Weedless artificials for kelp

I was at Russian Gulch this summer and lost several jigs due to snags. Convinced weedless is the way to go in kelp.
Any suggestions?

i think a lot of guys try them around here - in various guises.  Some use the siwash hooks only on metals, which i've used with success- but only limited success. I've seen a few different set-ups with wire and heavy mono "weed" guards.
I've tried those too, again with limited success....
For me, it seems that the best technique is that the momoent you feel it snag up, drop all tension, and let the jig fall back, usually it'll unhook...sometimes not of course, but ah well, think of it as a tax on fishing-- or a way to boost the economy and increase jobs

"Weedless Bait".........is mainly what I use.....
You know.....just bury the point of the hook in a tough part of squid.

Judd

I think you probably want one of these.

www.trixjettyworm.com


Pretty sweet when you're potholing the kelp all day.

Z

8/0 weedless swim bait hook with crimped on 1.5 oz rubbercore weight rigged with a 5"-7" Gulp jerk shad, IT IS the ultimate kelp lure. Combine it with a 50-65# kelp cutter rig and you won't lose may battles. I agree that technique has a lot to do with not getting hung up. As soon as I feel the line rubbing against kelp I slow the retrieve to a crawl. As soon as I feel resistance, I stiope retrieving and let some line out. In some ways it is a finess and skill game, but if you fish heavy kelp frequently and target big fish, weedless tackle with a kelp cutter rig is the bomb.
 
Scott

Z-------those are so pretty a fish'd want to marry one, not eat it.

Judd

Z-------those are so pretty a fish'd want to marry one, not eat it.

Judd

Either way they're hooked!

Z

I've been using pieces of rubber worms to make my wacky hooks weedless works pretty good. Don't see why they wouldn't work for the salt.

Here is a picture of a hoochie skirted version which I built. Flash, scent, movement, glow and interchangeable colors, it does it all.

Scott

On my last outing I used a drop shot rig and it worked pretty well and is weedless. I use a 5/0 EWG weedless worm hook with 5" Sluggo or FinS. The worm hook is tied in using a Palomar knot and a standard drop shot rig with the tag end through the eye. I use 50# spectra top shotted to 30# flurocarbon. The weight is a 2 or 3 oz. torpedo at the bottom and the sluggo or FinS is rigged weedless (texas style). So far so good, but I haven't fished it in real heavy kelp. I was dropping it into isolated pads and it came out clean. I did get a sinker wedged and broke it off, but it's lots cheaper than feeding jigs to the bottom.

Hope it helps.

rob
jrsyboy

Haha, dude, did you just say SLUGGO?! I haven't seen or heard about those for years. I've still got a bunch. They're the OG senko.

Here is a picture of a hoochie skirted version which I built. Flash, scent, movement, glow and interchangeable colors, it does it all.

Scott

Now that is a nice looking rig....how's it fish?

Here is a picture of a hoochie skirted version which I built. Flash, scent, movement, glow and interchangeable colors, it does it all.

Scott

Now that is a nice looking rig....how's it fish?

Steve

Fishes awesome and you can cast it or jig it. On a slow day at SW south it outfished every other lure and bagged a nice cabbie and had 2 ling hits which didn't stick. That day I was using a 5/0 hook which I upgraded to 8/0 and haven't missed a fish since. The mylar flash probably isn't necessary if you aren't targeting lings. Next time you head south to SCAL or Baja, bring one with a white glow hoochie skirt with a white Gulp 5" jerk shad. Fish the kelp edges and in the kelp and if there is a WSB, YT or bull Calico in the neighborhood, it is all over.  I rig it with a 40# fluoro leader (18") and 65# spectra main line connected with a barrel swivel.

Scott

Sin,

Don't diss the Sluggo. Take one, cut the head flat, put a ball jig into it and fish it along the bottom. Looks like something trying to get away in the sand. Great from the surf for stripers. Also, as a jerk bait when fish are up on top. Can be fished slow to keep the lure in the strike zone longer. And always as a drop shot bait. Caught more fish on that silly piece of plastic than anything else. Plus the come in BUBBLEGUM!!!!!!!! Nuf said.

rob
jrsyboy