My suggestions since I've beat it once and these things helped me from failing early to just stomping them when I got my moves right. Assuming you want to stick with GS (I used CB since I can 1v1 babby jho with it), here's what I can advise:

• Damage. And LOTS of it. Seriously, the more damage you have, the more likely they are to trip or get knocked out of apex. Hone your GS for Attack, not Life. I would also suggest going for a different GS like the Cera Symmetry or Rogue Sedition (using the second means you can swap out Handicraft for a different skill). If I don't have the first two dead before Jho shows up, I personally restart to save mats and give it another go.
• You need a new set. Try getting skills like Crit Draw, HG Earplugs, Challenger +2/AuL, and Focus. AuL might be easier to get and since you would have Crit Draw anyway, I wouldn't bother with C+2 as much. Quick Sheathe is optional if you can get that in there as well though I doubt it.
• For some reason Regios always sees me through smoke bombs, so go for him first if you don't already.
• Might Seeds and Might Pills. Seeds last 5min and boost your attack by a good amount, whereas Pills last 30 seconds and boost it by much more. It's something I havent tried before but taking a Pill and hitting before a Mon notices you could do a substantial amount of damage, possibly enough to make them tip over on the first swing. You can then pop a Seed while avoiding them after they get up if you get that chance.
• If you don't want to gem in HG Earplugs in place of other skills like Quick Sheathe, try bringing Disposable Earplugs. Use before each mon so you can get a nice combo off to knock them over. These things made my fights so much more possible.
• It probably sounds a bit tryhard, but I suggest restarting if you end up carting even once before jho shows up. Those first two eat up a lot of time from that and it could be really hard to get it back. You want to have a nice flow and "crowd-control" when fighting diablos and seregios (knocking over, stunning, flashing, traps, etc.

That's all I can think of for now. You got to jho so you're close, but you need that little bit more.