Hooksets with heavy cover jigs

[Rocky998]

9 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Your drag may be too loose but hard to say because I’m not there. I don’t use a lot of braid as a mainline but I don’t care if it digs some when I I’m testing drag. I just want to make sure that my drag is good.

So basically it can dig a little, but don't let it go to far?

9 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Usually with a single hook bait that ain’t flimsy and line that ain’t light I like the drag to where I can pull it off the spool but it takes some force.

Yup, me too. I keep it to where there has to be a fair amount of pull before it comes off, but just doesn't let the braid dig.

If I was to do a hookset, I'd put my thumb over the spool anyways to brace it.

9 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

With heavy hook jigs I might go even a touch tighter to where I can’t pull it off the spool. I will sometimes loosen the drag when I’m fighting a fish but I want to drag tight enough to go through the weedguard, get the fish onto the hook, and finally bury the barb.

Alright! That seems logical!

I have had to tighten and loosen my drag before while fighting a fish. So shouldnt be anything too new for me to handle that way. That's a good thing to know! Thanks 

9 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

With the Dirty Jigs No Jack jigs, that hook is a monster and takes some force to get the barb buried. I have several of them where I’ve taken off some strands of the weedguard to make it a little easier to get that fish onto the hook. Just all depends on the cover you are fishing. 

Do you think I need to think out the weed guards on them?

I'm gonna be using it in THICK lake vegetation. I want to rip it right through and get the large fish hiding in there. 

9 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

This is a really subjective topic but everything else in your setup seems okay so if you are having trouble keeping fish pinned, I’d try tightening the drag. Rod might be a little light for some of the bigger jigs but I don’t think that’s the issue here.

My heavy cover jigs are 3/8oz and my rod is rated for anything up to 1oz. So I don't know if that's even a problem at all.

 

I'm just not setting hooks hard enough from what I've gathered loll.

7 hours ago, WRB said:

Lots of good advice so far including the reel set with firm rod sweep is what I advise when casting jigs more horizontal.

Listen to ole Catt if you want to catch bass in lieu losing them. 
I Don’t see a lot of jigs in your box, several swim jigs, bladed jigs, a few football swing heads and upper right corner a couple weed gaurd  cover jigs.

With MHF rod using 20 lb mono leader you set the drag to lift 5 lbs dead weight ( 5 1 pint plastic drinking water bottles in a grocery bag = 5 lbs). Using your tackle as you fish it hook the jig onto the bag handles and slowly, carefully lift the bag and adjust  the drag to slip when the bag starts to lift off the floor. Be careful don’t high lift the rod to avoid breaking it.

Now do your hook set and control the bass.

Good luck,

Tom

PS, 15 lb FC in lieu of 20 lb mono you lose about 7 lbs knot, abrasion and impact strength! Change the dead weight to 4 lbs lift.

This is really good to know! Thanks!

I'll try that. I'll just use a 5lb weight in a doubled over grocery bag.

 

 

This is my first time getting actual HC swim jigs, having jackhammers, and other quality stuff, so I feel like for a first bunch of stuff, this is pretty good. 

I might get some of those strike king swim jigs in the future, but I can't get a lot right now. I purchased things that I did research on and that would pair well together and have multiple purposes.

I also love the colors of these jigs a lot more than the SK ones. 

6 hours ago, Catt said:

 

 

 

I know what it is, I just wasn't sure what you meant by saying: "Ya ain't sticking with the weed guard!"

 

3 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Heavy cover and heavy tackle, I try to throw 'em over the boat when I swing. It works great for moving big fish out of cover, but I lose some smaller ones as they sail over my head on a slack line. That's a trade off I'll take every time.

ALR! I'll cross their eyes then! 🫡

[Pumpkin Lizard]

21 hours ago, Glenn said:

 

 

This is the answer.

[Bankbeater]

On 9/7/2024 at 8:13 AM, Rocky998 said:

Yup, I was using the bitsy flip jig when the fish came off. I just didn't set it right lol.

If your using a Bitsy Flip, then you will need to trim the weed guard back away from the hook a bit, and sharpen the hook so that it is sticky sharp.

[WRB]

Just a difference of opinion trimming fiber weed guards shorter stiffen it, trimming a few fibers off softens it.

Standing up on the deck of a boat changes the angle of the line between you and the bass. This angle is important imo. If the line angle is between straight down out to about 45 degrees your rod lift moves enough line to generate force to hook set.

If the line angle  is more horizontal down to less then 45 degrees your rod may not move enough line to get a good hook set. This is why you need to tighten the line with the reel and lower the rod at the time to move more line to achieve a good hook set.

Tom

[BrianMDTX]

I think quite a few anglers tend to pull the bait out of a bass’ mouth vs setting the hook. Especially if the line has slack in it. 

[Rocky998]

On 9/8/2024 at 11:58 AM, WRB said:

Just a difference of opinion trimming fiber weed guards shorter stiffen it, trimming a few fibers off softens it.

Standing up on the deck of a boat changes the angle of the line between you and the bass. This angle is important imo. If the line angle is between straight down out to about 45 degrees your rod lift moves enough line to generate force to hook set.

If the line angle  is more horizontal down to less then 45 degrees your rod may not move enough line to get a good hook set. This is why you need to tighten the line with the reel and lower the rod at the time to move more line to achieve a good hook set.

Tom

I'm a bank/dock fisherman so I don't normally get the boat angle

[F14A-B]

28 minutes ago, Rocky998 said:

I'm a bank/dock fisherman so I don't normally get the boat angle

You’re still elevated, particularly on a dock.. just go fishing, I mean you’ve got some gear and experience is the best teacher. A good sharp hook on a jig , a good heavy action rod, (imo) and stout line.. the more you do this the better acquainted you’ll become. Jig and pig fishing is probably the hardest bait to try and teach on a fishing forum. For the record I catch plenty of LMB on jigs and I always always have my drag locked down. Which makes my point, we all are a little different in our philosophy on the jig. Go fish it, believe me, you’ll learn more that way and grow in confidence. Good luck and enjoy the journey. 

[Rocky998]

1 hour ago, F14A-B said:

You’re still elevated, particularly on a dock.. just go fishing, I mean you’ve got some gear and experience is the best teacher. A good sharp hook on a jig , a good heavy action rod, (imo) and stout line.. the more you do this the better acquainted you’ll become. Jig and pig fishing is probably the hardest bait to try and teach on a fishing forum. For the record I catch plenty of LMB on jigs and I always always have my drag locked down. Which makes my point, we all are a little different in our philosophy on the jig. Go fish it, believe me, you’ll learn more that way and grow in confidence. Good luck and enjoy the journey. 

Thanks man! Really appreciate it!! 👊

[WRB]

4 hours ago, Rocky998 said:

I'm a bank/dock fisherman so I don't normally get the boat angle

Talking line angle from your rod tip to the water surface, not casting position.

When standing on the dock and dropping the lure straight down the line is vertical or 90 degrees. The hook set is all rod lift because the rod moves lots of line.

However casting over 30 yards out away from the dock the line is more horizontal and using a rod hook set doesn’t move much line unless you reel all the slack out of the line 1st, then a firm rod sweep moves a lot of line resulting in a good solid hook set.

Tom

[F14A-B]

1 hour ago, Rocky998 said:

Thanks man! Really appreciate it!! 👊

You’re welcome guy and remember it’s not uncommon to miss fish on a jig and trailer.. but with practice and experience you will become a solid jig fisherman, I have faith in the process of experience being the best teacher

[Rocky998]

@WRB

I tried doing the thing with the bag and the weight, but I think my rod will snap if I try lifting it off the floor...

 

[WRB]

If you high stick the lifting weight the rod could break. Keep the bend to 90 degrees and take 1 bottle out to reduce the drag force to a force you are happy with.

Tom

[Catt]

I don't like using a "heavy" wire hooks for punch rigs or jigs, they are over kill. A thin wire hook will penetrate faster but flexs too much. 

 

The Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Jig has the ideal diameter hook.  

 

[Rocky998]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

If you high stick the lifting weight the rod could break. Keep the bend to 90 degrees and take 1 bottle out to reduce the drag force to a force you are happy with.

Tom

Alright. Bottles instead of the lifting weight. Got it. 

And don't lift with the rod at and angle, just bring the whole rod up?

Or am I not supposed be lifting the bag of the ground at all? Just setting the drag to a specific weight?

[WRB]

Power ratings vary between each rod mfr.

The reason I prefer using plastic grocery bag and pint plastic drinking bottles is it’s easy to adjust. 
Basics are; power rating vs approx  lifting weight.

Light = 1 lb

ML = 2 lbs

M= 3 lbs

MH= 4 lbs

H= 5 lbs

Setting the drag in this manner gives you a good idea of you drag setting vs rod loading. 4 lbs of drag is all I use for my jig and worm rods, it’s a lot of drag force!

Tom