Rigging Weedless Jig Heads (Top 4 Mistakes)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Retrieving Lures
It’s a big one!!!
Oh wait, no, it’s just stuck on a rock…
If you fish around structure, you’ve probably been in this scenario a lot.
An exposed hook is just begging to get caught on things like:
- Rocks
- Docks
- Mangrove roots
- Oyster beds
- Grass
And any other structure that might attract fish.
Thankfully, there’s a solution that helps you get snagged less.
Actually, two solutions:
These two hooks allow you to rig your bait weedless, which will help decrease the number of times you get snagged.
Here’s an easy rule of thumb for when to use each of the weedless options above:
- If you’re fishing in water less than two feet, use a weighted hook
- If you’re fishing in water deeper than two feet, use a weedless jig head
In addition to being heavier, the jighead will front-load a bait and let it dive to the bottom quicker, which is usually where the redfish, seatrout, snook, and flounder we love catching so much will be positioned.
However, we have received a few questions about people missing fish with the weedless jig head.
Watch the video below for the four mistakes that are costing you fish when rigging them.
Enjoy!
4 Mistakes Rigging Weedless Jig Heads [VIDEO]
Get the ZMan Weedless Jig Heads here
Now, the biggest thing that causes you to miss a strike is that the weed guard won’t come off the point.
Check out the four mistakes below that often cause the weed guard to not come off and how to fix them.
1. The Weed Guard Is Rounded Too Much At The Top
The weed guard shouldn’t come up higher than the hook point.
When it does, it requires more pressure to push down, which can cause the hook to stay covered by the weed guard.
2. The Weed Guard Is Past The Barb
The weed guard can come past and get stuck on the barb for two reasons.
- The gap is too narrow, meaning the weed guard is too long.
- The hook is too bent bringing the barb closer to the weed guard.
In order to prevent this from happening, you can widen up the gap (shortening the weed guard) and keep the hook shank straight.
3. The Weed Guard Is Curved Or Off-Center
If this happens, the weed guard could get caught above the point, making it tough to fall and expose the hook.
When you rig your bait, make sure the guard nice and straight.
Also, double-check it after each fish.
4. The Soft Plastic Is Rigged Too High
When you’re rigging your soft plastic on the weedless jig head, make sure to not rig the lure too high.
If you do, this can lead to there not being enough room for the weed guard to come down and off the hook.
If you’re using a big soft plastic, you can rig it lower on the hook if you need to.
Conclusion
Weedless jig heads are an excellent way to avoid getting snagged when you’re fishing around structure.
If you want to maximize your hookups while using them, make sure to avoid these four common mistakes:
- Don’t round the weed guard too much at the top
- Don’t let the weed guard go past the barb
- Don’t let the weed guard be curved or off-center
- Don’t rig the soft plastic too high on the hook.
You can get your weedless hooks here:
Get the ZMan Weedless Jig Heads here
Get the Owner TwistLock Hooks here
Have any questions about rigging weedless jig heads?
Let us know in the comments below!
And don’t forget to share this with someone who fishes with weedless jig heads!
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GREAT TIPS!! Thank You, love learning tricks of the trade!!
No problem Cory and thank you for the great feedback!
Great video and yes I have found out by experimenting that these tips are accurate and helpful my girlfriend has been using them because I bought some and put one on her rod to use with either a gulp swimming mullet or a paddletail being that I’m trying to teach her how to fish she does get snagged quite often but is getting better but since using the new z-man seedless eye jigheads her snags are fewer and far between but I have had to make a few adjustments to them and some were from the ones you videoed anyways thanks for the info and vid and all you do????
Great feedback Steven, thank you!
Good to know info! Thanks
No problem Stuart!
So don’ use the weed guard, bury the tip into plastic.
That isn’t practical on a jig head, but definitely recommended if using wide gap hooks.
So why use them? Just bury the tip of hook into plastic.
Some people prefer rigging lures on jig heads, so it’s just an extra option if you want something weedless + a jig head. Isn’t practical to bury the hook on a plastic while using a jig head, but definitely recommended using wide gap worm hooks.
Yep. Sometimes I wan’t a jighead but there’ll be lots of floating grass that bogs them up. I will often drift a 2’ flat that crosses over a good edge say 4-6’ and then drift along that. For me, it seems like the weedless jig would be perfect for throwing to each of those areas. and the pivoting head concept rocks. And I got good hits but not hookups (which I finally realized was because of the weedless). I hate retying and all and only take 2 rods. A Johnson silver minnow gold spoon is still perfect for that situation too. Mr. Simonds showed Luke how to work one of those. ????????
Very informative Tony. I did not consider all the points you mentioned.
Thank you
No problem Andrew! Thank you for the great feedback!
Fan-friggin’tastic, Tony…Great info. Just as I was getting ready for my month long stay on Padre Island in October, I learn something just about every day on Salt Strong. I do a lot of Laguna Madre wade fishing and this is just what I need to know. Thanks to all of you from a land-locked old saltwater fisher-folk.
Haha thank you for the great feedback Michael!
Great video, Tony and Salt Strong. The first question I have is what about using bass style jigs with the fiber weed guards instead of the ones in the video? There are plenty of companies that make painted or powder coated jigheads in various weights and hook angles that could be more snag resistant than a wire weed guard.
Thanks Brett! Definitely a great option. I used them many times for bass fishing. I recommend trimming some of the fibers though on those types of jig heads because some companies make them very thick.
Good stuff, Tony!
Thanks Greg!
Nice video
Thanks Pablo!