When weedless becomes fishless....

[Abbeysdad]

I've been Texas rigging Gulp baits on a 2/0 Gamamatzu worm hook. I've caught some, lost some in weeds, but the strike to hookset ratio isn't very good. Now I well know you can't hook every fish that bites (wish ya could!), but I think I'm missin more than I should... Often I've got some real interest on the other end, I wait, take up the slack and bam, attempt to set the hook - too often only to reel in to find the bait all balled up on the hook with little point showing. I suspect that the bait may be 'protecting' the fish from the hook point (weedless/fishless) so I'm just pullin the bait right outta it's mouth.
I've tried putting the hook point thru the bait, then backing if off such that it's just protruding as well as only inserting just the point up to the barb (but not go thru the bait) - results seem about the same.

> I'm thinking 5-7" the baits a bit fat up top and maybe should be cut to get the hook closer to the tail end.
> I'm thinking of trying a split shot on the hook shank up where the hook first comes thru the bait, to prevent the bait from shucking down the hook.

Any other ideas on how to better ensure hookset ratios with a texas rigged worm?