How To Prevent Lures From Getting Snagged In Trees

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!!

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