How to Use the “Trigger Method” to Unsnag Lures

This simple maneuver can save expensive baits from watery graves

By Joe Cermele / Outdoor Life

Good lures aren’t cheap anymore. Serious anglers understand the value of high-end hooks, sturdy hardware, lasting finishes, and specific actions that discount lures often can’t match. I use quality lures and I’m sure many of you do, too. I’m also certain that, like me, you wince whenever you lose one, whether it’s a $15 jerkbait or a jighead from a pack of four that cost almost as much as the jerkbait itself.  

Learning how to unsnag lures will save you cash and heartache. But let’s get one thing straight: Despite all the doodads, gizmos, and tricks designed to get your hopelessly stuck lure unstuck, none of them work 100 percent of the time. And believe me, I’ve tried them all, from the weighted variety that’s supposed to slide down your line and knock the lure free to the fancy ones with chains and retractors. I’ve always gotten a good smirk out of the slide weights, because you always get more than one in a pack, which should tell you that they’re not immune to getting stuck down there with your lure. 

The trick that’s worked best for me over the years doesn’t involve a third party apparatus. It’s a quick maneuver I learned from an old fishing mentor when I was a teenager. I’ve always called it the “trigger method,” and while—like I said—nothing works all the time, I’ve had more success getting stuck lures back with this method than with any other. But before I explain this simple technique, we must start with the most critical step, which involves only your mind. READ ON