04-19-2004, 12:55 AM
Thre are several things you can do, but there may be a few drawbacks involved. You can use the gold colored wire hooks. They will straighten out usually with 8# test Trilene XT or better. The drawback is they will straighten out with a big fish also if you roughhouse him in and don't let the rod and drag take the shock.
You can use weedless hooks. People say they don't hook as good, but I've never had that problem.
You can use bigger line. If you are catfishing that shouldn't be a problem, but if you are bass or crappie fishing I have found out that the smaller the line (less visibility) you use the more success you usually have. If you go to bigger line I would recommend the spider wire. It is probably the strongest line per diameter of all of them. I have used it catfishing since it came out (50 # test) and have only had it broken once, and I have straightened out treble hooks with it pulling them loose from the brush. I crappie fish mostly, and I use the 8# Trilene XT low vis green and only use my own crappie jigs with the gold wire hooks, so I don't lose many jigs from hang-ups. I use the 1/8 th oz. weedless jigs in the heavy brush and stumps so I don't have to add a split shot to make it heavy enough to cast. The split shot will hang up in the cracks on the stumps when you pull it over one. You won't believe how strong the Trilene XT 8# is until you use it. I am a big stout man, but I can't break a jig off it without cutting my hands.
Hope this has helped you some.
Bill
[signature]
You can use weedless hooks. People say they don't hook as good, but I've never had that problem.
You can use bigger line. If you are catfishing that shouldn't be a problem, but if you are bass or crappie fishing I have found out that the smaller the line (less visibility) you use the more success you usually have. If you go to bigger line I would recommend the spider wire. It is probably the strongest line per diameter of all of them. I have used it catfishing since it came out (50 # test) and have only had it broken once, and I have straightened out treble hooks with it pulling them loose from the brush. I crappie fish mostly, and I use the 8# Trilene XT low vis green and only use my own crappie jigs with the gold wire hooks, so I don't lose many jigs from hang-ups. I use the 1/8 th oz. weedless jigs in the heavy brush and stumps so I don't have to add a split shot to make it heavy enough to cast. The split shot will hang up in the cracks on the stumps when you pull it over one. You won't believe how strong the Trilene XT 8# is until you use it. I am a big stout man, but I can't break a jig off it without cutting my hands.
Hope this has helped you some.
Bill
[signature]