Printable View
Carry a 1 ounce weight that can be clipped onto your line with a clip-on swivel. If or should I say when you get snagged, just clip the weight onto your line and let it slide down. It will save your jigs. But carry a few weight because every now and then you'll lose everything.
Great tip! I use 1/2-ounce Water Gremlin Snap-lock Sinkers - Water Gremlin - Snaploc - for my "Get-er-offers". Here's a few suggestions to increase your jig-retrieval success rate.
It really only works well for vertical jigging. You'll need to have your rod tip directly over where the jig is hung for much success so it's not much help if you're casting unless you (and your fishing partner) don't mind moving the boat all the way over to where you're hung just to get a jig back.
As soon as you realize you've caught a limb bream stop pulling and shaking - the more you pull the further you drive the hook into the wood and the more you shake the more chance you have of tangling the fishing line up on the limb and not just the jig.
First make sure you can get your rod tip directly over where you're hung so the line is as straight up and down as possible. Keep your line tight as you snap on the sinker and until the sinker reaches the jig or you risk wrapping the line and sinker around another limb on the way down.
Once the weight is down to the jig, GENTLY lower the your rod tip so the weight falls below the jig buy 6-inches to 1-foot and then GENTLY move your rod tip up and down with a SLIGHT bounce as the jig pulls the line tight on each downward stroke so the weight pulls down on the jig. On the upward stroke stop just before the line comes tight so you don't work the hook any deeper than it already is. If you haven't buried the hook in wood or wrapped up in fishing line you'll get your jig back at least 9 times out of 10 on wood and virtually always on bamboo once you get used to using a Get-er-offer.
If the jig doesn't come off right away you can slowly increase the up and down action and force but with too much action you increase the risk of popping the weight off the line or permanently wrapping the line around the limb you're hung on so start out slow and gentle.
Great tips guys. Thanks.:)
Correction (too late to edit):
Once the weight is down to the jig, GENTLY lower your rod tip so the weight falls below the jig buy 6-inches to 1-foot and then GENTLY move your rod tip up and down with a SLIGHT bounce as the sinker (not "jig") pulls the line tight on each downward stroke so the weight pulls down on the jig.
Thanks Jerry for the tip on the sinker you are using, that would be easier snapping on and off your line than opening and closing a snap swivel each time, especially in cold weather when you have gloves on.
Here's another tip for the person new to vertical jig fishing.
Attach a bobber stop string without the bead Bass Pro Shops Bobber Stops to your line before attaching the jig. Now slide it up the line to the desired depth, just above the cover your fishing. Let us say you are fishing a brush pile in 10 feet of water. Slide the bobber stop up the line so your jigs stays just above the top of the brush pile (let's say 8 feet). Keeping the bobber stop near the water surface, you can watch the string, knowing your fishing the right depth and visually seeing the action your jig. Adjusting the depth is as easy as sliding the bobber stop to the depth of the next brush pile your fishing. Sometimes the fish hold above, beside or the most fun... buried deep in the brush. Hope this helps.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...4/P1011022.jpg
Thanks for ALL the advise guys.