Page 42 - Waves June

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PATRICK LEMIRE

R E D S N A P P E R M A D E S I M P L E

it over the bend of the hook one last time. these leaders. Nose hook your dead
Before evenly snugging the wraps around baitfish crossways through the eyes or
the hook shank, they should look like through the head, in front of the eyes,
the enlarged view in the illustration. The through the bottom of the head and
result, when pulled up tight, will be the out the top. Hooking through the head
locked loop rig. top to bottom will roll the baitfish belly
up most of the time. This gives another
The second version’s variations to the one of those naturally distressed, injured,
above it starts with the addition of an vulnerable looks. You can also pull the tail
egg weight for depth control. This means off a dead baitfish for an increased scent
ed snapper fishing rigs are at times use the least you can that will get you to trail. Another commonly used hooking
over complicated by many fisher- the depth of your target species. Factors procedure is to run the hook and leader
Rmen. The simple rigging methods determining how much weight, if any, is through the baitfish’s mouth and out one
covered here will help eliminate a lot of it. needed are the weight of your hook and of its gill plates, then place the hook in
These rigs and fishing techniques will not bait, the current, line diameter and type. the mid-body area of the baitfish. At that
only take red snapper, but also ling, dol- The other variable is hook placement on point, it’s ready to fish and has a better
phin, groupers, etc. These simple rigging the mono leader—to tie this one, first chance of a hookup on the first attempt
techniques are fundamental confidence slide the egg weight onto your leader, then by a short-striker.
builders. Simplicity gets it done. This place the hook on the mono by running
versatility comes by using different sizes the single strand through the hook’s eye. When fishing these rigs, you can play
and kinds of hooks, egg weights, Mono, At this point, your attention to that hook your line out from boat side or cast it out.
Freelining, Carolina rigged, sow rig; call goes up radically. Tie the surgeon’s loop as When casting, I always recommend that
them any of these names; they all apply already described, paying respect to that you slow your bait down by thumbing the
when these variables come into use. hook point. When completed, you will spool a bit more just before it enters the
have a rig with greater range of motion at water. This helps to insure your bait pre-
Shown at the top of the illustration is how the hook, the open loop rig, which trans- sentation has an immediate, natural look,
to form the surgeon’s loop knot that is lates into a more natural moving/looking untangled/unfouled as it sinks into the
the heart of the two rigs below it. Knots bait as it sinks into the depths or flows out depths. For a better feel for what’s going
just don’t get much simpler than this with the current. on at your hook, hold the line in your
one. After you have taken the two turns left hand while slowly stripping line off
through the doubled leader loop, hold the Don’t worry about the egg sinker con- your reel. That way, at the pickup you can
leader and its tag end with your left thumb tacting the surgeon’s loop knot, it’s ok. release the line in your left hand, giving a
and forefinger at the 1. After moistening Placing one of those plastic or glass beads moment of slack which doesn’t transmit
the mono with saliva, pull the exposed on the mono between the egg weight anything unusual going on. Point the rod
loop end at the 2 with your right hand and the knot just doesn’t make sense to tip at the line’s entry into the water, reel
to tighten the knot. Once tightened, clip me. Somehow, soft lead doesn’t provide then into gear; when the line comes tight,
the tag end to where about 1/8” is left. a fear-factor for me in this area. Don’t set the hook. With a circle hook such as
To build the uppermost leader, place the forget that very shiny, new egg weights a Daiichi D84Z, when the line comes
mono loop through the hook eye from can generate strikes, too. Old and dull, or tight, load the rod and the hookset should
the bend side of the hook. Now, twist it camo gray or blue painted ones will cut be complete. A vigorous hook-setting rod
and pass the loop over the bend of the down on this problem. sweep will likely pull the hook out of its
hook, twist it again and pass the loop back mouth without it catching on anything.
over the hook bend, then twist it and pass Try these bait presentations when using Otherwise, when using a “J” type hook,

42 | Waves Magazine | June 2019 Issue