Jig hookset. What am I doing wrong?

[fdbce91123]

I’ve dedicated myself to learning how to use a jig recently and I’m throwing nothing but jigs. Specifically I’m using a bitsy bug mini jig with a strike king baby menace grub trailer on a 6’6 MH/F casting rod. I chose this small jig because it feels more comfortable than the half oz football head jig I have and it feels similar to the T rig Weight I’m used to using, I also assumed these small jigs would increase bites and this pond is very pressured so I just want fish not necessarily the biggest ones. The ping I fish is a heavily pressured pond on campus and today I caught 3 on the jig in an hour and a half (which is the most in a day I’ve gotten so far there) I’m happy with these catches because these were only my 2nd 3rd and 4th fish with a jig but every fish was hooked in the edge of the mouth not outside or inside the lip bit square on it and barely hooked by a small bit of skin. One I just got a foot from the bank as I was swimming it and that hookset was kind of a wash but the first fish I threw into some bushes overhanging off the bank and once I felt him pulling I reeled down the slack until I barely felt him and set the hook up hard without hesitating because I’ve read they drop jigs fast (He was 1.28 pounds for those wondering) And the second fish bit it while I was swimming it so I just set the hook up since I was already reeling it in the hookset position (he was 1.68 pounds, we won’t speak about the third because he was basically a minnow). Maybe this was a fluke but it seems like it’s something I’m doing to cause both fish to be barely hooked square on the lip. Does anyone have any experience with these or idea why this might be happening ? Thanks in advance for the comments I really enjoy the jig and I can see how it could really be the best thing to use for these pressured ponds

[WRB]

The bass are striking the jig not eating it. Hook set are about timing, if they drop it you waited too long, too qwick you get lip hooked bass. You a few choices 1) shorten the trailer or 2) hesitate a second, 3) sharpen the hook, 4) change your hook set to a reel set with firm rid sweep.

Tom

[Catt]

Only 3 bass is poor sample size ?

 

First off you were swimming the jig & what you described were reaction bites. Small bass + reaction strike = skin hooked.

 

Like @WRB mentioned they weren't feeding!

[Smokinal]

I agree with both of the above but I'll add a couple of thoughts.

 

First, try trimming the weedguard. Some view them as "fishguards", possibly hindering a good hookset. I trim the overall length so when I push it down towards the hook, it's just long enough to cover the hook point; no longer.  I also cut a few off right at the lead so it's thinner, more pliable.

 

The second issue could be=what line setup are you using. If you're using a rubber band like fluorocarbon, switch to braid and you'll nail every one...this, of course, is just my opinion.

[Teal]

All good advice.  Touch the hook up, and even you dont trim the weed guard, use your fore finger and thumb to spread it out horizontally.  

 

Main thing is, just.keep fishing it and try a few of the little things... the timing will come together. 

[WRB]

Trimming weedgards; if you cut them shorter it stiffens them. If you do this remove about 1/3rd of the strands near the jig head. It's better to fan the strands out and push then down just about the hook point.

Bass strike a critter to kill it and bite down hard, the weed gard usually just rolls the jig sideways and you get corner mouth hook sets in lieu of roof of the mouth. 

I personally don't like fiber weed gaurds if the cover is sparse enough the isn't snagging all the time. 

I don't think in this situation the weed gaurd was an issue.

Caught 2 or 3 jig bass is a good, keep at it.

Tom

[fdbce91123]

Thanks for the insight and I understand that it seems like reaction strikes rather than eating the jig because it makes sense that if they’re just biting it and holding it in their mouths or not fully eating it the hook would barely hook the skin on the lip on the way out so I understand waiting longer to let them eat it or shortening the trailer so they have nothing to bite but hook but my question is since I’ve heard bass drop the jig quickly how long should I wait? I’m afraid if it’s just reaction strikes they won’t ever fully take the jig anyway and it seems like if it wait they’ll just drop it. I have some garlic scent I spray since I’ve read that it makes them hold on longer but I don’t know if this would make them commit to taking it fully rather than just striking off reaction and dropping it. Also I’ve gotten 4 or 5 bites when I wasn’t swimming it total I only got once yesterday and barely had him hooked so it’s not like it’s only reaction strikes when I’m swimming it I’ve gotten the most bites throwing right up under bushes or against weeds on the bank and feeling the taps as it falls but I look at the line to try to see jumps twitches swimming to the side etc and I never see it, maybe I’m missing the bites that are eating it because they suck them in and don’t chew them or tap. I don’t know if that’s how that works but maybe that’s it too.

7 minutes ago, fdbce91123 said:

Thanks for the insight and I understand that it seems like reaction strikes rather than eating the jig because it makes sense that if they’re just biting it and holding it in their mouths or not fully eating it the hook would barely hook the skin on the lip on the way out so I understand waiting longer to let them eat it or shortening the trailer so they have nothing to bite but hook but my question is since I’ve heard bass drop the jig quickly how long should I wait? I’m afraid if it’s just reaction strikes they won’t ever fully take the jig anyway and it seems like if it wait they’ll just drop it. I have some garlic scent I spray since I’ve read that it makes them hold on longer but I don’t know if this would make them commit to taking it fully rather than just striking off reaction and dropping it. Also I’ve gotten 4 or 5 bites when I wasn’t swimming it total I only got once yesterday and barely had him hooked so it’s not like it’s only reaction strikes when I’m swimming it I’ve gotten the most bites throwing right up under bushes or against weeds on the bank and feeling the taps as it falls but I look at the line to try to see jumps twitches swimming to the side etc and I never see it, maybe I’m missing the bites that are eating it because they suck them in and don’t chew them or tap. I don’t know if that’s how that works but maybe that’s it too.

The only bite I remember that wasn’t a series of a few taps was one really hard thump I felt on the drop a few days ago and I set the hook on him but he jumped and spit the hook. He was probably 4 or 5 pounds sadly but it felt different when he bit it because it felt like one solid thump rather than taps so maybe that’s the difference between eating it and striking it because it felt different but I still struggle to see it

[plawren53202]

Just a thought and I could be way off base with this, but my memory (don't have one in front of me) is that the Bitsy Bug has a fairly thin hook. I know earlier this year I was having good luck with them fishing them on a M spinning combo.

 

It seems to me that a MH/F baitcasting combo might be a bit heavy for a Bitsy Bug. Not that you can't fish one on that combo, but I would probably lean toward more of a sweeping hookset like someone else mentioned than a big bone jarring MLF highlights film hookset. That MH/F combo should have plenty of power to support a more gentle hookset, picturing how I "set" the hook fishing a Ned rig on my M spinning combo.

[fdbce91123]

5 minutes ago, plawren53202 said:

Just a thought and I could be way off base with this, but my memory (don't have one in front of me) is that the Bitsy Bug has a fairly thin hook. I know earlier this year I was having good luck with them fishing them on a M spinning combo.

 

It seems to me that a MH/F baitcasting combo might be a bit heavy for a Bitsy Bug. Not that you can't fish one on that combo, but I would probably lean toward more of a sweeping hookset like someone else mentioned than a big bone jarring MLF highlights film hookset. That MH/F combo should have plenty of power to support a more gentle hookset, picturing how I "set" the hook fishing a Ned rig on my M spinning combo.

This makes sense, before Tom also suggested switching to a sweeping reelset so does this mean I reel down on it like normal and just sweep to the side a little bit up and reel as I do it and keep reeling for a second as it’s back? I also assume this is a smooth but firm sweep rather than a crazy snappy sweep? I also have a hook sharpener being delivered today

[plawren53202]

Just now, fdbce91123 said:

This makes sense, before Tom also suggested switching to a sweeping reelset so does this mean I reel down on it like normal and just sweep to the side a little bit up and reel as I do it and keep reeling for a second as it’s back? I also assume this is a smooth but firm sweep rather than a crazy snappy sweep? I also have a hook sharpener being delivered today

Yeah that's generally the idea. Depending on how fast of a gear ratio your baitcaster is, I might not keep reeling during the actual sweep...like reel down, then sweep (no reeling) and then play the fish. If you have an 8, it might end up still making for a pretty jarring hookset. Something slower like a 6, it might not be a big deal. You're definitely on point with the part about "smooth but firm sweep rather than a crazy snappy sweep." 

[WRB]

You keep reeling and sweep the back back at the same time. There is a Greg Hackney video demonstrating this technique on utube.

This hook set works best when casting a jig more horizontal then verticle. Verticle meaning the line angle is no more then 45 degrees out like a flipping or pitching presentation, then a faster snap set works better do to the short line has little slack to take up. Adjust to the situation.

Everyday a jig strike changes based on how aggressive the bass are eating a jig, sometimes they don't want a jig so don't try to force feed them.

Tom

[fdbce91123]

24 minutes ago, plawren53202 said:

Yeah that's generally the idea. Depending on how fast of a gear ratio your baitcaster is, I might not keep reeling during the actual sweep...like reel down, then sweep (no reeling) and then play the fish. If you have an 8, it might end up still making for a pretty jarring hookset. Something slower like a 6, it might not be a big deal. You're definitely on point with the part about "smooth but firm sweep rather than a crazy snappy sweep." 

Ok thanks, my gear ratio is 7:1:1 

[RoLo]

 

Based on the lure you described, bulk and length shouldn't be any problem.

You're probably dealing with fish in a neutral or negative mood, especially in high-pressured water.

 

 

Particularly with jigs, there is a point in limbo, between missing unenthused fish

and not getting any strikes at all. In other words, you may be getting strikes,

where an angler with a larger jig may be getting none.

 

Roger

[Paul Roberts]

Agree 3 fish is a small sample to judge your hook-setting, or the fish's behaviors. At any one time, some fish may be aggressive, others less so. You may not be doing anything wrong exactly. Your questions may be more about your own comfort level. Jigs can be a challenge this way, at first. Not bc they are difficult, but bc they don't load your rod by pulling back. It's easy to feel "lost", which means, you don't know what's gong on at your lure. That is, until you get to know how to be in control of that "nothingness". Good that you have experience with soft plastics already. My suggestion is you give yourself time to get familiar with what fishing a jig feels like, where it is in the water column, what you are bumping into with it, and what fish feel like. Some suggestions to expedite things:

 

-First, I wonder if your rig may be a bit powerful for such a light jig in terms of feel/detection. A finesse type jig would likely be better on a M power rod, and not too heavy a line. If the rod is too powerful/stiff for the lure, it won’t load on retrieve, making detection too critical. This may or may not be an issue depending on the rod and the line. If the line is too thick, it’ll hamper detection too. This may or may not be the case, but you'll know when you get the rod-line-lure right.

 

-Second, when you retrieve, keep things simple at first. I'd suggest starting with a simple swimming retrieve by just reeling, and not moving the rod at all. The reason not to move the rod is so that anything that comes up that line… wasn’t you! It was the bottom, a stick, a weed, a rock, a fish. Reel slowly until the lure starts bumping things. If you hang up too much, retrieve a little faster, go to a lighter jig, or fish a tad deeper. Add triggers by accelerating your reeling, a turn or two. Stop reeling to let the lure fall. But, do not move the rod, let the stuff "down there" do that. You can add rod motions as you learn to be in control of slack line in your retrieves.

 

-Try casting to objects and substrates you can see, and play around with that to familiarize. Then work a bit deeper, out of sight, familiarizing with how long it takes to reach bottom, and what the jig, and line, feel like coming through the water column, and bumping things.

 

First you have to have mindful control of your tackle, and this takes proper tackle and experience. The fish will be your best teachers, and jigs will get bit; You can count on that more than with most lures out there.

[Beeno]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

Trimming weedgards; if you cut them shorter it stiffens them. If you do this remove about 1/3rd of the strands near the jig head. It's better to fan the strands out and push then down just about the hook point.

Bass strike a critter to kill it and bite down hard, the weed gard usually just rolls the jig sideways and you get corner mouth hook sets in lieu of roof of the mouth. 

I personally don't like fiber weed gaurds if the cover is sparse enough the isn't snagging all the time. 

I don't think in this situation the weed gaurd was an issue.

Caught 2 or 3 jig bass is a good, keep at it.

Tom

What brand of jigs do you prefer? 

[galyonj]

6 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

-Second, when you retrieve, keep things simple at first. I'd suggest starting with a simple swimming retrieve by just reeling, and not moving the rod at all. The reason not to move the rod is so that anything that comes up that line… wasn’t you! It was the bottom, a stick, a weed, a rock, a fish. Reel slowly until the lure starts bumping things. If you hang up too much, retrieve a little faster, go to a lighter jig, or fish a tad deeper. Add triggers by accelerating your reeling, a turn or two. Stop reeling to let the lure fall. But, do not move the rod, let the stuff "down there" do that. You can add rod motions as you learn to be in control of slack line in your retrieves.

This is amazing advice.