hook up ratio with jigs, whats your thoughts

[pro reel]

OK, I started a post about this new jig design that suposedly is more resistent to hang ups, but it's main claim is that it much more consistent in hooking the fish that bite it. Several of the folks that responded have stated that they could not imagine a better hook up ratio with jigs than what they already get. So. my question is, what is your hook up ratio with bass that bite your jigs and then, do you really know? See, I'm the first to admit that I'm just not sure. I have been fishing with bass jigs for several years now. I didn't use jigs during the first 20 years of bass fishing because no one ever taught me how to use them effectivly and every time i tried them, i got discouraged and went back to T riged plastics. I finally got some good info on jigs a few years back and got a chance to use them at a good lake for practice. So anyway, I have actually gotten pretty darn good with using jigs now and it's one of my top go to lures now. Back to my question, I catch a lot of bass on jigs, but i also set the hook on nothing a lot of times. As many of you know, Tony and I fish together quite often. I know for a fact that the same thing happens to Tony, because i have seen him set the hook on nothing a lot of times also. Sometimes we are positive that a fish of some sort had the bait. When we set the hook on nothing, but were sure it was a fish, we say that it must have been a bluegill or very small bass that grabbed just the claws of our trailer and just didn't have the hook in it's mouth. Many other times, i will set the hook on nothing, because i felt someting different. It might have been a tick or a bump that could be a bass or could be a rock. Now for the actual question. How do we know that most of these time were not actually full sized bass that had the bait in it's mouth only to have us jerk it out of thier mouth without the hook grabbing. You see, every time that I'm positive a bass has my jig, I hook it, but why was i positive? It's because I hooked the bass that i set the hook on. Thats an excelent hook up ratio, every time I'm absolutly positive it was a bass, I hook it because thats how I am positive. Batting 100% there. Now, If I add in all the times that I set the hook on nothing and chalked them up to gills or just a weird bump that might have been a fish, then my ratio might go down to less than 50%, if those were actually bass and not the other things that i convince myself they were.

[joedog]

Ok I'll be second, I'm not only unsure I have no idea! I was always taught or told it costs nothing to false set a lure but cost you greatly if you don't set and should have. And now with all the rods that now have tremendous sensitivty and the whole finnese fishing fad this really has become more of an issue as opposed to less. I think I may wait too long to set because I now wait to feel the fish actually pull. And not often as I would like to believe but often enough I feel a tug and a spit out. See my understanding is that is why when worm fishing you usually feel a tap tap sensation before the set, first tap is bass putting lure in mouth or at least grabbing it and the second tap is the bass inhaling the lure the next tap is you setting hook.
And as with a lot of fisherman, the one that got away is always the biggest fish or strike of the day! If nothing else the dowl demonstration makes us think or wonder about, are we (I) missing fish or false setting.

[Tavery5]

Both very good posts, I have set the hook many times on nothing by water, but like Joe said it didn't cost me anything. Me and Kevin have a great time fishing together, and sometimes we end up throwing the same bait. With jigs, Kevin usually out fishes me, I think it has to do with our approach to jigs. Kevin is a guy that throws to a piece of cover and if he does not get the reaction bite, will let the jig sit, and slowly drag it back, trying to find something to bump it against. I on the other hand, I don't have that much patience, I am the guy who is looking primarily for the reaction bite. I will throw to a piece of cover that I think should hold a fish, let it sink, bump it a couple of times and re-cast. I try to make several casts from different angles to the same piece of cover. When the reaction bite is not there, I usually switch to some type of plastic bait and fish it a little slower. I find my hookup ratio with plastics appears to be higher and they tend to shed the weeds much better. Different approaches to the same problem. As far as how a guy would ever know if he was actually catching more fish with one of these new style jigs, I guess as long as you prove it to yourself that is all that matters, because confidence in the bait your using in my opinion is high on the list of things that will make for a successful day. I will probably continue to use the same jigs I always have, although I did purchase some new jigs from Cabin Fever Lures (BB144) and they look fantastic, I think I am going to really like the Owner hooks he is using in these jigs. I also purchased some jigs from Northstar, they are a very nice looking jig also. So I guess my post boils down to three things, fish your strength, prove things to yourself, and have confidence in what you are throwing.

[kennethdaysale]

Hey PR Like you for the first several years of my fishing I didn't use jigs much because every time I did I felt like I was getting bites on every cast. Finally I decided that the only way I was ever going to gain any confidence or skill with one was to devote an entire season to nothing but a jig, and I did. Not that I'm undisciplined but to make sure, for an entire year (82 or 83?) thats the only thing I had in the boat!! Sounds crazy but its the truth and it worked. You do make a good point about ratio perception, there is no doubt in my mind that there are times when I write off a legitimate bass as a rock or a gill or whatever. Of course the classic jig bite is a definate THUMP and a change in line direction but just as often it will be the slightest heavy feeling or the almost imperceptible tick. None of us will ever really know unless we spend stupid money to have those "Hook and Look" guys follow us around on every trip with their scuba gear and cameras. I promise you though that if you you throw one enough you will begin to trust it and yourself, a lot of times second guessing is a good thing but just as often it robs you the joy of just doing what your doing.

[keithdog]

I have to pretty much agree with everything everyone has said so far. Most of my jig fishing is done in early spring and late fall. The lakes I fish here have such heavy vegitation that in most situations, my jigs just get very fouled up almost as soon as they hit water. Therefore, other techniques work better for me most of the year, and a pegged t rigged beaver bait or other 4-5 inch creature bait works better for me in heavy vegitation. However, when I do fish jigs, I rarely ever loose a fish once it's hooked. And the vast majority of the bass I've jig hooked are hooked in the mid to upper portion of the upper lip. It's really hard to say how many strikes have been false strikes or missed strikes. Usually with a missed strike that I know is a fish, I find it hard to believe it's a bass. Bass tend to inhale whatever they wish to feed on, unlike a bluegill that will grab the tail end and run off with it. So overal, I personally believe I hook up with most bass that strike my ligs.

[Crankbait]

The more and more I look at this jig the more I’m liking it. My jig confidence isn’t up to where it needs to be. I know jigs catch big fish but I have always have the confidence in flippin and pitchin with soft plastics. I’m going to get this jig and try it out!

[CamG]

I learned to fish with a jig and a plastic worm. That's about all my dad would let me use when I was little. The jig has been my favorite for 20 years. I am very confident in determining the difference between a bite and something else. I would guess that I catch 95% of the fish that actually have the bait in their mouths. The other 5% is me not paying enough attention.

The key to anything other than a swim jig is to use one with a flat eye hook. I read a story many years ago that Denny Brauer wrote on the subject. A good jig should have a flat eye to make sure the hook drives home in the roof a bass' mouth.

[OkobojiEagle]

Often I wonder if we (bass fishermen collectively) are on the lake to fish or to play with our toys? Either answer is acceptable but most of the time I'd like to spend the precious time I have left on the water out-witting bass (smallmouth if I can choose). I prefer to limit the "toys" I use to those most likely to be successful in the cover I'm fishing. I will use a skirted "bass jig" (with weed guard) if a better option isn't available. I believe a lightly skin hooked t-rigged jig head will hook more fish and an exposed hook jig head will hook even more. I'm continually "surprised" by the bass that I didn't feel but "was just there" when I fish an exposed hooked plastic (point kirbed of course). I'm "surprised" by fewer bass when I Texas-rig my plastic and I can't remember anytime that a bass "just hooked itself" on a jig I was fishing with a weed guard. In a sentence... I expose the hook point as fully as the cover will allow me to.

oe

[oglejust]

i find my hook up ratio to b about 50% i blame this on my mono line that stretches especially on long casts. im guessing floro or braid would help, i got some pline floroclear that im hoping will help with the hook up ratio

[TN_Bassin]

If I miss a fish on a jig... 7/10 times I can throw back in there and catch the fish. Missing fish on a jig doesn't happen often for me though, except on KY Lake ledges. And even on Ky lake if you miss a fish and keep working it normal. The fish will usually track the jig down and eat it.

[carolina-rig-01]

Jig fishing is kinda strange in that the fish can bite it so many different ways. I mean for the most part all spinnerbait bites are the same, the same thing can be said for crankbaits, and especially topwaters. But sometimes they will flat out crush a jig, other times they might just pick it up and kinda swim towards you, or maybe they hit it on the fall. That is why it's so important to set the hook anytime something feels different when jig fishing. I am also sure that we all have bites that we never set the hook on because we don't recognize it as a bite. One thing I always tell people that are trying to learn jig fishing is to pay close attention to what your jig feels like when there is nothing on it. If they get used to how heavy it feels just dragging or hopping it along the bottom then anytime it feels heavier or lighter they should set the hook because it could be a fish, and a lot of my bigger jig fish have bit it in a way that it was hard to tell if it was a bite or not. As for my hookup percentage, I honestly don't know because I never really gave it much thought. I think that the color not being right, or the profile being too big or too small also plays a big role in whether they eat the jig or just pick it up and spit it out before you can stick them, so that comes into play as well.

One tip that I started doing a year or so back. When you catch a jig fish look in his mouth behind where the hook penetrated and see if there is a scratch leading up to the spot where the hook went through. If there is this is a sign that the hook slid for a while before actually biting into the mouth of the fish. Take some pliers and open your hook up a bit, not much but just enough that the point of the hook will start penetrating instantly rather than sliding inside the mouth before actually sticking him. This will not only increase your hookup percentage, but will also help you stick the fish deeper in the mouth rather than skin hooking them towards the outside of the mouth.

[lilmule]

On ky lake that jig bite is often like a leaf hung on it,as grab the thing and run towards the boat,and missed fish just plain dont have it all in their mouth,many grab the trailer or pinchers if sticking out to far.When it gets to where im missing many I just switch to a bushhog or worm on a crig.
I had one break a jig hook last year,was using hefty braid.Broke where rattle was sort of glued to the hook,think maybe what they stick them on with also works on the hook,so just use add on rattles now.

[Bassboss]

Good question. I'm kind of with the others on this one. Seems like when I do hook one, it's very rare that I'll loose one. Hook up ratio seems better then a texas rig to me. I have noticed however that in sometime hook them with the hook in them in the roof of there mouth sideways, both with a texas rig, and jig. It certainly seems like that jig you posted would help that "problem."

[ROI Outdoors]

Originally Posted by oglejust

i find my hook up ratio to b about 50% i blame this on my mono line that stretches especially on long casts. im guessing floro or braid would help, i got some pline floroclear that im hoping will help with the hook up ratio

You are on the right track by dropping the mono and getting into some Pline but you didn't really give yourself the needed upgrade by going with the Floroclear.......Floroclear is not fluorocarbon line by any "stretch" of the imagination it is simply a polycarbonate line with a fluorocarbon coating. Don't get me wrong it is a step up from mono but it is not what you want to be throwing jigs with. Pline just so happens to be the guardian angel of jig fishing - Pline HALO is most certaintly the angel of jig perfection. Go out and grab yourself a spool of 17lb test and tie on 1/2 oz. football jig and let the hook setting begin (sensitivity is so enhanced that you feel everything that the jig comes in contact with)!! When you feel the hard bottom (gravel, rock, or structure) just pause it for a few seconds and get ready for that bait to disappear. With the right jig/trailer combo and some HALO you'll see your hook-up percentages in the 90's. Good Luck!

[bluebasser86]

I love fishing jigs and they are one of my best fish catchers I have in my bag. On a bad day I'd say I hook 80% of my bites but most days will be closer to 90-95% of my bites.

[JESTERxHEAD]

I hook generally every fish "if" I am paying attention....sometimes I get caught off guard and the fish swims off and spits it out.

[pig n jig]

You have to fish it long enough to know when your getting bit.If your pitching, it is important to watch your line come off the reel as the jig is falling through the water.There will be a hiccup of sorts in the smooth steady flow of line coming off the reel.The bass has the jig but will let go if you apply line pressure without setting the hook and most likely you will never know there was a strike if you don't watch your line.Most strikes come as the tell tale tap or thump and sometimes they pick it up and swim off with your jig and you'll feel them pulling and that is usually when you miss them because your instinct is to pull back but not set the hook.The reel is important part of jig fishing.It is important to get a consistant smooth flow of line when pitching a jig to know when a bass inhales your jig and yet is not too free spooling as to not control backlashes while maintaining a free flowing line as the jig drops through the water colum.