Weed Guards vs. Weedless Hooks: Best Way To Rig Lures Weedless
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Fish like to feed near structure, so if you want to catch them, that’s where you need to place your lure.
However, that becomes a problem when you have an exposed hook.
You can get snagged on roots, rocks, oysters, or grass, get broken off, and waste a ton of money on terminal tackle.
(Trust me, I know from experience.)
That’s where rigging your lures weedless comes in.
Rigging your lures weedless greatly decreases the odds you’ll get snagged, but there are some caveats to consider.
The two main ways to rig your lures weedless are:
- Using hooks with a weed guard
- Using a wide gap hook and strategically placing the hook to make the rig weedless.
In this video, I’m going to break down the pros and cons of each of these weedless rigs.
Let’s dive in!
Weed Guards vs. Weedless Hooks [VIDEO]
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You can get the hooks I mentioned from our shop here:
Under docks, among mangrove roots, and in seagrass are some of my favorite types of spots to catch fish.
And to fish this structure effectively, it’s so much easier if your lure is rigged weedless.
Here are two ways to do that:
Using Hooks With Weed Guards
Pros:
- When you get a strike, the lure doesn’t get torn up as much, so it’ll last longer
- You don’t need to reposition the lure as much, you just need to set the weed guard back in place after you get a strike (if you’re using a metal weed guard)
- Best for fishing deeper water (jig heads with weed guards are front-weighted)
Cons:
- The weed guard can sometimes get stuck on the hook and decrease your hookup ratio
- If the weed guard breaks off, you’re left with an exposed hook
Using Wide Gap Hooks
Pros:
- Hookup ratio is better than when using a weed guard
- You can get a better hookset because the lure can slide out of the way and you can get more of the hook in their mouth
- Work best when fishing shallow water
Cons:
- The lure doesn’t last as long because it’s getting ripped through the point every time you get a strike
- You need to reposition the lure after every cast
- If you use a bait that’s too big for the hook, you might not have much clearance between the lure and the hook and that can decrease your hookup ratio
Conclusion
Whenever you’re fishing structure, it’s always best to rig your lure weedless.
I prefer using weedless hooks in the shallows, while I know Luke has had a lot of success using jig heads with weed guards when he’s fishing docks.
You can get the hooks I mentioned in this video from our shop here:
What do you prefer?
Have any questions about rigging your lures weedless?
Let me know in the comments.
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Some of the best advice there in the video I learned while making my own mistakes…matching hook size to lure. Undersized/oversized hooks will prevent good hookup ratios and action:
For sure!
Hey Tony
Great Video, I have been using the weedless jigs with wire weed guard. I simply cut the guard just shy of the hook point and press it down until it aligns with the hook point. They seem to last longer than the mono weed guards and you can reposition them if they get bent or out of line.
Great feedback and great tip as well! The weed guard definitely likes to get stuck sometimes on that loop on the end. I can definitely see how cutting the end so you have 2 straight metal weed guards can be more effective.
Good stuff, I do well shallow with Twist Lock, have struggled going deeper with because getting hung up too much – can attack deeper water with a better presentation now
Thank you for the great feedback Terry!
unfortunately for the novice you don’t show how to actually rig it.
Hey Ray!
We have many rigging videos that can be found on the site. Here is a great one for rigging on jig heads and weedless hooks:
https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/rigging-and-retrieval-tips-for-swimbaits-and-paddletails/
You guys are great. Your videos and presentations sure help me to expand and improve my fishing skill. I really enjoy your community and camaraderie in this sport that I love so much. and I do enjoy very much that you keep me on your email list and continually send me updates offers videos seminars everyday. My time is limited so I don’t get a chance to view everything but when I have free time I sure enjoy reading your material and watching your videos. I have been fishing for over 50 years, but my fishing knowledge has increased tremendously by being a part of salt strong…
Thanks, Bob
St Petersburg Florida
Thank you for the awesome feedback Bob! We are glad to have you in the family! It is definitely a great learning environment. Not just for the members, but we also learn a ton from you guys as well!
Interesting.
My findings.
Never use trebles.
Use very small hooks.
We Pennel rig for almost everything. So sharp the hooks are frightening.
No bigger than leaves the point just exposed. Kirbed if allowed.
Never strike, the fish will self hook as it turns away. Let them chew.
Very unlikely to be spat out if your hooks are really sharp. Just a mere touch and you are in.
You will still get hooked up on things, especially rocks. (Shellfish can be a suprise.)
Fact of life, get your cussing in first.
Light wire hooks will straighten yet still hold almost any fish. Design.
Rgds.
Malcolm Hayward.
Thank you for the great feedback Malcolm!
Good info. I learn something every time I your I watch your videos
Thank you Stephen! I’m glad we are able to help!
Loved it! Have you ever fished any Hayabusa wide gap wrm958 3/0 hooks?
Thanks John!
I don’t think I have used them before.
Hey what type of knot are using to rig this to your leader.
Thanks for all the great video’s
My pleasure Jefferson!
I mainly use a non-slip loop knot when tying on hooks and lures:
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/non-slip-loop-knot/