This rigging guide is designed for Tiger Muskies, Muskies,
and Northern Pike. These three related species share similar body shapes and
hunting behaviors, making this information intrinsic for successful swimbaiting
for all three Esox species.
Swimbait Selection
For every type of big bait swimbaits available there are
equally multiple effective methods of rigging them. The Huddleston Deluxe 8” ROF5
swimbait, stands for a Rate of Fall Five, which sinks approximately 5-feet in
10-seconds. I’ve chosen this swimbait for several reasons.
Size and Drawing
Power—This 8” big bait offers a big meal and is easily noticed due to its size
and water displacement signature.
Success in the Slow
Descent—The ROF5 has a slow sink rate that matches the conditions and likely
movements of a cold-blooded fish. This design is aimed at increasing your
chances of a successful catch, as it mimics the metabolism of fish in cold
water and tricks a sluggish predator into thinking it’s an easy catch.
Your Bait, Your Way –
the ROF5 comes without hooks, giving you full control over the hook placement,
allowing you to adapt it to your fishing style.
Tiger Muskie
have consistently shown a preference for the Huddleston Deluxe Swimbait,
particularly due to the 8” tail design.
Every design in nature has a purpose. The body shape and
location of the Tiger Muskie’s eye on its head indicate how this predator
hunts. Understanding this is crucial for any angler. A tiger will likely
approach from behind and below its prey, a critical insight for successful
fishing.
Rigging
Understanding the hunting behavior of a Tiger Muskie is
crucial in determining the optimal placement of the belly hook on the swimbait.
Predatory fish with a similar body shape and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth
often slash at their prey, aiming to inflict damage before taking their quarry.
This is evident in the large rips on the tail area of many soft plastic
swimbaits.
Preparing a Huddleston for a Tiger Hunt.
First, I remove the bottom rear fin from the bait. Using an
Exacto knife, I carefully trim it off the body of the bait. This spot is
precisely where I want to position the 'prime' hook. The hook and the bottom
fin do not work well together, and the bait swims perfectly fine without the
fin.
Next, I rigged a 4/0 Gamakatsu treble hook using Berkley
uncoated 7-strand 90 lb. wire with A3 sleeves. It's important not to cross the
wire inside the sleeve, as this can compromise the system. Crossed wires within the sleeve will not achieve a proper crimp. A large fish may
exert enough force to cause a failure if the wire is crossed.
The indentations made by the crimping tool on the sleeve
show if the wire is properly aligned inside.
When I’m freshwater bass fishing, I often embed one of the
hooks from a treble into the soft plastic body of the bait to hold the hook in
place. Tigers and their big razor teeth will slice the bait, and often, these
fish slash at prey before taking it. I don’t want the embedded treble to
accelerate the destruction of the soft plastic swimbait. So, when Tigers are
the target, I cut one arm off the treble. If you cut the wrong treble arm off,
the hook will not lay properly with the remaining two arms held equally out
from the swimbait. This is why it's crucial to carefully examine the symmetry
of the hook to decide which arm to remove.
It's key that the eye of the treble hook is positioned just
behind the pelvic fins. This strategic placement ensures that the hook is well
towards the back of the bait, without interfering with the lure’s tail action.
I prefer using two sleeves at each end of the treble harness for a double
failsafe, especially when targeting the largest fish in the system. In this
photo, I’m carefully sizing the length of the wire, with the sleeves for the
treble hook end of the harness not yet in position or crimped.
I prefer making staples from thin, solid copper wire to
secure the prime hook. I'll make them from old bent, used single-wire leaders.
This wire is smaller in diameter than an office paperclip. I
find the smaller wire size holds well but doesn’t loosen the bait material as
much as a regular thicker-diameter paperclip. The flat band has advantages,
too.
My setup for securing the rear treble is highly effective. I
use three clips-one towards the hook end of the shank, and the other two on
each side of the hook’s eye. This setup prevents the hook from rolling towards
either side, providing reassurance that the hook is held securely in place.
Lastly, I add a 3/0 Gamakatsu treble and 90 lb., reliable
and sturdy SPRO Power Split Ring, a trusted component, is attached to the
bait’s harness ring. The tail hook wire harness, a dependable part, must lie
free and behind the split ring. An SPRO 100 lb. or 150 lb. solid wire
leader connects the swimbait to an 80 lb. braid spooled onto a Shimano Calcutta
400 reel coupled with a big bait swimbait rod, that completes this set-up.
All that is needed is attaching a solid wire leader and
you’re rigged and ready, let’s go swimming! The previous image above shows solid wire
leaders at the top of the pic.
Hyper-carnivorous
If you're not prepared for a Tiger Muskie to shred your
relatively expensive soft plastic swimbait, it's best not to use them. Because,
if you do encounter a Tiger, a sliced-up swimbait is exactly what will happen.
For many anglers, a tattered swimbait is a symbol of success. With the help of
soft plastic swimbait glue, you can repair and keep the lure in action.
This
is the outcome of a Tiger Hunt that used the swimbait rigging outlined in this
article.
Angling Goals
The rigging method above details how I prepare a big
soft-bodied swimbait for Tiger Muskie. My aim is for you to learn from this,
and it enhances your angling pursuits. Likewise, I always encourage you to look
beyond the ‘blueprint’ I’ve laid out and find your own unique approach.
By dissecting the principles and grasping their essence, you
gain the ability to apply them to any angling scenario and your distinct
fishing style. This adaptability equips you to refine your techniques and reel
in bigger catches.
Remember, every time you create this dynamic, you’re well on
your way to more and bigger catches. The potential for these bigger catches
should keep you motivated and eager to apply these principles in your unique
style for your next fishing adventure. Stay inspired and committed to your
angling goals.
