A RIG FOR ALL SEASONS/REASONS

 

By Capt. Ken Roy

 

       On small boats, storing wire leader rigs can be one of the biggest problems of all. You either have a tangled mess all of the time or you have rigs stored in such a manner that they are hard to get to. Here is a method I use that, for the most part, eliminates tangles and keeps wire leaders instantly accessible. 

       To make this system work, I had to create a multi-purpose leader that could be quickly adapted to most of the fishing conditions I expect to encounter. I’ll be first to admit that, while it is perfect for some situations, it is not the absolute best for others. In all cases, though, it is more than adequate. Since it is so handy, I can live with it being slightly less than perfect for all applications.  

       This one rig works for rigging Bonita strips, Ballyhoo, Peter Mullet, and Cigar Minnows. A slightly modified Sea Witch Jap Feather, Tuna Clone or Islander (more about simple modifications of these lures later) can be used with these rigs too. A couple of twists of the wrist and it is a good live bait rig for trolling for toothy critters or for toothy bottom feeders. White Marlin, Sailfish, Kingfish, Wahoo and even 200# Sharks on down the line to Spanish Mackerel and medium to large bottom fish can all be targeted with it. 

       I start with 28” of #7 coffee colored, single strand, stainless steel wire. I wrap a small eye on one end with a common haywire/bale twist and break clean. Next I slide on a #3 leader sleeve. On the bottom end I wrap on a 6/0 Mustad style #3412 needle eye hook and leave ~3” of wire extending from the wrap. (If you prefer a ringed eye hook, opt for a Mustad 3407 or 34007SS.) I flatten the upper leader eye slightly so that it will fit through the modified lures mentioned above. Total length of the completed rig is usually about 24”. If I were fishing an area where larger billfish were a possibility, I would increase the leader length and perhaps hook size. 

       Now we have the basic rigs and need a method of storage. Here is the easiest way I have found to store the un-modified rigs. Bend the 3” tag end forward and slip the #3 leader sleeve down over it. Slip a soda straw over the top eye, down the leader and over the hook shank. I have a 2’ length of 1” schedule 20 PVC pipe screwed to the bulkhead at my helm. Slide these rigs down inside the pipe and let the hook point hang to the outside. You can store 6 rigs safely and tangle free this way. Modified rigs are hung outside with the hooks to the inside. 

Now, let’s modify these rigs to fit our bait and fishing methods.  

       Rig #1 is a Bonita strip bait rig. The Jap Feather is shown at the top of the leader rather than down against the top of the strip where it will normally be when trolling. I prefer to fish the strip bare or with a simple skirt or Hoochie for Sails and Whites but feathers, Sea Witches, Tuna Clones or Islanders sometimes get more strikes, especially from Wahoo.

1-A shows a strip bait rigged the way I do it. 

 

       Rig #2 is what I call a “Destin Safety Pin rig. In Destin, more Kingfish are caught on this rig than all other rigs combined. Again the Jap Feather is at the top of the leader.

#2-A shows a Cigar Minnow rigged and ready to troll. 

 

Rig #3 is my favorite live bait Kingfish trolling rig. Quick to bait and most bait fish swim perfectly at low speed. Speedos, Spanish Mackerel, Bullet Bonito, Cigar Minnows, and Blue Runners can handle speeds up to 4+ knots. Menhaden can only handle about 1kt continuous. No drop back is needed for smaller baits. Let the rod holder hook the fish.

#3-A shows the rig with a very dead baitfish. 

 

       Rig #4 is the basic Ballyhoo rig that everybody knows. Simply wrap the wire until the tag end is standing straight up in relation to the hook eye then clip the tag to about 1/2-5/8” in length. An 8” length of rigging wire (bell wire shown) is wrapped in at the hook end wire loop.

#4-A shows a rigged Ballyhoo. 

 

       Sea Witches, Jap Feathers, Tuna Clones or Islanders can be modified by drilling out the inside hole so that they can be slide right down over the top leader eye wrap. I drill these lures to 1/8”. This gives you much greater latitude in your rigging. If one color Seawitch is working better than others, simply rig all lines with the hot color without having to clip leaders. 

This basic rig isn’t a cure all but it is close enough to perfect for me

 


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