Trout Magnet Hook Up Problems

[Fishmanjoe]

I have been using the trout magnets casting for bluegills and I am getting lots of hits, but have been having trouble hooking up. Is this common? Are there any tips to increase the catch rate?

[browntrout]

What color head are you using? Is it the gold, black, or chart. one? Sometimes the gold one does not get as good of hook set due to the process that makes it gold. I prefer the black one. I have never had a hookup problem to speak of. There are some days that the fish are not as aggressive and it seems as if they "short" strike it. When Alpha sees this post he can add more insight as he is the go to guy on TM and bluegill.

Roy

[Fishmanjoe]

I think they are chrome or silver colored. It could be short strikes. I am casting and reeling. Not using floats. Mostly casting to shallow rocky areas and kind of letting it fall to me a little and then reeling very slow.

[CrappieMan]

I think generally it's short strikes... One thing I do is add a little piece of crappie nibble to help with hook ups... Maybe more of a confidence thing

[Alphahawk]

I suspect it is short strikes...or very small Gills. I would try the panfish jig head...the shank is longer and I like it better when fishing for Gills.



Regards

[Travis C.]

I suspect it is short strikes...or very small Gills. I would try the panfish jig head...the shank is longer and I like it better when fishing for Gills.

Regards

Would him adding a slight outward bend to the existing hook help out? Opening the gap so to speak?

[Alphahawk]

Would him adding a slight outward bend to the existing hook help out? Opening the gap so to speak?

Yes it will help Travis. That very thought was on my mind today. I caught 4 Smallies below Pickwick today. I had a 20 inch fish on and the jig head pulled out...which happens often hooking big fish with a small and short shank hook. When the hook pulled free a 12 inch Smallie grabbed it and I landed it. First time I have ever seen that....water was clear there today. Later I had hooked a massive large mouth...as I was about to net it the hook pulled free. I hooked another large mouth and when he jumped he threw the hook. Of course those hooks were not designed for bass. But I got to thinking that maybe I need to open the gap a little on those hooks. This happens with other #8 short shank jig heads I use also....not just the TM jig heads. But I wouldn't bend them too much...those hooks are steel....not wire.....I wish they were wire hooks...but I guess if they were wire I couldn't land 20 plus inch Smallies with them. But I am going to try that first thing Tuesday morning.


Regards

[mfbab]

x2 on what Alpha said, those hooks are VERY brittle!!
I actually like to close mine just a tad to keep the snags down, and I have broken several, so be careful when bending them :)

Having said that, I don't think closing the hook has hurt my hookups, I just try to let them take it and I don't really set the hook, I just slowly move it to the side as I feel the hit.
I miss a few doing this, but not too many when I'm in decent sized fish. This is panfish and bass, not trout.

[tcintn]

I cut the first two section off of T M body to shorten it up and they get more hook then.

[Alphahawk]

x2 on what Alpha said, those hooks are VERY brittle!!
I actually like to close mine just a tad to keep the snags down, and I have broken several, so be careful when bending them :)

Having said that, I don't think closing the hook has hurt my hookups, I just try to let them take it and I don't really set the hook, I just slowly move it to the side as I feel the hit.
I miss a few doing this, but not too many when I'm in decent sized fish. This is panfish and bass, not trout.

You know the hooks used on the TM jig head are good hooks. I have been told the brand and type but have forgotten...but I think it is a Mustad. That coating process really makes them brittle. I really only miss fish when I am into fish other than Gills. For a long time I thought it was the TM jig head. But it is not. I have tried many #8 jig heads and the same thing happens. As for getting hung up less try a jig head with a #12 hook......TK taught me this. It works great on crappie in brush. But not so well for small mouth....LOL.


Regards

[TroutFiend]

I cut the first two section off of T M body to shorten it up and they get more hook then.


Ahh haaaa... The master gives us a one of his secrets. I will give that a try, I have started drifting the TM below the float for trout lately after twitching for years and am slowly converting over. Thanks for the tip Ed.

Andy

[commdd]

i had an alpha moment the other day, caught about 40 gills in an hour or two, the small fish would nip and tug and sometimes get hooked the big bull gills would pull that cork outa site in a heartbeat!!!!!

[mfbab]

You know the hooks used on the TM jig head are good hooks. I have been told the brand and type but have forgotten...but I think it is a Mustad. That coating process really makes them brittle. I really only miss fish when I am into fish other than Gills. For a long time I thought it was the TM jig head. But it is not. I have tried many #8 jig heads and the same thing happens. As for getting hung up less try a jig head with a #12 hook......TK taught me this. It works great on crappie in brush. But not so well for small mouth....LOL.


Regards

Thx Alpha, I'll try that. I'm getting a do-it mold to make some 1/64 shad dart heads so I'll try the #12's out.
I wasn't implying that the hooks aren't good, I hope I didn't come off that way. They just tend to break when you bend them, but that's my fault :)

[Alphahawk]

Thx Alpha, I'll try that. I'm getting a do-it mold to make some 1/64 shad dart heads so I'll try the #12's out.
I wasn't implying that the hooks aren't good, I hope I didn't come off that way. They just tend to break when you bend them, but that's my fault :)

No I didn't take it that way at all. We have been discussing the TM hook for several years. The jig head was designed to catch trout in the upper part of the mouth without injuring a trout...and it does that about 98 percent of the time. At the time that jig head was put on the market I don't think the owners ever thought about using the Trout Magnet for other specie of fish. But as time passed many of us started using it for Gills. After much discussion they came out with the Panfish jig head with the longer shank. I like it better but it is a brittle hook also.

Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

I tend to catch most of all my fish in the top of the mouth with the trout magnets and crappie magnets. I have broke a few hooks tugging on them while trying to get them out of the mouth of a fish but I have also caught multiple fish over 5 pounds on them also. Lost a nice largemouth today on a trout magnet, should have set the hook harder :)

[tcintn]

One other thing I do since the T M jig catches most fish in upper lip where there is a bone it goes through,is that I get barbless black jigs from T M and on the chartreuse I remove the barb. That way the jig just slides right out and I am back to trying for another trout.
Plus the trout will thank you.;)

[mfbab]

I just mash the barb on mine. I think it helps a lot on the release and I don't lose a lot of fish because of it, you just need to keep the tension on them.
It's easier on the fish and you get your bait back out there faster b/w fish, win win :)

[Travis C.]

I really like my barbless TM hooks. Except after the fourth or fifth fish that jumps or shakes it then I don't. I just wanna hold you fish! LoL

Does make release and next catch faster in a flurry of activity though.