Lost Jigs Per Session?

[Hawnjigs]

"ndwalleyes" made a good point that certain spots eat too many jigs to bother tying. Being an A.S.S. (Association of Shoreline Stalkers) man I find rocky habitat best choice for bank fishing and generally plan on losing up to 10 or 12 tied jigs to snags. In fact, I will carry only enuf relative to an area and time available, and when they're gone call it a day.

I was wondering how many jigs others consider acceptable losses?

 

[CrappieHappy]

LOL, I have lost 22 jigs in a day winter creek fishing. Those darned rootballs ate good that day. It doesnt bother me as much as it did historically because i know i can pour, paint, and tye more up...

 

[SaltyBuckster]

Heck,I lost a couple dozen last week from the boat,lol.

 

[Radtexan]

If your not loosing a few,,your not fishing where the fish are.

 

[SaltyBuckster]

When the trees are underwater and a 5 lber takes it in there,it does,lol.

 

[StumpHunter]

I have lost up to 20 a day and always a few on each trip. It doesn't bother me anymore until it's pony heads. Man I hate to lose them but it happens a lot.

 

[Jig Man]

If your not loosing a few,,your not fishing where the fish are.

What he said....And i don't keep count!!!

 

[SaltyBuckster]

I have lost up to 20 a day and always a few on each trip. It doesn't bother me anymore until it's pony heads. Man I hate to lose them but it happens a lot.

That's funny.Last week when we went out with Doc and his wife I found a chartruese 1/32 oz. ponyhead and double rigged the line with another chartruese jig,lost them both!Never even got to see if the blade spun,lol.

 

[ScottV]

Loosing jigs is bad enough but it hurts to loose a crankbait when trolling for crappie. Luckily I pulled cranks this morning without loosing any.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Generally lose a few. I break off often because I use such light line and like putting jigs in the snaggiest spot I can find. Since I bank fish or wade 95% of the time a snag = lost jig. I've had to respool a reel a couple times due to constant snags and breakoffs but those days usually mean the fish were in there and biting or I wouldn't keep throwing it in there.

 

[Fatman]

I never worried about it - I just tied a new one on.

 

[AtticaFish]

Guess it depends what/when/where i am fishing.

Day Long Trip: I take as much as i can carry. haha! I loose one, just tie something else on. When i take my kayak out i stuff it full of tackle and bait and hardly ever use even 1/100th of what is in my gear. But, i have had days where i lost 20+ jigs trying to troll/drift along a rip-rap transition for perch. Only crank baits i use anymore are Rapala's and man do those hurt to loo$e!!!

Short Trip: 2 buckets, 1 inside the other. Top one carries my gear.... 2-3 small Plano boxes with various jigs/gear plus a few fresh tied jigs on a foam sheet, camera, headlamp etc. - bottom bucket is for the catch.

Lunch On The River: I take an assortment of what i feel like fishing that day in an Altoids Tin.... but i usually throw an extra tin in my pocket that has ALL smaller jigs so i can switch to carp if i see them and think i could catch one. Used to strap on a fanny pack with gobbs of jig heads, plastics, spinners and a few small cranks to go out and wade the river but now just fish what is in my pocket and am happier than ever. If i run out of jigs i just go back to work and scheme where i will fish the next day.

I loose 10 times as many jigs in the river for smallies as anywhere else. Shale, boulders, bedrock, rip rap - ugh! Crappie fishing i rarely loose jigs, usually they are suspended ABOVE the bottom transition or along weeds and i do not fish a whole lot of wood and brush. Loosing my bigger LMB tied jigs makes me mad a first but then i start thinking of the 3 jigs that i will make to replace that 1 lost and get happy.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I fished two different rivers and lost eight jigs which was more than the number of fish caught,five. River's are about 1.5 feet above normal,current was moving pretty fast.

 

[JSC]

Now this can be depressin if you hate to lose them as much as I do ... now if all you want to do is pour .. Tie ... Paint ... buy stuff to make them with .. that s another thing

 

[Lost Pole]

Usually one or two UNLESS the fish are really biting. If I snag, I'm usually right over the top of the structure and no deeper than 2' or so of my 10' pole. So I play my line back and send my tip down to retrieve it. But if the fish are biting good on a particular lay-down, I'll cut off bf disturbing. With all that said I give away at least half of anything on me to nearby fisherman if they want when I ask. I never have more than a dozen jigs in my box.

 

[Shoemoo]

Depends on how much time and effort went into painting and tying them. Simple single colored ball heads I don't lose to much sleep over, but I don't like losing the ones with stick on eyes, custom heads, painstaking paint jobs and expensive materials. I don't lose too many, though. The areas I fish are mostly free from snags.

 

[jiggerjohn]

Well, The terrific shape of the Hawn HU head has avoided many snags on rocks, and,recently,among thick weeds & pads. HOWEVER, son Sean has "discovered" the effectiveness of these heads and each outing I go missing at least half my supply!!!

 

[ndwalleyes]

In an attempt to keep my lost jig numbers down, I recently switched back to cheaper hooks. I fish with Fireline, so for most snags I can usually straighten out the hook and bend them back into place. I don't think a guy "misses" more fish with a cheaper hook but but you definately can loose a few.

 

[ndwalleyes]

Doc I'm with you on that, I generally only get one straightening out of a jig. I wish I knew more about the properties of the metals used in hooks because, as you stated, they just don't want to keep their shape after you reshape them once. It seems to be the case with the cheaper and quality hooks both. Anybody familiar with these metals who can enlighten us?

 

[redear]

It only seems to bother me losing one when Iv'e thrown it into a tree branch. I lose 2 or 3 every time I go especially with 2lb. line, but I won't go in there with the boat and get it if I think it's a good spot or I'm catching fish, just not worth spooking the fish.