Small weightless lizard

[THutch]

Lately, I've been throwing a green pumpkin lizard, weightless, near lay-downs and rocky shores. It has been working quite well. And that is the reason for my question. I have been gut hooking about half the fish I catch with this method and don't like hurting the fish like that. I'm looking for advice as to what I'm doing wrong or need to do better.

Typically, I cast the lizard to the bank. Let it sink to the bottom with a slack line and wait. If nothing, I either lift it, real 4 turns and repeat or just drag it (depending on the bottom). When I see the line twitch or move, I set the hook. I'm fishing a medium weight 6'6" spinning rod with 8lb test. I am using a small zoom lizard with a #4 Gama hook.

Here are some picks of how the rig is set up? Any help would be appreciated. I'm tired of hurting so many fish but hate to give up a producing method.

 

[Dropshot]

I used to have this problem with a senko when I left too much slack in the line. This extra line gave the fish time to actually eat the bait. I found that keeping a little less slack allowed me to set the hook quicker and keep the fish from swallowing the hook.

 

[craazyboutbass]

I don't see how you may be foul hooking so many fish... There isn't a thing wrong with your technique or rig. It's the fish and the way they're striking at the bait.

 

[honkytonker26]

I am voting slack line. You can have a little slack line to help the bait fall straight down, but too much slack and you'll miss the hits on the way down. Which in turn will make that fish gulp it all the way in.

 

[BackOnTheWater]

<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I would go to a wide-gap 3-0 or 4-0 Gammy. The extra width of the hook will prevent the fish from getting it into it's gullet. </font></p>

<font face="Arial">And too much slack in your line will not help. You are feeling the bite and setting the hook way too late, of course. You might even try a light weight or a heavier lizard so that it's easier to keep your line taut and to feel the bite. </font></p>

 

[hoggerhead]

Ive been using the same hook and lizard you are using but i tight line my worm and use it texas rigged. I dont have any problems with gut hooked fish.

 

[josh.schreiber]

sorry about the delay-- i just saw this post
two things: always go w/ a wide gap hook. ive always had a higher strike:hookup ratio
2nd: when sticking the hook back into the torso of the lizard (or any soft plastic really) i always go all the way through the body so the hook point is exposed. then, just stick the point back into the body--only a little bit though. this way the bait is still weightless, but the hook point only only has to go through a thin piece of plastic instead of a big wad of it.
try this and good luck

 

[THutch]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm headed for some wide gap hooks and will also try a larger lizard. I'll also focus on keeping less slack in the line. I hate to change something that has worked so well, but I don't eat many fish so I'd like to release the fish in as good of shape as possible. Pictures of a bloody fish suck.

 

[jason]

Try a 8" Zoom Magnum lizard on a 3/16oz...you will end up with a noticeable "thump" rather than a gulp. Also, when you pitch or flip the lizard, end the cast with your rod tip high so you can "follow" the bait to the bottom.

 

[Guest]

Wide gaps will help but won't eliminate the chance of gut hooking, especially if you are fishing slack line.

My suggestion would be to try circle hooks (not offset/kirbed circles). This should just about totally eliminate the gut hooking, although you would have to change your hookset (just reel in, no hookset needed).

I would try rigging the circle three different ways: 1) nose hook, 2) cross ways through the back (like a wacky senko), and 3) thread into the body so that the hook ends up just like if you threading it on a jighead.

 

[THutch]

Excellent ideas. I will try them all - likely saturday. Then, I'll drop some feedback. This website is full of really helpful folks and obviously conservation minded anglers. I, and the fish, appreciate your help.

 

[THutch]

Excellent ideas. I will try them all - likely saturday. Then, I'll drop some feedback. This website is full of really helpful folks and obviously conservation minded anglers. I, and the fish, appreciate your help.

 

[bullet]

most of the time the fish have had a hold on the lure way too long before you actually feel them, this happens a lot when fishing weightless lures, it is better if you use line that will make the bite more sensitive like florocarbon or braid and also a real sensitive rod and not too much slack line. usually when fishing weightless you never feel the bite and the fish just start to swim off and they have enough time to start swallowing the lizard by the time you realize he has it, the same thing happens with a senko and floating worm the absense of the weight is the real reason it happens, in my opinion. i sure hate to see lots of them "gut" hooked but if they are i cut the line and just give the hook up to try and save the fish. i have seen guys just rip the hook out so they wouldn't loose the hook but that just kills the fish and if we all did this none of us would ever catch anything! my son used to have this happen to him a lot when he was young just because he was using fiberglass rods and wasn't aware of the fishes bite, with more experience and better equipment it stopped happening.

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Letting it sit is fine, but reel up enough to where you can see it move. Don't let them inhale it completely!
But I hear you.... years ago I went to the #5 Gamakatsu G Lock or Worm hook. The larger size will not reduce your catch, but it will help the fish catch it in the jaw. Don't think they get that down the gut as much. Everyone I hook is in the cheek in a hard place where they ain't getting off. Unless I'm in Doghouse's boat!emoLaugh

 

[RattleTrapper]

I have had this problem before and here was my remedy... I switched to a floating lizard and then pegged a small bullet weight to it. To peg it, take a toothpick and insert it into the small end of the bullet weight on the line, when it fits snuggly break the tip off in the weight. Once it absorbs some water it will "peg" the weight to the bait so that it won't slide down. This rig gives you that slow flutter, but it also increases the weight of the bait so you can keep a tighter line without it sinking straight to the bottom. I actually caught more fish on this rig than a weightless one because I think it speeds the fall just enought to get more reaction bites. And it makes it 10 times easier to flip...

That worked for me, but fluorocarbon might also be a good bet too.

 

[Gator]

I would be sure that I had a really sensitive rod so you'll feel the bite as early as possible & then set the hook quickly. Good luck.
emoDoh