Weedless for Reds and Specs

[powerpro69]

Brand new to saltwater, but going to have a bash at it this weekend, been doing a lot of reading, though I found out a long time ago fresh water fish don't read...lol anyway, back on subject, i haven't read much about people using weedless hooks for Reds and Specks, is there a reason for this or am I just over looking it?

[Cityfisher]

Yes, I rig up my soft plastics weedless a lot. Sometimes with all the shallow oyster shell and grass you have to. Last fall I had some good success using a 3" GULP Mantis shrimp rigged weedless just like you would a plastic worm texas rigged for bass. I used one of those weighted hooks on it instead if putting a bullet weight on it though.

[Chubs]

Hey cool idea on the mantis shrimp. I've had them forever and never figured out a good way to rig them.

[Neumie]

I'll throw the Owner weighted twistlock when sightcasting to reds along grass edges. I find when I use them for fishing open water for trout my hook up ratio drops, so I only do so if there's a lot of floating grass.

I also use them with DOA shrimp. I buy the unrigged shrimp and will rig them backwards (with the screw lock through the tail) and push the weight closer to the point. I fish them this way under a slip cork (H&H TKO cigar) because I feel this gives a natural presentation when I'm working them.

[powerpro69]

Thanks guys

[Yaklash]

Weedless is an obvious choice when you fish area with grass, but for me, growing up fishing Galveston Bay mostly, we never had much need for weedless baits and there was the thought that you reduced your hook-up percentage. It wasn't until I started fishing the Lower Laguna (with its miles and miles of grass beds) and West Matagorda Bay that I saw a NEED to fish a weedless bait. And if there wasn't floating grass, I'd just throw a topwater and get my fish anyway.

Now that I've got the TSL lures, I am all about weedless soft plastics.