Maybe...........

[Pete62]

Are you fishing the one snag for all of these results Pete?

Are you getting any baits back??

If it is one snag and you are getting that much attention and being busted up on 30lb braid I suspect the majority are not jacks. Jacks often sulk after a heavy workout and soon learn to refuse dangerous offerings, they are not dumb.

Cod are dumb and will repeatedly relearn a danger bait and a pack of sharks will hang around a snag taking morsels and often bolt into the snag in escape.

Sometimes it takes going the other way to get mr jack out of his hole, go light 5-8lb braid and 12lb leader for a test, use a 80mm plastic rather than a live bait and work it a little wider of the snags, a jack will come out readily to a new sound or vibration. Make sure you have no knocks or waveslap on the boat and sneak into position without the use of an anchor. I have nailed plenty of biggish jacks on lighter lines when the heavier lines get buried quickly. Generally the heavier the line, the harder they fight.

I have watched jacks very quickly remove hooks from thier mouths implanting them into the snag as well, especially trebles.

Appreciate your comments, yea i understand what you are saying about stealth and i am pretty aware of the need for it. No, many different snags with the same result. I have had plenty of baits come back that look like they have been sparring with Edward Sissorhands and a few hits that have gone from strike to snagged up.
Yesterday was the first time I have moved to plastics, weedless rigged Squidgy fish, be very keen to do more of it, I think at the right time it would be very effective, specially low light.

I guess I am perplexed because in previous year I had a pretty good strike rate.

Pete