote
IndianaFinesse Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 Nope, nothing you can do about it. Unfortuanately it's just part of fishing with jerkbaits Quote
TxHawgs Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 Yes hate when that happens, unfortunately it's part of it. If I hook one right around the eye I clip the barb off the treble and remove it. Not gonna blind one over a stinger or mustad. I also don't like the way some of these guys on YouTube handle the fish esp the new cool thing of palm striking jigs out of there mouth. Don't mean to affend those who do but I don't find it necessary. Quote
papajoe222 Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 About the only thing you can do to avoid it is to shorten the length of your pause. The downside is, doing that can turn them off the bite. I know guys that will smash down the barbs on the tail treble to minimize severe damage to the gills when this does happen. 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted March 17, 2016 Global Moderator Posted March 17, 2016 I've never had much issue with hooking them that deeply inside the mouth. It's very common to get them on the outside of the gill plate though. Pinch your barbs down to minimize damage and ease removal. Fish in cold water aren't jumping or thrashing around as much anyways. 3 Quote
Lendiesel22 Posted March 17, 2016 Posted March 17, 2016 9 hours ago, papajoe222 said: About the only thing you can do to avoid it is to shorten the length of your pause. The downside is, doing that can turn them off the bite. I know guys that will smash down the barbs on the tail treble to minimize severe damage to the gills when this does happen. If they are eating it that good you can speed it up anyway. Quote
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted March 17, 2016 Super User Posted March 17, 2016 To start with, any jerkbait I have in my box has the middle treble removed. This reduces the damage to the fish (especially the eyes) and has shown no negative impact on my hook-ups. Then - and a lot of people tell me I'm crazy for doing this - I crimp down the barbs on all my treble (and single) hooks. I loose very few fish doing this. And it makes removing the hooks from the fish (and your hand) a whole lot easier. I guess it's just not that important to me anymore to land every fish. But I do OK. 3 Quote
Ads7633 Posted March 17, 2016 Author Posted March 17, 2016 2 hours ago, Crestliner2008 said: To start with, any jerkbait I have in my box has the middle treble removed. This reduces the damage to the fish (especially the eyes) and has shown no negative impact on my hook-ups. Then - and a lot of people tell me I'm crazy for doing this - I crimp down the barbs on all my treble (and single) hooks. I loose very few fish doing this. And it makes removing the hooks from the fish (and your hand) a whole lot easier. I guess it's just not that important to me anymore to land every fish. But I do OK. Wouldn't removing the middle hook prevent the jerkbait from properly suspending? Quote
Super User FryDog62 Posted March 17, 2016 Super User Posted March 17, 2016 Have had the same problem you describe for years and as a result I only use jerk baits with 2 treble hooks now. Hook up ratio hasn't suffered at all and much less likely to gill hook the largemouth like with a 3 treble lure. Also, for smallmouth a 3 treble set up will frequently get stuck in their eye (less distance between mouth and eye on the smallies) either when they swat at it or thrash around after being hooked - so I've switched entirely to the 2 treble system. Works great.... 1 Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted March 17, 2016 Super User Posted March 17, 2016 I'm barbless (or micro-barbed) too, on everything but jigs, bladebaits, heavier lipless. Anything heavy and compact keeps at least some barb. Jerk suspension can be modified by hook weight and Suspend Strips. Quote
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