riggie hook selection
 

i'm using a mustad oshaunessy style hook for some riggies i did this week.

i was just wondering if anyone has used gami live bait hooks before with success. or do you need to use something with a long shank like the oshaunessy hooks?

mustad siwash is the standard. a quick search will get you the size and model numbers.

Mustad 9510 XXXDT Siwash 8/0. Larger eye makes it easy to pass zip ties/dacron or whatever you use through to secure the rear hook.

If you go gami get the siwash hooks, thoes hooks are gaffs.
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I like the VMC siwash hooks in sizes 6/0 to 8/0 depending on the size of the eels I’m rigging.

I use these too, sharpen the sh$$ out of them.
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I've started to use these the past few seasons, 9/0 forward and 8/0 rear.

Gamakatsu 4x Octopus SE Hook - 8/0 - 6 pack

seem to get a better hook-up ratio with them. Never liked the long points of the Siwash hooks.

DZ

Ditto

7/0 VMC Siwash

I used to advocate using small , chemically sharp hookss like 4/0 lazer sharps. The idea being I wanted to hook up if the bass even just bumped the rigged eel. This was a very successful strategy back in the early 80's for me as judged by the high number of bass I got hooked on the outside of their mouth or under their chins and even in the sides. Mostly foul hooks except of course when in the mouth. As time has goon by, these newer hooks have become available with super sharp points that used to be hard to find in all sizes. Now I agree , big but still sticky sharp hooks is the way to go. Its a lure and it should be able to grab anything that touches it , it doesn't have to be swallowed like a live eel.

VMC 8/0 CLOSED EYE SIWASH WITH EPOXIED NUT

I like gami 8/0 siwash hooks. sharp as hell (ask me how I know)

Attachment 47881

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Pic 1.. great Job!

Are those finished? Little different than I rig them, it looks to me like you need a couple more zip ties to secure the eye of the rear hook and keep it from spinning to the side.

Those Gami hooks look nice, how do they hold up? Any issues with rusting and do they hold a good point after a night of getting pulled through the rocks?

Thoes gami's are nice but they are just over priced and you can only get them in small quantities. The mustads you can buy in 100 packs, they will last you forever and are easy to sharpen.

Thanks!

Yes, I fished them right after that pic was taken. They are actually the first 2 riggies I've ever made. The hooks are so big and heavy, they always seemed to run point down like a keel as is. The zip ties are pretty tight too. Timmah and I use gami's in all the big sluggos we make and imo they hold up better than anything else. Sharp as hell out of the package too.

yeah they are expensive and come in packs of 3 :wall: I usually fish live ones so I don't need to make many.

X2 - Epoxied nut

I use the mustad 9510 8/0, epoxied nut and 500lb krok swivel.

Here are some pics of how ive been doing my riggies, without using floss.

2 sizes of zip ties, 4" and 8". The 8" are for holding the back hook in place, going around the body on the front and rear. the 4" hold the front hook in place, hold the eel in place on the nut.

The head hook is either a 7/0 or 8/0 mustad 9510 with a brass nut super glued, then epoxied in place, then I add a 500lb krok swivel to the eye before closing it, the swivel allows me a better connection point, and allows you to use the eye of the head hook as a connection point for the eel. plus it allows you to position the head hook a little further back.

So the back hook gets two 8" zip ties thru the eye, and then one 8" zip tie around the body near the bend of the hook.

The front hook gets two 4" zip ties thru the eye of the hook, then two 4" zip ties righ in front of the brass nut, i go in on the left side and cinch it down on the right, the reverse it on the other side. This gives you a solid connection against the nut without using the floss. Then one 8" zip tie around the bend of the hook.

Ive been using the same 3 eels on my last 8 trips, the eel pictured in the last photo caught 7 fish, all mid to high teens and one 22lb fish from two weeks ago, im just rolling them up in a ziplock and freezing them when I get home, then pulling them out a couple hours before I go out, the eel was a little ripe, but still catching fish, but he was destroyed by blues

I like having three eels with me at all times, two that are in the 14-16" range and one bigger like 20" to work deeper water and hopefully cull the bigger fish out. And i like having extras in case my buddy doesnt have one.

I carry both sizes of zip ties in mt bag now, allows me to make a quick fix on the rocks and be able to keep fishing the same eel.

At 4 bucks each from start to finish including the price of the eel, hooks, nut and swivel Id say its the best deal out there. besides for the time that is factored in its a cheap and fun way to put fish at your feet.

All these guys using zip-ties...
neat trick.....

Missing zipties.
specifically, at least one needs to go through the eye of the hook to really lock it down...
Also, you can get away w/ much smaller ties....

I'd say chef chris has one extra tie... one or two through the eye, one at the bend.

I skip the nut. zip-tie through one eye of the swivel.
done

Thanks for the tip bro. Not sure if you can see it but I used 80# braid through the eel's eyes, hook eye and out the bottom jaw. Probably not as good as the smaller ties but all I had were those big low profile ties. I'll have to hit job lot for some smaller ties. Like I said those were the first ones I ever tied so I'm open to all forms of advice. The fish gave me their sign of approval the first night :)

I herd this dude from gansett wrote an article a few years back and as they say the rest is history...:fishin:

I owe the epoxied nut idea to Chris. I thought the swivel would be another improvement and then I see he did as well. :grins: I saw the zip ties from tons of how-to's on the interwebz.

I cant take credit for the brass nut thing, its the " al bensten method"

the zip ties are the "zeno hromin method" from his site

the swivel is the "bryan oakley method" from what I got from Thumper, I could be wrong. It's happened before!

So basically my eels are a combination set up of three proven methods.

On zenos site he covers the al bensten method and the zip tie method, has step by step videos on how to make them each way.

I would also like to give a lot of credit to Thumper who walkd me threw some of the steps and gave me the ideas. Thanks man.

Its such a great way to catch fish, you can throw them crazy far, way farther than an eel, fish them at all water levels, fast or slow, twitch, pause, whatever. Like fishing the best fish catching plug ever. Plus the hits are unmatched, Ive never had a fish hit a plug as hard as they hit a riggie. Beat the summer doldrums and fish these
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Why the swivel?

It allows you an easier connection, the mustad hooks are super thick, which makes it tough to get a clip on.

Plus I like being able to put the hook further down in the eel, gives a more solid connection.

I can't fit a clip over a siwash hook so I use a swivel. Electrical supply houses have good supplies of zipties usually for decent prices.

Never knew Zeno did the ties as well...
I started out of laziness and time...

the 'Swivel' is not my design, that came from DZ's fishing partner the "Montauk Doc"... best piece of riggie advise I ever got, hands down... from a quiet, humble but very accomplished surfcaster.

Everyone touts 16-20" eels...

don't neglect a nice 10" eel with a single head hook..... :devil2: