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Pro Staff Question - Best Hook Sizes To Use Fishing Soft Jerkbaits For Largemouth Bass
Leo Watson's Answer
How To Determine Hook Size For Soft Jerkbaits
To begin with unless you are fishing extremely clear water the hook size should not be a big consideration.
Hook size should be determined by the bait size and thickness.
Make sure the hook is large enough to get through the plastic with enough bite to penetrate the bass.
Why Bass Are Tail Biting My Presentation
As far as the problem with the bass tail biting, this could be contributed to your color selection being a little off.
Every time you catch a bass when your color and retrieve are correct the bass will be hooked in the top of the mouth.
If the fish is not, this will tell you that you are close but, something is a little off.
Bait color, presentation, etc.
Change one thing at a time until you get the fish hooked in the top of the mouth.
Thank you,
Leo Watson
Steve Von Brandt's Answer
Hi, Soft Jerkbaits are notorious for not having a good hook up percentage.
Tips When Choosing The Right Gear and Hook Sizes
When I fish soft plastic Jerkbaits I use a 7 foot rod with a soft tip or even better a rod like a St.Croix S-Glass, to aid in the hesitation factor that they require to get a good hookset.
You have to almost wait until you feel the bass much in the same way you do a frog when they strike.
At least a full second hesitation is necessary before setting the hook.
I use Gamakatsu W/G hooks, in a 3/0 or 4/0 for them, and skin hook them to aid in the hookset.
Some call this method Texposing, but what you do is after you bring the hook out of the bait, just barely push it back in, don't bury it back in deeply to the plastic.
I think this will help you get more hookups.
Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Steve vonBrandt
