The "Fishin' Tipster" Takes A Look At
'GuardsHooks' and 'Guard Jigs'
Sooner or later, it has to happen - a true 'weedless' hook and lure!!
I mean, I want one so weedless that I can carry a crank plug with two treble hooks on it around in my pocket without fear. Now, that's a tall order and wishful thinking, you probably imagine.
BUT, I DO have a crank plug like that right now. And, I DO carry it and all its hooks around in my pocket just to show non-believers. Let's move on and you'll see this nifty gadget.
Anglers have been experimenting since time immemorial, trying to contrive a combination of hook and some type of guard that would keep them from becoming snagged. Plus, the device would have to allow the fish to become easily hooked, as if there were no hook protector present at all. We have all seen them come and go, with the styles involving nylon bristles and fine spring wire being the primary survivors.
Well, our friendly mailman brought us a sample of yet another try at snag-proof immortality this week. Via email, we had agreed to evaluate the devices and I am glad we did. This hook protection system really shows promise. Plus, there is a really innovative design for tube jig styles.
Take a look at the photos and you can see the basic concept. They took the concept of a simple tight spring, worked out a way to mount it to the hook and-- hocus-pocus-a weed guard that really does work pretty well.
A bit of detailed explanation is in order here. The concept using the spring shown in the photos really does two things:
First, when the free end of the spring is placed over the tip of the hook, it is NOT ready to fish. In this position, the spring(s) act like the safety on a gun. They just will not come off unless you very specifically remove them from the hook points. You can drop them, kick them, throw them against the wall - they stay on those hook points. That's how I can carry that popper you see in the picture around in my pocket without sticking my 'personables'. What this provides is the potential for a tangle-free tackle box, or being able to carry lures in a sack without a tangles mess.
Second, when the end of the spring is removed from the hook point, it has been assembled so that it remains in position much like a fiber weed guard. And, being flexible, it functions just like one. In fact, it is better than either fiber or the fine wire types.
Looking at the photos, you can see the different styles and some of the sizes of these 'Guard Hooks'. There are baits hooks, as well as those for lures. The manufacturer also decided against a treble style in his line. He did not say why, but I suspect they were hard to manufacturer and even harder to put on a lure. The double hook style zips right on and off like a breeze.
Now, take a look at the photo of the tube jigs. These styles are called 'Guard Jigs'. One of the problems of a weedless hook being combined with a tube jig is that the tube sleeve always fits down over the weed guard, itself, and we can never get it set up without ripping the tube. Right? Well, look at the 'Guard Jig' on the right and you will see that the spring weed guard arm can actually be removed. Yep, it screws on and off using an ingenious little male screw device attached to the jig head. The spring then, being the female portion, simply screws right on the male protrusion. That allows a tube body to be easily placed over the jig head and the weed guard arm then added when the tube is fully positioned. It really is a neat, functional system.
With the jigs, the same positioning of the spring applies as it did with the plugs and dual hooks. When the tip of the spring is over the tip of the hook, the World is completely protected from the point. It can be carried right in a pocket. When disengaged from the point, the spring functions exactly like a fiber guard.
Trying these hooks and jigs out on a school of decent-sized bass indicated no discernable difference in our hook-up ratio. We had no problem, at all, getting the fish hooked and to the boat. We did find that an occasional spring guard on a hook could be damaged by a fish trashing to and fore. So, the system is not infallible, but it does work very well.
Here is a key element to take note of. As we tested and experienced the 'Guard Hooks' and 'Guard Jigs' it became apparent that the larger sizes appeared to work best. We had a few small hooks that we rigged with small crappie tubes, and the hook-up ratio was much less than that for bass while using larger hooks and jigs. My opinion is that the springs on the smaller hooks and jig heads need to be reduced in longitudinal tension a bit. It may be that the industry just doesn't make springs in those less rigid designs. But, if they do, that would be an improvement.
In the final analysis, the 'Guard Hook' and the 'Guard Jig' devices work as well as any of the current models I have tried, possibly better. Plus, they allow hook point protection and reduce tangling. On the 'Guard Jig' side, the innovative design of the removable/installable guard arm spring is really a great benefit for tube jig users.
For more information on these devices, contact Mr. Ted Rydell at 1-800-693-HOOK. You can write us at Weed Guards Unlimited Company, W11091 W 10th Road, Pound, WI 54161.
Mr. Rydell advised me that they advertise on the Outdoor Channel, on the Internet, in Bass'N and in North American Fisherman club magazine. He also indicated a full one-year replacement warranty on all of his products. You can't beat that.
NOTE: There was no compensation for this evaluation and the manufacturer is not an advertiser of the web page. A small sample of the product was provided for evaluation.
Check back often for the latest unbiased product review!!
If you would like to have a product reviewed by Old Fishin' Tipster for inclusion on this site, fill out the form by clicking here. Please describe the product that you want to review, and tell Jim how to contact you, in order to arrange the review of your product.
Saturday,
September 04, 2004 10:48:17 PM
Snags are a thing of the past
Published
Saturday, September 4, 2004 1:04:41 AM Central Time
By JODY KORCH
EagleHerald sports editor
jkorch@eagleherald.com
Ted
Rydell of the town of Beaver displays a
largemouth bass that fell prey to his Wormfrog
lure.
EagleHerald/Jody Korch
POUND -- Ted
Rydell's fish hook invention might just be too good
for his own good.
For a decade, Rydell has been producing and
marketing his weedless fish hooks. His products are so
effective that lure manufacturers won't touch them
because their lures would no longer be lost to logs,
rocks, stumps and weeds. Why market a product that
would reduce lure sales?
But it's a dream invention for anyone who likes to
fish the slop (thick weeds) for largemouth bass. And,
it adds a safety dimension for kids carelessly
flinging otherwise dangerous hooks.
It's a wonder why sales of Rydell's products
haven't skyrocketed. But after years of hawking his
hooks and worm frog lure at wintertime fish shows and
on the Outdoor Channel, Rydell's enthusiasm has waned
into apprehension.
Inventors with far less to offer have had much more
marketing success than Rydell. Any angler could
appreciate a lure that wobbles and bounces through
weeds, brush and rocks unscathed. And yet, neighbors
practically in Rydell's town of Beaver backyard know
nothing about his inventions.
Despite designing products that meet with immediate
approval from anglers, name recognition has been hard
to come by for Rydell.
"I've made wrong marketing decisions on this
product," Rydell concedes. "Finally the
wording changed. Finally the packaging changed."
Patented as the "Guardhook," Rydell
recently added Neversnag Hook to the name. Guardhook
tells anglers little about the product, but Neversnag
says it all.
The Neversnag Hook has a cleverly designed spring
hook guard which fits over the hook as a safety device
when not in use, thereby creating pocket lures which
can be toted in a pocket.
A
handful of Ted Rydell's lures is safe because
they're protected with the Neversnag Hook.
EagleHerald/Jody Korch
"You can
make pocket lures out of all your lures with the
Neversnag," Rydell said.
He solders the spring guard onto hooks of all sizes
-- from panfish to muskellunge baits. When the spring
Guardhook is popped off the hook, it rests right up to
it to prevent snags.
"This changes the rules," Rydell said.
Indeed, an evening outing on Rydell's small lake
proved the hook's worth. Marinette fishing guide Brian
Clairmont was hit flush in the face with an airborne
imitation frog, but the Neversnag Hook did its job.
Rather than fretting over a face full of hooks,
Clairmont laughs and wipes off the water.
The Wormfrog -- Rydell's other patented product --
attracts strikes from one largemouth bass after
another, with a few vicious northern pike in between.
And nearly all of the fish are successfully hooked and
reeled in.
The Neversnag Hook allows an angler to drag a lure
on and off lilly pads without getting snagged --
almost impossible to do with conventional tackle.
"It has opened up a whole new way to fish
weeds for me," Clairmont said. "I can work
the Wormfrogs through lilly pads, through the
brush."
Imagine pitching a topwater plug into a tree and
easily pulling it back to safety.
Clairmont says the Guardhook doesn't interfere with
hook sets.
A
feisty largemouth bass is hooked by a topwater
lure fitted with the Neversnag Hook.
EagleHerald/Jody Korch
For about 10
years, Rydell has been selling his products at sports
shows, sport shops and on the Internet. In 1997,
Cabela's included Rydell's products in its masters
catalog, but discontinued it the next year.
At fishing shows, Rydell quickly captured the
attention of anglers by having huge musky lures
sticking out of his pockets; their large, otherwise
dangerous treble hooks protected by the Guardhook.
He has given up the sports show circuit but still
sells products at sports shops and on the Internet.
He's had much better success convincing individual
anglers than retailers. Anglers are immediately sold
on its virtues, but retailers are much more skeptical.
"To try and get somebody to buy it to demo
that in the store, it's hard," Rydell said.
In the future, Rydell will continue to spread the
word about the Neversnag Hook, and hopes to sell it in
as many retail stores as possible.
"I look forward to getting these in the hands
of kids especially," he said. "They're the
grassroots of fishing. What a way to go. What a way to
start fishing."
Rydell's products can be ordered from Neversnag
Tackle, W11091 West 10th Road, Pound, WI 54161, by
phoning 1-800-693-HOOK, or on his Web site,
www.guardhook.com
Take a look at the photos and you can see the basic concept. They took the concept of a simple tight spring, worked out a way to mount it to the hook and-- hocus-pocus-a weed guard that really does work pretty well.
Now, take a look at the photo of the tube jigs. These styles are called 'Guard Jigs'. One of the problems of a weedless hook being combined with a tube jig is that the tube sleeve always fits down over the weed guard, itself, and we can never get it set up without ripping the tube. Right? Well, look at the 'Guard Jig' on the right and you will see that the spring weed guard arm can actually be removed. Yep, it screws on and off using an ingenious little male screw device attached to the jig head. The spring then, being the female portion, simply screws right on the male protrusion. That allows a tube body to be easily placed over the jig head and the weed guard arm then added when the tube is fully positioned. It really is a neat, functional system.
