Why do I get hung up all the time?

[Tackett1980]

It seems like I loose a minimum of a lure an outing.  Whether I’m in the kayak, on the shore, doesn’t matter.  Yesterday I stopped by the boat ramp after work and lost my good rebel crawdad...again.  Hung up out of the blue in the middle of the river.  Couldn’t get it unstuck so had to break my line.

 

It’s a common occurrence and it leads to me just quitting and going home.  Fishing is supposed to be relaxing!

 

ive got my rod and reel with me today and some bubble gum senkos.  I’m going to try my hand at wacky rigging, but part of me is convinced that I’ll just end up leaving half the bag on the bottom of the river along with about 100 yards of line.

 

what gives?  Is this normal?

[Rpratt]

Very common. Get yourself some large swivels, a 3 to 4 oz sinker that you can attach to your line, and drop it down.  Bounce a few times and your lure should pop free. Learned that one from Hank Parker ?  Or just buy a lure retriever for about 10 bucks. I have seen people take those off the rope it comes with and attach them to retractable dog leashes. Although not totally fool proof but saves you alot of money that's for sure.

 

[tkunk]

If you're not losing lures, you're probably not fishing the right spots.

[Catt]

I'll go 3 or 4 days & not lose a single lure, then lose several in a day.

 

I be like, ya sure ya cast there again! ?

[Troy85]

Lure loss is pretty common.  It also seems like when it rains it pours, never just lose one.  Seems like once you lose the first one on a trip, you lose several more throughout the day.  Same goes with fish loss, you know how some days you can be not even paying attention and still land fish, other days it seems like no matter what you do the fish comes unhooked right before you get it in the boat.

 

 

[NYWayfarer]

I fish a lot of exposed hook lures (Crankbaits, Ned rigs, Tubes, wacky rigged stickbaits) While the hook up ratios are better the snag rate can be maddening.

 

When I lose more than two in a day I know its time to switch to a weedless presentation. I like the Berkley Fusion wacky weedless hooks. They have a piece of fluorocarbon to cover the hook point rather than a wire. Less snags and I don't see a reduction in hook ups.

[ClackerBuzz]

1 buy a hound dog lure retriever

 

2 if you continually hang up using a technique you have to keep lightening the weight until you're not getting snagged anymore i.e. if ur snagging around chunk rock with a drop shot or tubes....keeping lightening the weight until ur not hanging up.  this may lead you all the way to fish a weightless T rig.  works like a charm.

 

3 learning when/when not to use treble hooks will make your life so much better. I personally hate trebles and use them as little as possible. i'm deadly with my two favorite topwater lures: frogs and buzzbaits.  there is a reason why i gravitated toward them vs poppers, spooks, whopper ploppers etc.  crankbait or rattletrap?  I'll take a swimbait on a jig head with exposed hook facing upward any day of the week over them and catch just as many fish.

 

4 'exposed hooks catch more bass' is more anecdotal than anything.  T rigged weedless plastics catch just as many bass but make sure to adjust your hook set.  don't cross their eyes but instead make sure to take your time, reel up all the slack and give a firm hook sweep.  i'm just as confident with weedless lures as exposed hooks and you can be too.

[HeyCoach]

I lost two yesterday and called it a day. A BPS jig and a KVD 1.5 squarebill. There went close to $10. 

[Glaucus]

It would be unusual to *not* get hung up and lose lures. If you never lose anything, you're not throwing them in the right places.

[Tackett1980]

Ok glad it’s not just me!  

 

The sinker weight is a is a great idea I think I’ll try that!

[scaleface]

The lure knockers wont work from bank but they will from your kayak . You have to get over them to get them to work . When I'm fishing from bank I   use inexpensive lures that I dont mind losing . Lots of grubs , pre rigged swimbaits ... that sort of stuff .

[WRB]

What type of tackle are you using, spinning or baitcasting?

Tom

 

[LonnieP]

I wouldn't know how to act if I didn't lose a lure when I went fishing. 

[blckshirt98]

Losing 1-2 lures in a fishing session of several hours shouldn't be stressful.  Golfers can pay $50-300 for cart and green fees for a 2.5 hour round of golf.  Even an hour at the practice range will cost you $20.  Fishing is a relatively cheap hobby so enjoy it and don't fret over lost lures.

[Paul Roberts]

Well... a few things:

 

-Get to know how deep your lures are. May have to practice this visually in clear water to get the feel for it.

 

-Learn to fish deftly. Lures snag if they crash into cover. So... try not to crash. As you get better you'll be able to crash, which can be an important trigger. With sinking lures, one way is to keep the rod high while you retrieve, which can keep the lure rising up as you pull rather than dragging deeply into cover. This is esp helpful over rock. Using nylon mono's can help too bc they are buoyant. With diving lures like crankbaits, try using the rod to advance your plug rather than the reel. Crank the plug to depth, then pull in cautious strokes with the rod. That way you will deftly contact cover, rather than crash, which can wedge a lure, or stick the hooks in. Water's thick, lures and line buoyant, so gravity isn't there working against you; Take advantage of that fact.

 

-Realize that different cover types require different approaches and/or tackle. Weeds, wood, rock are all different. Weeds envelop, and some species are easier to fish through than others; Some are nearly impossible. We rarely lose lures in weeds though, just a nuisance. The danger of rock tends to be wedging. If you are deft -do not wedge too hard- you can often pop a lure off, or move to the other side and pop it free. The danger with large wet wood tends to be hooks sticking. Wedging tends to be minimal, esp if you are deft. Brush is often the most challenging bc your lure can wedge, stick, or tangle lines.

 

-Map out the snags around you as you fish deftly. That spatial visualization not only allows you to avoid, or fish deftly around, snags, it also allows you to go to the fish, instead of expecting them to come to you.

 

-Use appropriate tackle: line diameter; lure weight/depth; rod power and sensitivity; rigging: hooks, jig head/sinker design, leader length, ....

 

-Learn how to unsnag lures, both from a distance and with a "plug knocker".

 

Hope this helps.

[Sam]

Tackett, losing baits is part of the game.

 

On the Potomac this past weekend we saw a fake palm tree on a dock and there were at least six crankbaits/lipless crankbaits in the top of the tree.

 

I lost two Whopper Ploppers on successive weekends on the Chickahominy River.

 

And on Sunday on the Potomac something took my Senko and by now that fish has passed DC and is headed to Pennsylvania.

 

To minimize losing treble hook baits, snap off the front hook on the front treble hook for crankbaits and remove the rear hook on your lipless crankbaits baits.

 

Fish all plastics Texas style with the hook buried under the plastic's skin.

 

Good luck.

[LxVE Bassin]

My first 3 tourneys this year I lost a jackhammer. It’s just part of the game. Try to keep your rod tip up in super shallow water.

[lo n slo]

if you’re a bank beater, throwing a crank bait is just asking for it. throw a texas rig instead.

[Rahlow]

Reading threads like this make me sooo glad I am a T-rig  worm fisherman

[ohboyitsrobby]

I'm one of the world's best at losing lures. Rather it be $7-8 crankbaits or a weight, hook and worm. I'm ok with it though cuz a lot of the times I know that means I'm in an area that at least has fish holding cover. It's fishing. It's just part of it to me.

[LionHeart]

The other day I lost 3 jigs in under 4 hours.  I can't tell you how many 10XD's I've lost.  I refuse to even use them now.

 

It happens.  I probably get snagged 10 times per trip.

[Eric J]

I never cut my line if I can help it. I'll pull and yank by hand as hard as I can when all else fails (never with the rod at that point). The line will usually detach or the line will snap at the knot or swivel.

 

I do all I can to leave as little line as possible in the lake.

[Tackett1980]

Lost two senkos today!!

[Troy85]

8 hours ago, Tackett1980 said:

Lost two senkos today!!

Two?  Man senkos are so fragile you can lose two if you open the bag to fast.

[Tackett1980]

29 minutes ago, Troy1985s said:

Two?  Man senkos are so fragile you can lose two if you open the bag to fast.

I mean I lost them to hang ups.  Not to actually catching fish.  lol