braden

That is my number one rig. It was getting hung up along the rip rap, so I was trying something new. I do have some Z man ewg mushroom heads that I could have rigged up a weedless Ned, but I was trying to try something else, just to have another tool that I felt comfortable with.

I forgot to mention that I also loosened my drag some. I tried to go back and edit the post above to add that, but either I dont have enough posts to have that option, or I just don’t know how to do it.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who responded, I found all of them to be very helpful. Thanks! Just wanted to give y’all an update. Here is what I ended up doing: 1. Picked up some 10lb fluoro and some 10lb mono. My plan is to try the fluoro first, but have the mono with me, if I start having break offs again. 2. Tried the San Diego Jam knot. 3. Got some new shaky heads (needed some more anyway, since I had lost so many). Went with owner ultraheads, they seem a little sharper than what I previously had. 4. I chilled out on my hookset. I went out yesterday afternoon, but unfortunately I the fishing was real slow. I only caught 2, but at least I didn’t have any break offs. Thanks again for all of the responses, I really appreciate it!

You had mentioned old line. How often do you keep a spool of fluoro before you throw it out? I bought this particular spool of seagar red label over 3 years ago on closeout at Walmart.

After the 4th break off, I switched to fishing a neko (for the first time ever). Glad to know I was thinking correctly on that one. I may just try some mono, until I get my confidence up. The water is not very clear here. I was tieing the improved cinch and lubricating with saliva. I have actually gotten a lot better at tieing it, and interestingly enough was really cinching it down REALLY hard, which may have been the cause of my problem. Interesting that you said that, 2 days ago, I had a fish cruise by and I just dropped a lure on top of him. He took it, I set the hook, and I could hear the drag slip a little. That was one of the ones I lost at the boat. After that, I tightened my drag some, maybe too much.

2 possible things here. I may not be rigging it correctly, maybe I should be skin hooking it? Also, on some of these bites, they weren’t really bites, the line just got heavy. I didn’t even know I had a fish, so there was no hookset. I may have been overcompensating with the hookset, since I lost a few at the boat. I was pulling hard, straight up to the 12 o’clock position. Sounds like I should try more of a sweeping hookset to the side?

I have recently started fishing a shakey head. I am using a medium spinning rod with 15lb braid and 8lb fluoro leader. I lost a few fish at the boat, didn’t seem like I got good hook penetration, so I started setting the hook harder. This morning I had 4 break off when I set the hook, very frustrating. I was breaking right at the knot. I am tieing an improved clinch knot and setting it with saliva. Also the leader line is from a spool that is a couple of years old. Am I just setting the hook to hard? Am I asking too much out of 8# fluoro, and do I need to go up in poundage? Or is the leader line, just too old?

Perfect, thanks!

I have been thinking about trying the underspin with a white paddle tail. What kind of underspin do you use? Paddle tail type and size?