Keeping Ned fish pinned

[dtrs5kprs]

...or getting them that way to start.

Noticed a lot of fish coming off inexplicably in recent reports. Happens every year, kind of in between staging and the spawn. Almost like they pick it up differently.

A few workaround ideas:

1) Check the last inch or so of your bait for tears and teeth marks. Very common for them to just pick it up by the tail this time of year.  When you swing on them they will feel pegged, fight about halfway to the boat, then let go. Or the bait comes "un-velcroed" from their teeth. May feel strange, kind of like there is a rubber band between you and the fish. Or like playing tug with a dog and a rubber toy.

Scent may help. I like the stick type. Gel will work also. Elaztech won't absorb the liquid or oil scents. Waiting a little longer to swing can help.

Usually, it just takes a few days for them to move on. Ham endured a day like that with me last spring. Couple of days later they were eating it up.

Pic of a bait that shows it. Shredded at the tail, and around the hook, from the fish stretching and pulling against the hook, without being hooked. Early April of last year, roughly same water temps as currently reported.

2) Open up the hook gap with pliers. Even the best jig hooks are made to go in molds, not necessarily fish. Carefully use pliers to grab the hook at the bend, or just behind the barb, and bend the point up away from the shank a touch. Doesn't hurt to kirb it left or right too. Both of those increase your chances of finding meat when you swing.

3) Change up the color and/or jig weight. Doesn't always help, but it can. Dramatically. Sometimes they will just mess with one color, flat eat a slight change.

4) Seems obvious, but check your hook for a rolled point. This is more common with lighter wire hooks, especially Gamakatsu and Owners.

[dtrs5kprs]

Oh, forgot...

And bust them! Hard.

Save that reel into them hookset for grub fish. They don't pick a Ned up the way they do a grub. Reeling into them will cost you fish.

[big c]

Thank you, great info!

[Nitro 750]

Good info Dave!!!

[Conman64]

Dave can you detail the hook set you use?

Thank you

[Champ188]

1 hour ago, Conman64 said:

Dave can you detail the hook set you use?

Thank you

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=setting+the+hook+falling+out+of+boat&&view=detail&mid=24996A005E97EB1FEDC524996A005E97EB1FEDC5&FORM=VRDGAR

[vernon]

1 hour ago, Champ188 said:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=setting+the+hook+falling+out+of+boat&&view=detail&mid=24996A005E97EB1FEDC524996A005E97EB1FEDC5&FORM=VRDGAR

Pictures are worth a thousand words.

[bobby b.]

excellent info, I loss three in a row the other night. 

a question - often (not always) the tail of the bait is hooked back to the point after the fish comes off.  Is this because of the way I set the hook or something else.

Thanks

Bob

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, bobby b. said:

excellent info, I loss three in a row the other night. 

a question - often (not always) the tail of the bait is hooked back to the point after the fish comes off.  Is this because of the way I set the hook or something else.

Thanks

Bob

Think it has to do with the way they pick it up and hold it. Maybe the way it sticks to their teeth also.

If you pop them hard, hook point will go right on through. I mean hard.

[dtrs5kprs]

4 hours ago, Conman64 said:

Dave can you detail the hook set you use?

Thank you

Don caught one a couple of years back, left it in his video. There may be more, but I remember catching grief about this one. Actually I think it's just a swing and miss, but you'll get the idea. Its in the first 30sec or so. Think D-line forking hay.

Everyone pussyfoots around that 6# fluorocarbon. No need to if your rod is right, drag is right, and the line is fresh.

With Ham on the front deck last year it was all I could do to not send him home with a split forehead. 

On the rare occasions I run braid, I don't back off a touch on the set. I just dial the drag back a bit more.

Bust them. And if you're in doubt, bust them again.