When the fish are feeding on shallow seagrass beds and I’d like to reel in a fish instead of a clump of grass, I’ll make my soft-plastic lure weedless. I take a short length of rigging wire (No. 3 or heavier) and bend one end to form a “barb.” Then I stick the barbed end of the wire into the soft plastic right ahead of the hook. Try to stay away from wire that’s too stiff – the weedguard will be more durable and flexible if it has a little give.
– Capt. Paul Strauss, Jensen Beach, Florida
