How To Prevent Lures From Getting Snagged In Trees
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Are there measures you can take to prevent lures from getting snagged in trees and mangroves?
“Weedless” lures can sometimes not be so weedless.
If you accidentally cast into some trees or mangroves, the struggle begins to try and remove the hook so you can recover your gear.
Here’s how to prevent this…
Prevent Lures From Getting Snagged [VIDEO]
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In lots of cases, redfish and other inshore predators move up into the shallows and push right up against structure or shorelines.
In turn, we have to make lots of casts at or around heavy structure near shorelines.
Overhanging mangroves and tree branches pose a potential threat of losing gear or getting snagged.
The first measure you should take is to feather the line through your fingers as you cast it out.
Use the very tips of your fingers to barely touch the line on the spool to slow down your cast just enough.
I use my thumb to feather the line to slow down my lure as it gets closer to structure.
If You Do Get Snagged
If you know your cast is going too far, let it go.
The last thing you want to do is stop the line abruptly and snap back on the rod.
This is basically just going to set the hook on the trees.
However, if you are just barely caught on a tree, slowly raise your rod tip and slowly reel in some line.
The goal is to slowly drag your lure out of there and avoid setting the hook in the trees.
Your lure should come free.
The key behind all of this is to just barely skin-hook the hook in the soft plastic lure.
Furthermore, you might end up snagged over or on a tree limb.
In that case, let your cast go over the limb, and do not try and stop it abruptly.
You can even let your lure hit and fall into the water.
Do not try and yank the lure out from underneath the tree limb.
All that will do is cause your line and lure to wrap around the limb and then you’ll never get it out.
Slowly drag the lure as described above and once your lure reaches the limb, give it one quick pop to pull it over the tree.
The last method I use to recover a bad cast is what I call “The Pendulum”.
I’ll swing the lure back and forth until it gains enough momentum for me to pull back over the limb and into safety.
Conclusion
The biggest takeaway from this is that you should NOT try and yank your rod away from the structure!!
That is the equivalent of setting the hook on a fish.
Take a second to see where your line is and use one of the methods described above to bring your lure to safety!
Is there anything else you think we should have addressed in this video?
What is your personal method for recovering your snagged hooks??
Let me know what you thought down in the comments!!
If you know someone who wants to learn more about how to prevent lures from getting snagged, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Thank Tony. Hard not to react quickly and pull back when it happens. Good point to stay calm and focused. Hey, I’ve found that the sling shot trick also works for underwater snags occasionally too. Good stuff.
You’re welcome Jan!
Yeah the quick snap back usually comes from getting irritated from snagging the trees all the time haha. I’m guilty of it at times! Those trees just seem to have a gravitational pull that sucks in the lures!
Thanks for sharing some tried & true tricks that WORK Tony !!!
My pleasure George!
Occasionally I am fishing parallel to the mangroves and the wind catches the line and runs it through the mangroves. Any additional thoughts on how to get the lure back out of those situations? It seems almost impossible to get the lure back through all those small branches without getting caught.
Hey David!
I would use the same strategy of pulling the lure slowly. As long as the hook isn’t exposed and the line isn’t wrapped around anything it should come free with a little finesse.
Great tips Tony!
Thanks Matt!
Great tips Tony! Do you have any tips for how to get unsnagged from rocks and other underwater structure?
Thanks Mark!
Check out this tip from Capt. Peter Deeks:
https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/the-slingshot-tip-insider/
Very useful info, been there, done that, eventually learned what you describe and it usually works.
Thank you for the great feedback Omer!