Dead sticking hook ups

[MrBlackIS300]

Hi I'm looking for tips on a way to improving hook ups on my dead stick rod. I was switching between small jig heads and plain hooks, but results were so so. The hits were plentiful, but I was actively flipping and drifting my slip bobber, so my reactions to the dead stick hits were a bit slow.

I'm thinking about try a jigging spoon to see if the treble hook we induce more self hook setting.

Thanks

Here's a pair from Saturday

[bfish]

circle hook

[Woodworker42]

May be a dumb question but what is a "dead stick rod"?

[shipahoy41]

Woodworker42...a dead stick is a "Do nothing "rod that you put in a fish holder and wait for the fish to grab your offering. I would try a drop shot set up with the offering about two feet or three feet abouve the bottom. Give it a little slack so your offering will move just a little in the current.

[eric 3501]

Kinda like a extendable crappie pole that doesn't have a reel, right shipahoy41

[slabsrus]

Open the gap of your hooks a little. I use 1/64 and 1/80 oz jigs all the time, which have very small hooks. If I use them straight out of the package I miss a lot of fish. If I take that same hook/jig and open the gap just a bit, the fish are much easier to hook. In fact they often just hook themselves. Something easy to try before you make any drastic changes.

[shipahoy41]

Kinda like a extendable crappie pole that doesn't have a reel, right shipahoy41

yeppir...but when a fisih grabs it then just reel it up.

[Ranger R61]

Open the gap of your hooks a little. If I take that same hook/jig and open the gap just a bit, the fish are much easier to hook. In fact they often just hook themselves. Something easy to try before you make any drastic changes.

I get some hits when trolling crankbaits but they do not get hooked. I might try this.

[MrBlackIS300]

Hmm... I'll try the drop shot. I had it tied up with the VMC spinshot hook, but I didn't get to it. I open the gaps up regularly on my jigs. It does help with hook ups and it also helps the light wire hook bend easier to get out of snags.