If you are using braid then your gorilla hookset is the problem. You are tearing a huse cut in the fishes jaw if you are using braid because it has no stretch . Done it many times before myself before i quit using the braid.

Maybe try loosening your drag just a hair and fight the fish a little longer. I don't usually loose too many fish with a single hook application like jig or T-rig. I feel like with a jig fish you should be able to fight them till they are tired and can be boat flipped easily.

I use copolymer

I always keep a little tension on the bite until I feel the weight of the fish. Then I will create a little slack and set the hook on that slack. It's like cracking a whip. I very rarely lose fish now.

Try using braided line with a 5' leader of fluro or mono, with this setup don't over set the hook,just set the hook like you would a texas rig......that should solve your problem of loosing them.

Skeeter man is right. When fishing a jig you need to hammer him on the bite. Don't wait to set the hook. I like to trim the weed guards too. Push the weed guard down to the hook point and trim it about 1/8" above the hook point. Scissors work best. I always wondered whey they made them weed guards so long.

Try a punch rig with 60lb power pro braid with a snell knot. They don't call me RodBreaker for nothing

I bend the hook out a little also. Helps to get the hook back a little further. Check the week guard and the sharpness of the hook. Run it across your thumb nail and see if it slides or sticks. If it slides it needs to be sharpened

Try a Nu Tech jig, almost always hooked in the top of the mouth, hook not coming out when you hook them there.

This ^^^ they use Trokar hooks.

I don't ever mess with the weed guards anymore, just get hung up more.

http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/hackney-selecting-proper-jig-part-1

Go though this series of articles and his one about jigs, t-rigs and I THINK he talks about hookset... If I remember right

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HLXVfo4YSM

watch the zin master man... learn, and LAUGH!


To me it sounds like your tearing a hole in their mouth, happens a lot... Once you pop them good are you setting the hook any more?

It isn't the jig, that jig is great... Its in the way your fighting the fish

another thing, I think if you get a rod with a little tip it helps a TON! If somebody would make me a 7'6' Heavy action Moderate fast, I think that would be the perfect flipping stick. You want the rod to load a little, you'll lose way less and easier to cast

ps... it drives me nuts when people say, "try this jig it always gets them in the top of the mouth." that iss bs, the jig shape does HELP with getting it into the top of the fishes mouth that and the way the hook is shape/curved. But 90% of it is the way the fish eats the bait. Did he suck it up, did he grab the pincher and then suck in only the back, did he grab it head on? the best jig imo would het the hook solid in the fish no matter HOW the fish eats it..

I had a similar problem with fish coming unhooked on the retrieve with one of my setups. It seemed that the HEAVY action Rod was the Problem. Yes I know it would seem that the Heavy action rod would be best to set the hook with but for some reason it would allow them to come unhooked. For that setup I just happened to switch to a MH 7'6 Castaway Workhorse. I have found this to be a problem in similar situations with certain STIFFer Heavy Action Rods. No I do not understand, but for some reason the stiffer rod is not as forgiving and allows the fish to throw the hook. It doesn't mean that the Heavy Action rod is not getting a good hook set, it just appears (In my experiences) that the stiffer rod maybe does not keep a more "constant" tightness on the hook. Just a hypothesis but it works. There are other times that the Heavy action rod is required and there is no problems. Usually in the pitching and flipping techniques. I assume that the shorter distance does not affect it as much.
AND I am NOT saying your Rod is NOT any good. That is a good rod. Just something to consider about maybe switching for a trial basis. Keep the Long 7'6" and also maybe consider Fluoro Line instead of CoPoly.

I know several brands have been mentioned, but if you look at the MPack jig and the way the guard is designed, it rolls to the side when a fish bites and you set the hook. But once pinned with guard to the side it also puts a little pressure back on the hook as the guard wants to return to its original position over hook. And a little pressure can make all the difference in the world. I'm sure I have but I can't recall having a fish come undone on a MPack jig. Also they cost a little more but you will not lose near as many jigs. You actually end up saving money.

I disagree you don't need the same weedguard you would use for flipping reeds when your crawling rocks or dragging over laydowns. Stiff weedguards when your pitching might not be a big deal but when you're casting it is very much a big deal. There is different strand count and stiffness weedguards they're not all the same which is another factor.

Head design and weedguard stiffness do play a role in hookups too. Pull a bullet shaped jig with a stiff weedguard through your closed fingers then do the same with one of the many modified arkie style heads with a thinned or fanned out weed guard. One will roll on it's side and pull right through the other will stick you. Same situation happens with fish if you get a week bite or don't get a quick sharp hookset that jig will layover and slide out it's mouth.

1. Sometimes the fish are not really biting the jig but just picking it up. Shorten your trailer or don't use a trailer.
2. Trim the weed guard at a 45 degree angle just over the point of the hook.
3. Try a different brand of jig. Im not familiar with that jig, but I rarely loose any fish on a Revenge or Talon jig unless I had too much slack in my line when
I set the hook.
4. Use 20 lb fluorocarbon line. Has a little stretch and still has great sensitivity to feel the bites.