Shroomz jighead questions

[d-camarena]

So i bought the z man shrooms jigs for the ned rig. I love the action and shape of the head but i ended up catching a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 lbders and i noticed the hook was almost completely bent out after each fish. Then i hooked a bigger one wich i lost because the hook bent out. Anyone know of a beefier hook i could use?  Or any recommendations

[IndianaFinesse]

What rod and line are you using?  The shroomz is designed for rods with a  medium lite power and six to eight pound line, and if your using line that's heavier than that or a rod to stiff that could be your problem.

[d-camarena]

I was using a medium light zodias on 10lb braid with a 8lb big game mono leader

[IndianaFinesse]

Just now, d-camarena said:

I was using a medium light zodias on 10lb braid with a 8lb big game mono leader

Well, I guess the problem isn't your rod or line.  Check out the gopher tackle website for mushroom heads, they have several hook options to choose from and were originally the standard jig for the Ned rig.

[corn-on-the-rob]

Set your drag lighter.

[d-camarena]

I tend to keep my drag a little tight. Im usually a big rod, big line, big baits kind of guy but im trying this finnesse thing. Next time i will lower the drag for sure

[Dwight Hottle]

33 minutes ago, d-camarena said:

I was using a medium light zodias on 10lb braid with a 8lb big game mono leader

Your problem is the 10lb braid. All braid is non stretch regardless of line test. If you want to continue using braid lengthen your leader to add more stretch to the system & or loosen your drag.  You need some give in the system to protect the light hooks from bending. 

[buzzed bait]

i'd say the tight drag might be a problem.  also, are you doing a "hero hookset" so to speak?  with that light, exposed hook all you really need is a good sweep and start reeling...

[Bluebasser86]

I caught this guy on a Ned Rig with a homemade jighead that I pour on a #1 Eagle Claw Lil' Nasty hook, it didn't even start to bend out. I use a 6' 10" ML/XF LTB with 24lb Gliss and 8lb leader. You shouldn't be having any problems as long as you aren't crossing their eyes on the hookset. I was putting a lot of heat on this fish too. 

[smalljaw67]

I guess living in the Northeast makes it seem odd but I find that the number of people have trouble with bending hooks on a Ned rig troubling. I have been making my own jigs and spinnerbaits for close to 20 years now, 18 to be exact, and over that time one of my best cold water river smallmouth baits has been a small hair jig. I've landed a bunch of 5lb smallmouths on a 1/16oz hair jig that was made with a size 2 Mustad 32746 and an Eagle Claw 570 and have come close to bending a hook out. My best catch was a 1/32oz marabou jig with a size 4 Mustad 32746, I landed a 4lb 11oz smallmouth that I was sure was going to bend the hook but never did. If you are concerned about a hook bending out, then I have a test for you. Take some line and tie it to the bend of the hook and pull and see if you can straighten the hook out, I'll bet if someone does it they'll be shocked that it isn't just hard, but incredibly hard to even get a small bend. Now tie a line to the point, and you'll see it does bend out rather easily, and that is why you don't cross their eyes when you set the hook. The Aberdeen hooks are designed to bend in order to free snags, but only snags in which the hook point imbeds in a limb or log, if you hook a fish and get full penetration then you should be fine and all it takes is pressure to penetrate, trust me, I dropped an Eagle Claw 500BP Lil Nasty from my work bench and it hit my foot, around 30" or so, and it didn't bounce, it stuck in the top of my foot and it was enough that it hurt pulling it out and it began to bleed, so I think just a slow steady pressure or even a slow sweep would be more than enough to get the hook to fully penetrate.

[Comfortably Numb]

I can see bending it on a snag but not a fish.

[wv1755]

On April 15, 2016 at 10:34 AM, d-camarena said:

So i bought the z man shrooms jigs for the ned rig. I love the action and shape of the head but i ended up catching a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 lbders and i noticed the hook was almost completely bent out after each fish. Then i hooked a bigger one wich i lost because the hook bent out. Anyone know of a beefier hook i could use?  Or any recommendations

I had the same problem. Lost a nice fish and noticed the hook was bent out. Bought the BPS shrooms and haven't had a problem since. Comes with a 1/0 hook. 1/4, 1/8, 1/16.  I got the 1/16. 

[Hogsticker]

Not to highjack, but speaking of the Gopher tackle jigs, can someone break down the actual hooks? For example the Mustad Ultra and standard series, as well as the Gammy standard and heavy. Are both standard series light wire hooks? Do the hooks get more stout the heavier the jig, or are they the same throughout? 

To the OP, braid and a tight drag are a sure fire way to bend light wire hooks on a heavy fish every day of the week. 

[Team9nine]

2 hours ago, Hogsticker said:

Not to highjack, but speaking of the Gopher tackle jigs, can someone break down the actual hooks? For example the Mustad Ultra and standard series, as well as the Gammy standard and heavy. Are both standard series light wire hooks? Do the hooks get more stout the heavier the jig, or are they the same throughout? 

 

Don't have all the answers because I don't fish with all the hooks - no need to  That said, I can tell you that the std Mustad Gopher and the std "Pro" Series Gammis are both light wire hooks with the same diameter (.0270") regardless of size (applies to #8 - #2). I also have a set of std. #1 Gammi Gophers that are just slightly thicker for that size (.0275-ish). I don't have any of their "heavier" version hooks so I'm not certain what thickness they are. I do know that Gammi makes a heavy wire hook (604) that some use to pour Ned's with and that hook diameter in the #1/#2 size range runs .035" thickness.

EDIT: Forgot to mention for those curious, the Shroomz Head by Z-man is kind of in-between coming in at .0294" a little heavier than the std. light wires from Gopher, but not nearly as thick as the "heavy wire" Gammi versions.

Pic below isn't great, but from top to bottom: Gammi 604 heavy wire (HW), Gammi/Gopher "pro" LW, Gopher Mustad std. LW

-T9

[Darren.]

6 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

Don't have all the answers because I don't fish with all the hooks - no need to  That said, I can tell you that the std Mustad Gopher and the std "Pro" Series Gammis are both light wire hooks with the same diameter (.0270") regardless of size (applies to #8 - #2). I also have a set of std. #1 Gammi Gophers that are just slightly thicker for that size (.0275-ish). I don't have any of their "heavier" version hooks so I'm not certain what thickness they are. I do know that Gammi makes a heavy wire hook (604) that some use to pour Ned's with and that hook diameter in the #1/#2 size range runs .035" thickness.

Pic below isn't great, but from top to bottom: Gammi 604 heavy wire (HW), Gammi/Gopher "pro" LW, Gopher Mustad std. LW

-T9

Where do you typically get these, if I may ask?

I assume from gophertackle.com? (thanks Google)

[Team9nine]

38 minutes ago, Darren. said:

Where do you typically get these, if I may ask?

I assume from gophertackle.com? (thanks Google)

The double barbed jigheads in the pic (bottom two - Gammi and Mustad) are both from Gopher tackle. The top heavy wire head is a custom pour by a guy named Dave Reeves (dtrs5kprs - Missouri). He sometimes hangs out here, but a Google search should pull up his info. The name of his little jig pouring company escapes me at the moment, but he pours a nice head with no barbs (he uses glue) and also a good weedless head for those that like that little extra protection.

-T9  

[Hogsticker]

Thx dude! 

[joe chum]

I had a Zman Finesse Shroomz head @ 1/16 oz. & 1/10 oz. bend on a couple of Smallie that were maybe 2lbs. this morning. I'm looking to try the Gopher mushroom heads for comparison.