Weedless lures

[Another Dave]

Taken from the 'How did you get on?' thread.

Yesterday i ventured a bit further downstream and fished my largest curly tail grub weedlessly, a kind of Texas rig with a 2/0 wide gape. The weedless aspect worked perfectly, i could go through dead reeds and lost not a single lure to trees or snags. In a little over an hour i got 3 explosive takes and hooked none of them. Probably just jacks but i feel one might have been a perch, either way it would have been ace sport.

Had i used a standard jig head i would have hooked all 3, but i wouldn't have been able to fish the reeds and snags so i'm really struggling to work out how to play this next time.

I’ve been trying same method as you have, only difference being, I’m not getting the takes, so at least you’ve located fish!
I’ve read you should pause for a second or two before striking when fishing weedless, failing that, go to a bigger 4/0?

s63, i have had a fiddle with the lure today and could definitely get a larger hook in. Those wide gapes hooks do look a bit bizarre, especially in the larger sizes, you do start to wonder how much punch they have compared to a standard hook. Plus the fact that the fish has to hit it just right for it to work properly...

Pausing for a few seconds when you get a take lure fishing sounds like quite the challenge, will give it a go for sure.

I've also been looking online at other solutions such as this kind of thing


What thoughts or experiences do folk have on this subject? Much as i love a standard jighead setup, it is an absolute delight to be able to avoid snagging on overhanging branches, dead reeds, sunken branches, shopping trolleys etc. I've also seen the advice to use really strong braid+trace and just pull hard enough to straighten your hook when you get snagged but i can't see the fun in that.

 

[103841]

I know what you're saying about the hooks, but once in situ, everything looks just right. The lure pictured is 5" and a 4/0 hook used, could have even got away with a 5/0. Used it for the first time last Monday and caught a perch not much bigger than the lure! This particular lure (a Westin Hollow Teez) collapses when engulfed by the fish and so exposing the hook nicely, well that's the theory!



Like you, I don't care to use a strong braid for small fish but it's a lot less fun losing traces and lures that cost a few bob.

I'm developing a different mindset since starting piking and lure fishing for perch, get them out the water asap, they are quite fragile fish and don't want playing for an age, plus the fact we are targeting snaggy swims during these winter months. When they're "having it" I don't think the diameter of braid/mono makes a great deal of difference.

 

[Another Dave]

What strength braid have you been using, s63?

 

[103841]

For piking I was using 30lb braid but having lost lures I’ve upped that to 75lb. For perching on my light setup I’m now using the 30lb braid I stripped off the other reel. I’ll go lighter in the Summer when top water fishing.

But I’m still a novice fairly new to this so I’m still learning.

 

[steve2]

Is there any such thing as weedless lures there may be less weed lures? On the waters I fish Canadian pondweed and green algae mean there is no such thing as weedless even with surface lures.
May I suggest that you read some of the American lure fishing sites the bass fishing one are good.

 

[Gnasher]

Moss boss. I've cast that into lily pads, reeds, weeds and it's pretty much weedless.

 

[Another Dave]

Just came across an interesting idea i'd not seen before:



I wonder how effective it is. Might have to give these a go one day.

 

[103841]

Neat idea, like that.