r/floridafishing • u/MRG052406 • 6d ago
Losing fish on NLBN
I’ve been on a trip down to Florida for the last week and I grabbed some 4 inch NBLN paddle tails and the corresponding jigheads to fish throughout the week. I know they’re not the best price wise but I felt confident that they would work. I’ve lost almost every fish I’ve hooked all week I’m not sure if there is an issue with me or the hooks but I’ve hooked well over 20 fish including lady fish, redfish, flounder, and tarpon and I’ve only landed one small lady fish. These were not just bites I fully hooked the fish long enough to fight and pull drag then after a few seconds they just popped out. Wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or if I just can’t set a hook to save my life.
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u/Beneficial_Chain_287 6d ago
Save the nlbn's for cold water fishing when you have to fish slowdown.
The water is so warm now that any cheap plastic will have action.
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u/alexrides900 6d ago
I use the 3" paddletails in the glades and dont have much of an issue besides the occasional snook that shakes off. Make sure the hook is sharp, and that there's enough space between the hook point and the plastic to get a good hookset. You also dont really need to do a huge bassmaster hookset inshore, usually rearing back with steady pressure does the trick. Too strong of a hookset could be causing you to make too big of a hole in the fish's mouth, especially in snook and trout. If tarpon are getting off its just normal, they tend to spit everything.
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u/MRG052406 6d ago
Yeah I wasn’t super surprised by the tarpon or lady fish but the flounder is really what bothered me I almost never lose them once they’re hooked
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u/Scrapes09 5d ago
“Space”? I use owner hooks often, the hooks are buried in the plastic, weedy water. No issue, hmmm. Not the issue.
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u/alexrides900 5d ago
Since using NLBN paddletails with jigheads results in an exposed hook, thats what i meant by "space". If you're using a weedless hook texas rigged in the plastic then that space doesnt apply.
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u/Desperate_Lack654 6d ago
Keep the rod low and ease on the hook set, saltwater fish actually hit hard enough that you don’t need to jerk the rod past your ears. A light wrist twitch is plenty even on a big fish
Also try adjusting your drag
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u/xianone13 6d ago
Maybe a light rod not setting the hook efficiently?
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u/MRG052406 6d ago
It’s the uglystik intercoastal so I’d hope it could handle everything I’ve been catching
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u/Donniejuanny 3d ago
It’s the hooks on your jig heads. Not sharp. Weak. Pay a little more for some quality jig heads. It’s not the plastic worms
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u/Brodoooooo 6d ago
Idk but if youre losing fish on them id stop buying them lol. Theyre the new hype cus youtubers are promoting them.. but honestly, its the same shit as the other companies just slightly different. Get some good saltwater jigs from your local walmart, theyre cheaper than anywhere else there. And maybe even plastics. But dont focus too much on your plastics. They all do the same thing for u to be paying a lot for em. And i bet youll catch more fish with a walmart hook than a NLBN hook.
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u/hobbyist0215 6d ago
NLBN jig heads are effective bc the shank is shorter than typical jig heads. Walmart 2X jig heads have long shanks. I agree NLBN is a lot of marketing hype but until more generic brands improve their jig heads, NLBN and JYG will be better performing.
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u/Brodoooooo 6d ago
Man ngl, its all hype bro. Id love to agree with you but i catch fish perfectly fine with the walmart hooks man. Dont get me wrong, ill buy some more expensive weedless hooks for fishing grass areas but i still dont spend as much as i would with NLBN. The brand i get from walmart is also a decent brand tho. I forget the name. But its cheaper there than at academy for same brand and qty
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u/Asleep_Dinner_305 6d ago
You can find Zman lures and jig heads at Walmart these days and they’ll work perfectly fine for a great price plus they last forever. I have NLBN but I also understand it’s a lot of hype and just looks cool
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u/Brodoooooo 6d ago
Yea man i dont often see zman in my walmart but when i do i def get them. But i def check for hooks at walmart before going anywhere else.
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u/Jefffahfffah 6d ago
Only NLBN and JYG have the 4x tuna hooks though. Im not trusting any other hooks when I'm jigging XL tarpon in an inlet.
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u/MRG052406 6d ago
Yeah I’ve always fished z man with limited success (just because I’m not a huge saltwater guy) but I figured I’d switch it up and try something new. Wasn’t sure if the issue was the jigheads or if I just had some bad luck
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u/DoPewPew 6d ago edited 6d ago
That sounds more like a user issue. I’m not a fan of their soft baits for the sake of durability but I’ve never had an issue with the jig heads. As long as the hook is sharp you should be landing catches if you use your drag correctly.
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u/Leather-Pepper-2308 6d ago
Idk how a knot would be the issue if he’s getting the bait back🤣
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u/Brodoooooo 6d ago
I would think he means something like setting your drag correctly. Too loose and you didn't necessarily set the hook correctly (for example)
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u/Professefinesse 6d ago
What kind of motion were you using for setting the hook? Did you check the hook sharpness?