3. Lure Rigging -Page 2

RIGGING LURES

All aspects of lure rigging are important to the overall balance and resulting action of a lure. In many countries such as Hawaii lure heads are sold without skirts, offering a large choice of skirt length, material type and colour. Though this certainly offers total customisation there is a very real probability that the lure will not end up in its optimal configuration. It is best to get these heads and skirts assembled by either the head manufacturer, the rigger at the shop you bought the lure or an experienced rigger. If the head and its skirts are not balanced then there is nothing you can do with the rigging to overcome this. 

A brief outline of the relationship of skirts to heads is as follows:
· The longer, thicker, rougher the surface of the skirt, and the more the skirt bulges outside the diameter of the lure head, the greater the drag on the lure and the more restricted its action will be and the higher the lure will ride to the waters surface.
· The shorter, thinner, slicker the surface the skirt and the thinner the skirt behind the head the less restricted the action and the deeper the lure may run.

The relationship of lure head and skirt is critical. Changing any of the above by even a minuscule amount can affect the lures behaviour and its success dramatically.

It should also be noted that many of the octopus skirts that are used on today’s trolling lures are made out of vinyls developed for skirts that are used for commercial salmon fishing in North America. These waters are much colder than the warm tropical waters many of these skirts are used in. Because of the heat they become much softer and display a tendency to tangle in the rigs. This can be overcome by trimming up to an inch of the bottom of the skirts or by stiffening the skirts by washing them in a degreasing detergent. 

As you can see rigging lures correctly needs a great deal of consideration and understanding, not only to balance the rigging to achieve the best possible action but also to achieve the maximum hook up rate. Note that all lures work to their ultimate with no hooks or rigging components. Everything you add influences this to some extent.

To start we'll review the I.G.F.A. rules that most game fishing clubs adhere to. These rules maintain that when using two hooks they are at least the distance of the larger hook apart, and that part (not all!) of the trailing hook is within the skirt, that is at least the eye of the hook as in Fig 14.

Now that all the components of a rig have been reviewed we can now assemble them. The variations in the set up of rigs are only limited by your imagination and, if used in club, record or tournament fishing by their respective rules. Various judges at tournaments run to the I.G.F.A. guidelines have approved all the following rigs, though it should be noted that tournament judges have their own interpretation of the rules, so check with them if you are not positive if your gear is in accordance with the rules.

Another major consideration is hook placement within the lure skirt and alignment with the lure head. These factors control which way up the lure runs in the water, the impedance on lure action, and to a great extent the hook up rate. 

HOOK ALIGNMENT WITH THE LURE HEAD:
Though this is discussed under each topic we should at this stage note the natural balance of a single hook. When a single hook, on a loose loop is pulled through the water it rides point up, bend down with point riding almost level with the eye as in Fig 15 below. The hook also has a natural wobble, swivelling on its bend.

When we design and assemble a rig this natural hook balance is important to remember, as the hook will always try to run at this attitude which can be used as a rudder and keel to the lure. Incorporating this we can actually aim the points of the hooks at a target such as either the upper or lower jaw.

HOOK PLACEMENT WITHIN THE SKIRT
Perhaps the most important aspect of lure rigging is where the hooks are placed within the length of the skirt. There is some tendency to place the hooks as close to the lure head as possible as in Fig 16. Sometimes the back of the lure head is drilled out to accommodate crimps and lure eyes. The belief is based on the fact the lure heads are marked by bill swipes. This is because the lure head and the leader are the only things that mark. The fact is that bill marks would show over the full length of the lure if they were made of materials that showed these scratches.

It is far better to run the hooks as far back in the lure as is legal as in Fig 14. No matter where the fish grabs the lure the hooks are still coming. This configuration also increases the chance of an outside in hook up, which is the most desirable.

Many rigs necessitate securing the rig to the lure head to maintain the alignment of the rig to the lure head. This normally achieved by jamming the leader against the leader tube in the lure head. If this system is used the toothpick should be placed in the back (skirt end) of the lure head. This is to allow the lure the freedom to slide up the leader as discussed earlier in this article. However if the rigs are not aligned perfectly they may cause the lure to spin.

If there are hooks placed well within the skirt the friction and water pressure will stop the lures from rotating on the rig. 

We have certainly been through all of the rigging components and their use. So it now a simple matter of assembling them in the desired configuration, some of which follow. The affect that rigging components have on the finished lure presentation cannot be overstated.

SINGLE HOOK RIGS: (ALL LURE HEAD SHAPES)
Recently there has been a major increase in the use of two hook rigs in skirted trolling lures. The decline in the use of single hook rigs has been followed by a general decline in hook-up rates. A lure rigged incorrectly with two hooks is not as effective as the same lure rigged with a single hook.

The success rate using single hooks, sharpened ones of course, is relatively high. A released fish caught on a single hook has more chance of survival, especially if the hook is left in the fish. It is also far less dangerous for the crew handling a fish caught on a single hook. There are many instances of getting a flailing hook stuck in one hand while the other is still connected to a sometimes very large and very lively fish. If you're not sure which type of twin hook rig to use in a lure then a single will probably give you a higher success rate. Each type of skirted trolling lure has a optimum system for rigging to, for example the Pakula Shackle Rig was specifically designed for use with Pakula Lures giving the highest success rates. On the same lures a standard 90-degree stiff rig results in a very bad hook up rate.

All lures have a more active action when using single hooks. The wrong two hook rig results in a far worse catch rate plus other associated problems such as hook and skirt tangles, line twist and impaired lure action. Even the correct twin hook rig results in only marginally better catch rates than using a single hook. 

Apart from the fact that single hooks have a high success rate they are very easy to put together.

THE PAKULA SHACKLE RIG (FOR SYMMETRICALLY SHAPED HEADS)

Symmetrically shaped heads are where the head is concentrically built around the leader tube, which is straight, and centrally located as the two heads shown in Fig 23. These lures include all Pakula type lures, many tuna lures such as clones and bullets and flat-faced pushers. 

There is no inherent top or bottom to these lures. The hooks in the rigs are used as both keels and rudders to orient which side of the lure rides uppermost in the water. 

The action of this group is usually based on a head shake that pivots on the back of the lure head. The stiffer the rig the more inhibited this fish attracting action.

The 60 degree set up as shown in Fig 24 has both hook points riding up. With this configuration the hooks naturally ride point up regardless of size aiming at two separate targets on the fish’s top jaw. As the hooks in this rig are relatively free they exhibit a rocking action that actually enhances the action of the lure by causing the reflective insert in the lure head to flash. Though as in all rigging, the larger the hooks the more the action is retarded. 

I developed the Full Shackle Rig as in Fig 25 specifically for use with his Pakula Lures some 20 years ago and it has remained the most successful rigging system since. This rig has many assets: the lure has total freedom of action. The hooks self align. You can change hooks quickly and only need several sets of hooks that can match up with many lures. The hook up rate has remained unsurpassed for many years. 

This is a complex rig and full explanation follows including a review of many of the points covered earlier in the article. the following points are in reference to Fig 26.

1- Leader: The thinner the leader the better the action of the lure and as with all fishing, the lighter the leader the more fish will be fooled. 
2- Rubber Washer: This washer protects the leader from fatigue and abrasion against the back of the lure head.
3- Crimp: When crimping nylon ensure you leave the ends of the crimp flared so the edges do not cut the leader. When using wire the full length of the crimp should be crimped. Make sure the crimps are the correct type and size for the nylon you are using. 
4- Thimble: The stainless thimble allows the shackle to swing freely. These have a gap when purchased which must be closed prior to inserting snugly in the leader loop, as under pressure they may twist and sever the leader.
5- Shackle: The shackle should be small enough to allow the hooks to swing and align freely. 
6- Stainless Wire: Use stainless 7 x 7 which is semi rigid so that it lies straight and protects the rig against ‘toothy critters’. The 60-degree set up of the hooks is done by twisting the wire to align the hooks.
7- Loose Collar: By using a loose collar the hooks are free to swing and move with the lures action without retarding it. The collar also restricts the wire from crossing over the hook and fouling.
8- Top Hook: The top hook and trailing hook should be the same size to balance the rig. We prefer hooks with turned in points such as the Southern Tuna style as statistics have shown these to have a much higher success rate than hooks with a straight point.
9- Shrink Tubing: On the wire and hook the tubing only covers half the loop so the hook remains free to swing, yet prevents the hooks from swinging all the way around and hanging up on the lure head or other hook. 
10- Trailing Hook: This hook should be set back in the lure skirt so that at least the point is below the skirt. In areas of ‘toothy critters’ to minimise skirt damage set the hook right back so that only the eye is within the skirt. This hook and wire should be set at 60 degrees to the forward hook forming a “V”.

The positioning of the hooks in the lure determines which way up the lure will run as the hooks at this angle will both ride point up when trolled. Both hooks will ride with their points riding up. Normally you would wish to run the lures so the dark side is uppermost. To accomplish this, place both hook points in the dark side of the skirt as shown in Fig 27. There is no need to fix the hooks in position, as the drag on the skirt will prevent them from moving. 

PAKULA SLIP RIG:
A quick and effective method of positioning hooks within the skirts is by twisting and tying a rubber band around the leader in between the hooks and the back of the lure. Then by pushing the band up or down the leader you can place the hooks exactly where you want them. This system is effective using both the Pakula Shackle Rig and Single Hook Rigs as shown in Fig 28 below. 

There are many advantages of combining the Slip Rig with your normal rigging. If a fish bills the lure there is more chance of hooking it in the mouth rather than glancing off a hard bill. If the lure is taken from the side the hooks must pass across the jaws, and if taken from behind the hooks are further down the throat.

No matter how the fish attacks there is a greater chance of hooking it securely. The fact that the hook point and bend are totally visible does not in any way disturb the fish.

The use of the rubber band also cushions the back of the lure against the knot or crimp to the hooks. This is a major fatigue area that leads to many failures on both wire and nylon. These failures are normally blamed on toothy fish such as Wahoo and Mackerel.

IN CONCLUSION:
There is much to learn and much to enjoy in the complex world of the Sports and Game Fishing. Knowing and understanding aspects such as rigging lures and having the confidence that below all that froth and bubble your lures are set to work to their optimum action and hook-up potential. The great thing about most technological aspects of the sport is that they are done at home. This allows you the peace of mind to enjoy the day a little more and leaves you a little more freedom to concentrate on the other things that catch fish, such as searching for birds and current lines. This is the edge that makes you that bit more aware, to be that little bit ahead of the competition.