Anybody Else Find Jig Weedguards To Be Worthless?

[NateFollmer]

Am I the only one who hates weedguards? I have found that if the weeds are bad enough to need a weedguard to keep slop off the hook point, it just gets stuck on the jighead or the guard itself anyway... The only time I have thought a weedguard saved me is when I am fishing timber. It seems to keep the point from snagging the wood. Am I missing something here?

[Bass Dude]

I agree....I haven't found a "weedless" jig. When the weeds are thick, it's time for a Texas rig. A more fitting name is a brush guard.

[J Francho]

Weedguards help keep the jig pinned in the fish's face. They work better for wood and rocks than weeds. For that, the skirt and head shape are more crucial.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Very true. It should be called a brush guard.

[OkobojiEagle]

Welcome to enlightenment, Nate.

oe

[Hooligan]

It helps in heavy growth, thick stemmed weeds like Curly leaf pondweed and cabbage. Milfoil and hydrilla, it's basically worthless.

[Catt]

Y'all need to learn how to fish a jig

[J Francho]

If you're in the "right stuff," a simple shake of the jig will release the weeds, and half the time get you bit.

[hatrix]

The shape of a jig head really helps keep the weeds off maybe more then the guard. Eakins jigs work really well for me and have a fairly stiff guard.

[Catt]

Google Terry Oldham's Jigs

[CWB]

"Weedguards" seem to be most effective in brush or wood, around docks and such, and in reeds, pads, cabbage weeds and other weeds that do not grow so thick together and accumulate moss and other gunk amongst them. In clumpy weeds and slop, they help but are not as effective. The head design helps, but there is some stuff that nothing will make it through. I'd rather have a guard on the jig than not.

[roadwarrior]

Mandatory on the Tennbessee River. I lose a lot of jigs, but a weed

guard saves many. The guard brings a lot of jigs over limbs and rocks.

Fishing a jig "naked" in this part of the world equates to a jig's life

expectancy of 10 casts or less.

[jignfule]

I was pitching in cat tails the other day and trimmed my weed guard down on a new jig a little too much.. Gained a new appreciation for weed guards real quick.

[clayton86]

My nephew had 3 of his bps jigs weedgaurds fall out today after getting hung up they just came unglued and fell out

[River Rat316]

Nothing is going to come clean through snot grass, its just the way it is, but one thing to think about here is the angle of the hook/ weedguard, find a jig with a 30 degree eye and a swept back weed guard and it is about as good as it gets, the weedless jig design could definitely be improved upon, and will be shortly but for now this is as good as it gets!

[Alpster]

I just plan on losing a lot of jigs in thick cover. This is why I have boxes full of jigs and stock up when they are on sale. If you throw them where the fish are they have to be expendable. JMHO

Ronnie

[.ghoti.]

I regard everything I tie on the end of my line as expendable. If you fish where the fish are, you're gonna leave some tackle in the water.

Having said that; I agree with Nate, up to a point. About 1/3 of my jigs have the "weedguard" cut off.

[Gangley]

Head design and the angle relationship between the line tie/hook/weedgaurd are the most critical components to beeing weedless, but something that not many people notice is the tag end of the knot. Most people dont realize that the tag ends need to be snipped really close to the knot otherwise the knot will pull in more weeds than the jig will. When I say close, I mean that unless I look very carefully, I cant even see the tag on the knot, much less feel it. With cranks and texas rigs, I leave a good MM or 2 of tag end on the knot, but with jigs, you will not see a tag end on the knot and you will definately not feel one.

Tie a good knot, trim the tag end close, and use a jig style that directly relates to the style of fishing you will be doing. Its amazing how few weeds you get once you start clipping that tag end down real snug against the knot.

[J Francho]

Or you can leave the tag 1/2" long, and weeds slide off.

[Catt]

During the early 70s the Hydrilla/Milfoil/Coontail Moss on many southern lakes started really getting thick so you either learned to fish grass or learned to enjoy getting skunked. Jigs with craw worm trailers were invented and techniques refined to effectively fish for bass in grass.

When making a cast/pitch/flip/punch keep your jig at a "near vertical presentation"; the less vertical your cast/pitch/flip/punch the more you actually have work not only your jig through the grass but your line also.

Yes it’s extremely aggravating trying to get any lure through the grass but the payoff is larger than average bass.

[Fishing Rhino]

Or, Super glue/Crazy glue the tag end to the line. Take your pick.

One more thing, don't forget to fan out the bristles of the weed guard on the jig.

[Hooligan]

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One more thing, don't forget to fan out the bristles of the weed guard on the jig.

I hate fanned weed guards. Drives me nuts. Firm believer in that fanning a weedguard gives you a greater chance of a fish not getting the hook. Most times I don't even trim a weed guard, unless it's excessively long.

[senile1]

Mandatory on the Tennbessee River. I lose a lot of jigs, but a weed

guard saves many. The guard brings a lot of jigs over limbs and rocks.

Fishing a jig "naked" in this part of the world equates to a jig's life

expectancy of 10 casts or less.

It is the same for me Kent. I fish lakes with a lot of timber left standing and a lot of timber on the bottom. As the years progress I trim my guards less and less.

I hate fanned weed guards. Drives me nuts. Firm believer in that fanning a weedguard gives you a greater chance of a fish not getting the hook. Most times I don't even trim a weed guard, unless it's excessively long.

I have to agree. As mentioned above, I fish a lot of highly timbered lakes. I am to the point where trimming the weed guard in some cases is useless.

[slonezp]

I hate fanned weed guards. Drives me nuts. Firm believer in that fanning a weedguard gives you a greater chance of a fish not getting the hook. Most times I don't even trim a weed guard, unless it's excessively long.

Rather than trim a weed guards length, I trim off about half the bristles. Still have the length to "guard" against weeds but more hook ups because the guard is softer.

[bilgerat]

All trimming the length does is make for a super stiff guard that is harder for the bass's mouth to mash down.