Hood stuck shut

Yes yes I have already tried the search feature, and honestly that actually led to more frustration, as most of the info is more towards newer XJ's.
Mine is a 1991 Limited, and removing the headlight bucket assemblies, netted me nothing. My grille is the "two part design" in whereas, after I remove the grille, and buckets I am still not able to even feel in that area. Am I doing something wrong?

It's just my luck that after a full days work installing hood vents, that my stupid @$$ would leave the cable assembly unattached and close the friggin hood. So I don't have the problem of a broken latch at all, just a disconnected one.

Please someone help me.
I saw something about removing the skid plate???? Is that the answer for me??

Thanks guys.

Guess you saw this then..........

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=31945&highlight=hood+open

I´d have to go out and look to say for sure, but if you have the headlight bucket out, removing the 1/2" bolts (pretty sure they are 1/2" may be 9/16") one facing rear and one facing down, will unbolt the whole bottom catch assembly. The bolts don´t line up exactly in the center of the headlight bucket, they are close to the outside edges of the front clip (left and right). That´s the way I opened my hood, after hours of frustration trying other methodes.
One of the bolts, is about 2 1/2 inches in from the side marker and even with the top of the headlight and faces head down. The other is also 2 1/2" in from the side marker and four inches below the top of the headlight, the head of the bolt faces forword. You have to go in through the fiberglass hole (in the front clip) behind the headlight adjuster/mount assembly.
Taking the headlight metal mount/adjuster assembly out is the hard part, the rest just requires a ratchet and maybe a universal joint and a small extension. If you grease up the mounting hardware and the adjuster screws, next time is a snap.
If you can look under the hood of another XJ, you can see the hood latch catches and quickly get an idea of how the each mount with two bolts.

here is what i did, my hood cable broke and it was stuck closed. First, if you're not a pretty skinny person, makes friends with someone who is. Next, get yourself of really long needle nose pliers. now, get under the car and get a flashlight to look up in between the engine and the radiator in that gap. You should see the metal bar that runs from one side of the hood to the other, so grab it with the needle nose pliers and pull it as hard as possible towards the passenger side. it should just pop like you pulled the latch. it will take some force but it does work. if you need any other help, PM me, as after reading the above, my approach seems the easiest

Thanks for the replies, Yet again you guys have saved me in a pinch. I went thru the headlights, as this seemed the most straightforward for me. I had my hood opened in about 15min.

Thanks 8Mud
The only thing that did not go exactly as you wrote, was the fact that the bolts are both 13mm. other than that ....spot on.

Thanks again guys.