Straight Shank flipping hooks in the weeds

[Jeff Hahn]

Not sure if this would go on this board, but it seemed the logical place.

 

I have been using the Hack Attack Flipping Hook, but also tried a couple other brands. They work great around wood, but it seems that every brand is a PITA when fishing weeds. The weeds get stuck between the top of the keeper and the plastic bait. So, I am picking weeds off the keeper on nearly every flip. I had a couple hooks on which the keeper broke, so I added the A-Mart style keeper using a fiber from a weedguard for a jig. Those had the same problem.

The only solution I can think of is to break the plastic keeper off of the hook and use it without a keeper. Anyone have any other suggestions?

[mark poulson]

I push the keeper back into the plastic enough to cover it, and that's more weedless.  Just push the hook point a little deeper into the bait before you expose it, so there's enough plastic to cover the keeper barb.

Using a punch skirt will also help keep the bait more weedless, and be sure to peg your sinker tight to either the top of the bait, or the punch skirt.

 

[Jeff Hahn]

I tried pushing the keeper farther into the plastic.  But, with the small bait I am fishing, if I do that, the hookeye is exposed.  Since I am tying a snell knot, with the exposed hookeye, the bait hangs crooked.  I also tried pushing the hook further down into the plastic bait.  This keeps the hookeye from being exposed.  But, given the design of the bait, it leaves the top of the keeper slightly exposed and it collects weeds.

I am considering two options.  One, cut the keeper off the hook and fish without one.  Or, cut the keeper off and tie one of those A-Mart style fiber keepers on the inside of the hook shank.

[mark poulson]

11 hours ago, Jeff Hahn said:

I tried pushing the keeper farther into the plastic.  But, with the small bait I am fishing, if I do that, the hookeye is exposed.  Since I am tying a snell knot, with the exposed hookeye, the bait hangs crooked.  I also tried pushing the hook further down into the plastic bait.  This keeps the hookeye from being exposed.  But, given the design of the bait, it leaves the top of the keeper slightly exposed and it collects weeds.

I am considering two options.  One, cut the keeper off the hook and fish without one.  Or, cut the keeper off and tie one of those A-Mart style fiber keepers on the inside of the hook shank.

 

I think your idea of an A_mart keeper is a good one.  I use them sometimes.

I found that I had to keep the fiber keeper short, or it would catch weeds, too.