Getting lure stuck too much...what am I doing wrong?

[clemsondds]

Hey everyone, just wanting to get some advice. I was fishing last week and the bite was very hard. I was trying multiple different tactics. I tried working a lipless crankbait, jerkbait, and a jig some and kept getting hooked on under water cover. I was about 30 feet off bank throwing to about 3-5ft deep and bringing it back. There wre quite a few trees down under the water and just kept getting stuck. It was so frustrating. Spent more time trying to kept my lure free than actually fishing. My question is, was I doing something wrong? Should I have switched to weedless? Do you only throw crankbait when there’s no under water obstruction?  Obviously I need to continue to perfect my accuracy. But it didn’t seem to always be accuracy as the issue...it was more trees and brush under the water that I couldn’t see.  I know crankbait are great and I want to use them...just tired of getting hung up and losing lures. Thanks for the help! 

[scaleface]

Cover is a good thing . Pick lures that will let you exploit it . A texas rig is the obvious choice . A lipped crankbait is more snag resistant than a lipless . Spinnerbaits are surprisingly  snag resistant . 

[clemsondds]

Right. Yeh I guess i was just wondering how people fish jerk baits and lipless crankbaits? Do you just stay a way from cover completely? Just more cautious and not as shallow? Or is it just a part of it that you will get hung up?  Thanks again! 

[WRB]

Look at the obviuos, you are shore bound and means the water gets shallower the closer it is to your feet. Diving lures dive deeper and make contact to the bottom as you retrieve them, it's a lure loosing presentation.

Top water lures, shallow running lures and weedless lures are your best choices.

Tom

[Paul Roberts]

Lures are designed for different purposes, primary among these is where they can go and where they can't. How well you know a lure's attributes will weigh in to what you can get away with. Certain lures are snag magnets. Lipless cranks are one of the best snag magnets. They are heavy, sink like rocks, and the multiple hook tines are unprotected. Wood is particularly difficult bc when you snag it, it is stronger than your line.

 

So, don't use a heavy lipless in shallow water with wood cover in it. Or, there are some things you can do to adapt:

-Use a lighter weight lipless, and thicker diameter line to keep the lure riding higher.

-Map the bottom: That is, as you fish a spot mentally mark where the trouble is. Then, either avoid it all together, or flirt with it. The latter will likely catch you more fish as fish tend to be cover oriented to begin with. Flirt means to fish close to it, depending on how well you know the layout of the bottom in front of you, how deep your lure runs at what speed, and the configuration of your tackle: lure, hooks, line, rod, ...

-Use a different lure type. Lipped cranks, esp wide bodied ones, are more apt to fish through snags better than lipless ones. The hooks are protected by the body, and if you are deft -do not just crash into the cover- they'll fish through weeds, rock , and even wood, pretty well. A snag-retriever is a good investment, but not all that useful from the bank.

 

Hope this helps.

[scaleface]

7 minutes ago, WRB said:

Look at the obviuos, you are shore bound

I interpreted it that he was fishing from a boat .

[WRB]

8 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I interpreted it that he was fishing from a boat .

You could be right with the casting accurance statement.  Easy to retreive lures in shallow water with a boat so I thought he was on shore but only he knows.

Tom

 

[clemsondds]

No in a boat. Throwing to an area close to shore and upon retrieve got hung up multiple times 8-10 feet deep 10 feet or so out from shore under a tree or something submerged.   

[scaleface]

Remember where that snag is   and work  a Texas rig through it . 

3 minutes ago, clemsondds said:

No in a boat. Throwing to an area close to shore and upon retrieve got hung up multiple times 8-10 feet deep 10 feet or so out from shore under a tree or something submerged.   

 

[WRB]

Go get the lure out and see what is there.

Tom

[clemsondds]

2 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Lures are designed for different purposes, primary among these is where they can go and where they can't. How well you know a lure's attributes will weight in to what you can get away with. Certain lures are snag magnets. Lipless cranks are one of the best snag magnets. They are heavy, sink like rocks, and the multiple hook tines are unprotected. Wood is particularly difficult bc when you snag it, it is stronger than your line.

 

So, don't use a heavy lipless in shallow water with wood cover in it. Or, there are some things you can do to adapt:

-Use a lighter weight lipless, and thicker diameter line to keep the lure riding higher.

-Map the bottom: That is, as you fish a spot mentally mark where the trouble is. Then, either avoid it all together, or flirt with it. The latter will likely catch you more fish as fish tend to be cover oriented to begin with. Flirt means to fish close to it, depending on how well you know the layout of the bottom in front of you, how deep your lure runs at what speed, and the configuration of your tackle: lure, hooks, line, rod, ...

-Use a different lure type. Lipped cranks, esp wide bodied ones, are more apt to fish through snags better than lipless ones. The hooks are protected by the body, and if you are deft -do not just crash into the cover- they'll fish through weeds, rock , and even wood, pretty well. A snag-retriever is a good investment, but not all that useful from the bank.

 

Hope this helps.

Just what i was looking for. Thank you! 

[Sam]

4 hours ago, clemsondds said:

Hey everyone, just wanting to get some advice. I was fishing last week and the bite was very hard. I was trying multiple different tactics. I tried working a lipless crankbait, jerkbait, and a jig some and kept getting hooked on under water cover. I was about 30 feet off bank throwing to about 3-5ft deep and bringing it back. There wre quite a few trees down under the water and just kept getting stuck. It was so frustrating. Spent more time trying to kept my lure free than actually fishing. My question is, was I doing something wrong? Should I have switched to weedless? Do you only throw crankbait when there’s no under water obstruction?  Obviously I need to continue to perfect my accuracy. But it didn’t seem to always be accuracy as the issue...it was more trees and brush under the water that I couldn’t see.  I know crankbait are great and I want to use them...just tired of getting hung up and losing lures. Thanks for the help! 

Hey everyone, just wanting to get some advice. OK, THATS WHAT WE AR HERE TO DO.

I was fishing last week and the bite was very hard. YOU MEAN SLOW AND DIFFICULT?

I was trying multiple different tactics. -GREAT!

I tried working a lipless crankbait, jerkbait, and a jig some and kept getting hooked on under water cover. -THAT'S WHERE THE FISH ARE. YOU HAVE TO FIND THE WATER COLUMN THEY ARE HOLDING. 

I was about 30 feet off bank throwing to about 3-5ft deep and bringing it back. - OK. BUT DID YOU BRING YOUR BOAT TO THE BANK AND CAST BACK OUT AND RETRIEVE YOUR LURE BACK TO YOU IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS FROM THROWING TO THE BANK?

There wre quite a few trees down under the water and just kept getting stuck. - THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE FISH LIVE.

It was so frustrating.- THOSE LITTLE GREEN MONSTERS ARE FRUSTRATING ON A GOOD DAY.

Spent more time trying to kept my lure free than actually fishing. - NOT GOOD. YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON FISHING AND PRESENTING THE PROPER BAIT TO KEEP YOUR LURE AND BAIT FREE OF GETTING HUNG UP.

My question is, was I doing something wrong? - WELL YES. IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING BITES YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. THE QUESTION, IS "WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?"

Should I have switched to weedless? - DEFINATELY. YES. YOU NEED TO THROW A SHAKY HEAD OR A DROP SHOT OR A WEIGHTLESS SENKO (OR OTHER STICK BAIT) RIGGED EITHER TEXAS STYLE OR WACKY TO HAVE SOMETHING TO THROW INTO THE STRUCTURE THAT WILL NOT GET HUNG UP. USE WEEDLESS HOOKS FOR YOUR PLASTICS. START THROWING AT THE OUTER BOUNDRY AND WORK YOUR BAIT INTO THE STRUCTURE. REMOVE THE REAR HOOK OFF ANY CRANKBAIT. AND GO WITH A SPINNERBAIT OR A CHATTERBAIT IF POSSIBLE, WITH NO TRAILER HOOK.

Do you only throw crankbait when there’s no under water obstruction? - OF COURSE NOT. SPINNERBAITS, CHATTERBAITS, SQUARE BILL CRANKBAITS, LIPLESS CRANKBAITS AND VARIOUS TYPES OF PLASTICS TO EXPERIMENT TO FIND THE PATTERN. I LOVE TO THROW SENKOS AND WEEDLESS TRICK WORMS ON SMALL JIG HEADS OF 1/16 IN WEIGHT. RIGHT NOW THE NED RIG IS TAKING OFF LIKE CRAZY. WILL THROW IT LATER THIS YEAR WHEN THE BASS GET OFF THEIR BEDS.

Obviously I need to continue to perfect my accuracy. But it didn’t seem to always be accuracy as the issue...it was more trees and brush under the water that I couldn’t see. AND THATS WHAT WE ALL ARE LOOKING FOR, EITHER WITH OUR BAITS OR EXPENSIVE ELECTRONICS OR A GUESS FROM SEEING THE STRUCTURE ENTERING OR ON TOP OF THE WATER. YOU FOUND YOUR "HONEY HOLE" WHERE THE FISH WILL LIVE. KEEP IT TO YOURSELF AND DON'T SHARE IT WITH ANYONE. KEEP FISHING THIS AREA.

I know crankbait are great and I want to use them...just tired of getting hung up and losing lures. Thanks for the help! -THIS IS WHY WE HAVE SOOOOO MANY BAITS TO SELECT AMOUNG. TRY TO GO WEEDLESS AS BEST YOU CAN. AND REMEMBER TO CONSIDER REMOVING THE REAR HOOK OFF YOUR CRANKBAITS TO HELP THEM NOT GET HUNG UP.

 

NOW, TO ADD TO YOUR ANSWER: PLEASE PUT YOUR LOCATION AND WHERE YOU FISH THE MOST IN YOUR AVATAR. WE CANNOT HELP YOU UNLESS WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE AND FISH. OUR ADVICE WILL CHANGE DEPENDING IF YOU LIVE IN FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, KANSAS, OHIO, NEW YORK, NOVA SCOTIA OR CANDA. OR SOUTH CAROLINA!!!

 

DO YOU FISH LAKES OR RIVERS? ARE THE RIVERS TIDAL?

 

YOU ALSO DID NOT GIVE US THE WATER TEMPERATURE AND WATER CLARITY IN YOUR QUERY. THESE ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS TO KNOW TO UNDERSTAND BASS BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR LAKE OR RIVER.

 

AND IF THE BASS ARE ON THEIR BEDS, YOU WILL BE FRUSTRATED BEYOND YOUR WORSE DREAMS. JUST WATCH THE DOGWOOD TREES AND WHEN THEY BLOOM THE BASS ARE ON THEIR BEDS. YOU MAY WANT TO WAIT TWO WEEKS BEFORE HITTING THE WATER WHEN THIS OCCURS.

 

SO GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU BETTER INPUT.

 

BASS FISHING CAN BE LIKE PULLING TEETH FROM ACC FANS, OTHER THAN FOR CLEMSON FANS, WHO DON'T HAVE ANY TEETH. OR BAMA FANS WHO LOST THEIR TEETH IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, 44-16.

 

ALL THEY DO IS COMPLAIN AND COMPLAIN AND COMPLAIN, ESPECIALLY THE CLEMSON FANS WHO HAVE NOT WON A COLLEGE WORLD SERIES.

 

WELCOME TO THE FORUM. GREAT HAVING YOU WITH US. AND WE DO KID EACH OTHER FROM TIME TO TIME.

[Mobasser]

As others have said, I'd pick a Texas rig worm or T rig craw. It's hard to beat a t rig for fishing around wood cover.

[clemsondds]

Ok thanks!  I guess I had heard soo much about the wonders of lipless and jerkbaits...that I got a little carried away.  I'm still somewhat new to this...so trying to feel it all out.  I had tried tr worm, spinnerbait and chatterbait...to no avail that day.  I think the fish were just in a funk from the bad weather the day before.  And I'm sure there were probably better spots on the lake to fish...just haven't found them yet. Thanks again everyone! 

[WRB]

It takes a practice to know when to finesse the lure through snags in lieu of setting the hook when you feel the lure hit something. The 1st thing to do is continue reeling slower and lift the rod up as high as possible. If it's not a fish pulling back try jiggling the lure free without pulling on it, this pops lure free 90% of the time. If the lure is still snagged moving the boat towards the snag while keeping the rod held upright and jiggling the rod tip into slightly slack line will free most lures, you may need to try a few different angles or the opposite direction. Still hung up, then a lure retreiver is the next step for treble hook lures.

Tom