- 1). Learn what is on the bottom in the area you are fishing, if possible, by looking at the bottom or checking your depth finder. Knowing if the bottom is rocky or full of vegetation, for example, will help you formulate a strategy to prevent snagging.
- 2). Attach a bobber to your fishing line if you plan to fish in a specific area. If the water is 5- feet deep, for example, having 4-feet of line between your bobber and your hook will prevent the hook from becoming snagged on the bottom.
- 3). Attach a live-bait rig to your line. The rig, in order, consists of a sinker, swivel, leader and a hook. Use a no-snag sinker. As you fish with the rig, take care to keep the sinker just off the bottom. Doing so will ensure the hook does not get close enough to the bottom to become snagged.
- 4). Use a weedless jig. These types of jigs have fiber guards that extend from the head of the jig over the point of the hook, which prevents the hook from becoming snagged. Though these types of jigs are meant to be weedless, it still is a good idea to use the jig head that is as light as possible but that still allows you to maintain contact with the bottom.
- 5). Crimp the barb using a pliers. The barb is the part of a hook that is just below the point and juts out toward the shank of the hook. It is meant to make it difficult for the hook to accidentally fall out of the mouth of a fish. However, the barb is one of the main reasons that hooks become snagged on the bottom. As a result, crimping the barb so it is flat against the hook can reduce snagging. Keeping steady pressure on the fish as you are reeling it in will reduce the chances of the hook falling out of its mouth.