I don't trust weed guards

[fin]

I agree there is probably a better way, but consider spinnerbaits, and how a bass manages to get themselves hooked on that. They can be so finicky, yet so stupid.

[Fishingmickey]

Here is a picture of a M-Pac jig head. they also make a full line of jigs. Might be a solution to fiber brush guard possible missed hook sets. I have not used them much.

FM

 

  

[roadwarrior]

On 2/13/2019 at 2:28 PM, billmac said:

This is going to sound crazy because obviously people catch fish on jigs with weedguards all the time, but I just don't like the idea of them.  I can't believe they don't prevent some hooksets.  I'm not an expert jig fisherman so take that for what it's worth.  I have on occasion rigged a curly tail grub kind of texas rig style if I have problems with weeds.

 

Am I the only crazy one?

Yes, you are the only crazy one.

 

[WRB]

 Every one of my giant bass was caught on a jig without a weed or brush guard.

Anyone who thinks a fiber weed guard enhances hook sets over a jig with exposed hook without a guard is crazy. The guard helps to retrieve the jig through cover to reduce snags and protects the hook point from contacting snags and the basses mouth tissue. The weedgaurd must be pushed down to make contact during the hook set by the bass. Weed guards are a added necessary component when fishing cover.

Tom

[billmac]

Well, to be fair, I don't think anyone is saying that fiber weed guards enhance hook sets.  At best, they are saying it doesn't hinder hook sets, at least if you hit them hard enough.  I fully accept that when using a fiber weed guard, you have to set the hook very hard.  What I don't accept is that hard hook sets fully ameliorate the fact that the guard is "guarding" the hook.  I think it must prevent some good hook sets.  That's why I'm interested in some of the alternative setups that make the jig weedless without needing the fiber guard.

[ratherbfishin1]

I don't know if anybody has said this because I just skimmed through real fast but heres my thoughts.  Maybe you do loose a few fish due to the weed guard, but there are often times when you must have a weed guard to get into an area.  Say you loose 1 in 5 fish due to what could be the weed guard but often those 4 fish you did catch are fish you might not have been able to catch any other way. I personally don't think with todays equipment you can blame the weed guard for much though.

[billmac]

I think that's fair.  Obviously fish like weeds and dense cover.  So just as obvious is if you want to fish that cover, you need to use a weedless lure.  I should have made clearer that I'm interested in alternative ways to make a jig weedless other than a fiber guard, as opposed to using a non-weedless jig or simply not fishing weedy cover.

[BassNJake]

I fished as a co-angler in a BFL tourney.

My boater that day would trim all but 3 or 4 strands from the weedguard.

He'd then bend the weedguard pieces one by one so they had a little "hook/bend" to them

Then he would use a small piece of a finesse worm, push it down onto the weedguard and rig the other end on the hook.

 

Similar to WRB using a hitchhiker instead of the weedguard.

 

 

[billmac]

That's a good idea.

[Choporoz]

I toss my jigs into the nastiest brush and trees that I can find.  I need a brush guard.  If I am specifically fishing weeds any 'grassier' than reeds, then I'm using different jigs... or different lure, altogether. 

Lots of apples and oranges mixed together above, I think.