Weedless in the Backcountry
Summertime is in full swing here in the Upper Keys, the kids are out of school, and there is no shortage of exciting saltwater species to have a shot at no matter your age or experience. The patch reefs have a lot to offer anglers in the form of grouper, snapper, hogfish, and assorted reef species for those anglers looking to bend a rod while catching dinner. July is also a great month to sight fish the flats for bonefish, permit, and tarpon with fly or spin gear. Tarpon however will continue to be the main target for a majority of the charters I fish this month, both day or night. This month tarpon can be found moving up and down the oceanside or in the backcountry, with most of their days spent in the backcountry. When fishing the backcountry it is all about fly or artificial lure fishing unless a specific situation calls for the use of live bait in order to get a bite. Some of my favorite backcountry lures are top waters. However as anyone who has fished the backcountry knows, floating grass can make it impossible to effectively work these types of lures. Because of this, just about every lure or fly I have clients throw at fish is rigged weedless or has a weed guard of some kind. Another benefit is that while these lures are weedless, they are almost treeless as well. While not every fly or artificial lure will effortlessly fall out of the trees when pulled on, your percentage of time spent retrieving flies or lures out of the trees will drop drastically. When we do get hung up I always remind my clients to re-set their artificial baits so as not to re-snag on the next cast. Rinse and repeat. One of my favorite ways to rig jerk/swim baits weedless is with Owner weighted TwistLOCK hooks, model # 5132W-025 and 5132W-024. The 025 is an 1/8 ounce, 5/0 black chrome hook with a weighted shank and centering pin spring that is perfect for those larger artificial baits. The 024 is a 4/0 and for those days when the fish are biting smaller baits, I typically use model #5132W-013. This is a 1/16 ounce, 3/0 black chrome hook with a weighted shank and centering pin spring. These hooks are all XXX-Strong and work best when fishing in shallow water or while targeting fish just below the surface. If I plan on targeting fish that are holding tight under overhanging trees or structure I typically use Owner SledHead hooks to get the job done. These wide gap black chrome hooks have a weighted head, twist-on hold screw wire that is perfect for skipping baits under trees. I tell my clients that it is a lot like skipping stones on a lake but with a fishing rod. It usually takes a few practice casts, but after a while they become quite effective at it. Again these hooks are weedless and almost treeless. Sled Heads come in two different hook sizes, 2/0 or 4/0 but vary in weight from 1/16-1/2 ounce. I most commonly use models # 5142-032 (2/0, 3/16 oz), and # 5142-044 (4/0, 1/4oz) while fishing Gulp jerk baits or shrimp in colors white, chartreuse and natural. I also carry a few packs of Owner centering pin springs model numbers #5324-049 (large) and #5324-039 (medium) on every charter. These springs can make any jig head weedless in seconds. All you have to do is twist it on and lock it. I commonly use these on jigs that either lose their weed guards or when fishing areas with lots of snags. For those of you who know me, know that to me, fishing is more than just a game, it is away of life. So fish hard and fish often!
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