Dippin' jig into tree branches...How?

[Ranger690]

How in the world do you keep from staying hung up all the time? I would like to fish some fallen trees that are laying in the water. If I pull up close and use a 10 or 12' rod, dipping the jig or jig/minnow in the nooks and crannies, how to you avoid constantly being hung? Also, do "weedless" rigs work, or do you miss most of the bites?

Rigging?
Stiff rod?
Heavy line?

All ideas appreciated.

Thanks,

Dayton

[deathb4disco]

With an exposed hook, you're bound to get hung up. Weedless jigs (like a crappie slider) help a lot.

[FishnLine]

It get's kind of old doesn't Ranger690? I've tried it a few times with the same results, but I've never picked up any weedless style hooks.

[SMITTY 58D]

Other than the wind really blowing on the only day I can go fishing. I think pulling up to a nice tree that I know has some nice slabs in it, and slowly lowering a jig in for the first time to only get hung up and scare off all the nice fish and have to start all over again....... Yah that is kinda annoying. For some reason when I buy minnows I always get the ones that swim into the log and get hung up, It's like they know this really bugs me and this is the only pay back they can get.

[horseshoer]

How in the world do you keep from staying hung up all the time? I would like to fish some fallen trees that are laying in the water. If I pull up close and use a 10 or 12' rod, dipping the jig or jig/minnow in the nooks and crannies, how to you avoid constantly being hung? Also, do "weedless" rigs work, or do you miss most of the bites?

Rigging?
Stiff rod?
Heavy line?

All ideas appreciated.

Thanks,

Dayton

Sounds to me yur problem is simple. Yur proposing to fish with green,
unseasoned minnows. You can't dump the heat of hangin up on them, they don't know any better. Spend the $ for an extra dozen when ya go buy minnows. Put all but that doz. in a clear plastic (2 gal zip-lock works fine) bag
so they can see out. Now take a glass qt jar with any labels removed and put
a small-4 inch or so-piece of greenery, weighted, from cedar or pine in the jar and fill with water. Now take 1 of the doz set-aside minnows and put it on hook at the end of yur line and pinch a small split shot 2-1/2" above it. Lower this into the qt jar in plain view of the bagged minnows. AT THE FIRST MOVE
the minnow makes to swim to the greenery jerk him outta there, flop him down on the table near the bagged minnows, & come down on it with a large ball pien hammer. Remove any remains from hook and impale a fresh minnow, repeat procedure using all 12 minnows. Or 10 if ya bought yur minnows from Kenny at Stewarts'. This will tell the bagged minnows everything they need to know by repetition. Make sure the sacrificial minnows are kept in a
non-transparent container or after you are halfway or so into the seminar they wise up and are no longer of good use in a teaching capacity.
Hope this helps you with the brush fishin man.

[hogfaninla]

as my old pop used to say straight down and straight up....you will still get hung up but it helps to stay that way and if the wind is blowing you can just about forget that idea...I use 6 lb test and a heavy jig for this kind of fishing.

[Darryl Morris]

Yep, like hogfaninla said. Straight in and straight out. When the boat starts to move you where you're not perfectly vertical, pick it up before it gets hung and go straight down in another spot on the tree. Work the outside edges first and then slowly work your way into the tree for maximum production without spooking the crappie.

[FishnLine]

LOL. You ain't right horseshoer. You've had one too many of those brownies. :D

[J White]

Ok, this is not my usual domain, so I feel kinda funny offering advice

but I've started taking an interest in this lately, started fishing this way
more often. It seems to help me to use a heavy jig - I mean like a 1/4 oz.

Keeps your line tight, and you can FEEL when its a limb (jiggle it loose without
setting the hook) or a bite (snatch and hope for the best) :D

[Cane Pole]

If you ain't gettin' hung up, you ain't fishin' the right places. This time of the year it's double hook minner time(KY Lake Rig). I ain't finessing nothing. I am using 12 lb bright yellow line and 1-2 oz bell weight. Drop it in the brush. Move it up and down a little (bump bottom) and hope I can keep the boat on the spot. If I get hung up, I just move up and down long strokes with my pole. It usually frees the hook (or both hooks). Gotta be patient here.

Funny how I keep catching fish this time of the year. I have been told many times you have to be stealthy to fish. Ha. I ain't learned this lesson yet.

I don't care about saving a 50 cent hook or jig when I just spent 50 bucks on stuff (gas, etc.) just to get to the water.