Some thoughts on Riggies

[puppet]

This thread is great. Thank you for sharing!

I am dying to catch fish on them. Unfortunately, I have only been
out about a dozen times since my block trip in June, but have been
throwing them.

Usually my goto has been bucktails and darters, but I have noticed
in those dozen times, I have had strikes on the rigged when nothing else was
getting their attention. Even during a worm hatch....which is pretty
impressive. That outing the bass were batting the eel around like a
rag doll, but I couldn't convert any. I saw a few following and they
seemed to be school sized bass to about 28".



Just the other night I rigged up 6 more....getting ready for my fall.
I am so slow rigging them....even using zips. Even with the hooks,
floss, and dacron prepped....dang....15-20 minutes per/riggie.

What I find most tedious is the head floss. I had one of my first
riggies come untied and the front hook slid...so I migrated to an
epoxied copper wire wrap on the hook with a sewn/wrapped floss
on the snout to keep it from sliding. I am wondering if anyone has
tried a crimped ring or some other method on the snout so there is
zero sewing. Seems like the sew method on the snout is the best,
as all demos seem to use it...but just thought i would ask.

One mod that the guys at river's end suggested was putting a ring
on the front hook prior to closing the eye on the siwash. I really
like this modification....as I use links. In the end...these riggies are
pretty expensive lures, after factoring the hardware and time. I
really cannot wait for them to pay off.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by puppet

This thread is great. Thank you for sharing!

I am dying to catch fish on them. Unfortunately, I have only been
out about a dozen times since my block trip in June, but have been
throwing them.

Usually my goto has been bucktails and darters, but I have noticed
in those dozen times, I have had strikes on the rigged when nothing else was
getting their attention. Even during a worm hatch....which is pretty
impressive. That outing the bass were batting the eel around like a
rag doll, but I couldn't convert any. I saw a few following and they
seemed to be school sized bass to about 28".



Just the other night I rigged up 6 more....getting ready for my fall.
I am so slow rigging them....even using zips. Even with the hooks,
floss, and dacron prepped....dang....15-20 minutes per/riggie.

What I find most tedious is the head floss. I had one of my first
riggies come untied and the front hook slid...so I migrated to an
epoxied copper wire wrap on the hook with a sewn/wrapped floss
on the snout to keep it from sliding. I am wondering if anyone has
tried a crimped ring or some other method on the snout so there is
zero sewing. Seems like the sew method on the snout is the best,
as all demos seem to use it...but just thought i would ask.

One mod that the guys at river's end suggested was putting a ring
on the front hook prior to closing the eye on the siwash. I really
like this modification....as I use links. In the end...these riggies are
pretty expensive lures, after factoring the hardware and time. I
really cannot wait for them to pay off.

Forget the floss and use plastic wire ties like RIRockhound wrote in his article in OTW

[tlapinski]

For securing the head hook, I have modified my method a little bit. After I have completed 2 or 3 half-hitches on the head hook (6.24 into this video), I add a small zip-tie right in line on the hook and then half-hitch a few times in front and in back of the tie. When the tag end of the zip-tie is clipped off it leaves a nub. Then when the head is secured either with large zip-ties or Dacron (8.40 into this video) in front of the internal zip-tie, the eel is locked in place and will not move. This was an addition I began trying after I made this video but one which is done on all my eels now.
http://www.thefisherman.com/index.cf...82&ParentCat=9

[puppet]

I like this one...cuts down on the hook prep....hmmmm....gonna try it next time.

thanks!

Originally Posted by tlapinski

For securing the head hook, I have modified my method a little bit. After I have completed 2 or 3 half-hitches on the head hook (6.24 into this video), I add a small zip-tie right in line on the hook and then half-hitch a few times in front and in back of the tie. When the tag end of the zip-tie is clipped off it leaves a nub. Then when the head is secured either with large zip-ties or Dacron (8.40 into this video) in front of the internal zip-tie, the eel is locked in place and will not move. This was an addition I began trying after I made this video but one which is done on all my eels now.
http://www.thefisherman.com/index.cf...82&ParentCat=9

[tlapinski]

Rigged up a few eels last week and took a picture of how I add the zip-tie to the front hook to hold the head in place. Works like a charm and I haven't had any eels slip since I started doing it this way.