3 Must Have Hooks For Inshore Fishing (Rigging For Artificial Lures)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
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Prior to going out fishing, you never truly know what types of lures or hooks will work.
It is important to have yourself prepared for all sorts of situations and conditions.
There are hooks for different soft plastics that are a must in your tackle box every time you go fishing.
Check out the BEST 3 hooks for artificial lures that you MUST take on your next fishing trip!!
3 Must-Have Hooks For Inshore Fishing [VIDEO]
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Different types of hooks will allow you to cover different water columns, fish around structure, and improve your overall presentation.
Weighted Owner Twistlock Hooks
- Work extremely well with almost any soft plastic lure
- Tricky to use with Z-Man baits because of the material
- Best for the shallows (3 feet of water or less)
- Depth and strength of current determines the size of the hook (1/8 ounce to 1/16 ounce in 3/0 or 4/0)
- This creates a shallow, weedless lure that will provide a great darting action
To rig a jerk shad on the twistlock hook, twist the head of the soft plastic onto the spring.
Push the hook through the belly of the bait and barely skin hook with the point of the hook.
Weighted Mustad Grip Pin Hook
- Primarily used in the shallows
- Depth, strength of the current, and lure size determines the hook size (Anything from 1/16 to 1/4 ounce, 3/0 or 4/0 hook)
- Must have for Z-Man baits
Rig the lure through the nose then quickly out through the bottom of the bait.
Pull the lure over the weight and over the keeper.
Then push the hook through the belly and out through the top.
Secure the hook point with a slight skin hook.
Z-Man Trout Eye Jighead
- Z-Man and standard soft plastic lures work really well with these hooks
- Fishing around docks and stronger current (4 feet of water or more)
- Useful for fishing lures on the bottom and jigging quickly
For a Slam Shady paddletail on these jigheads, rig through the nose and then out through the top of the body.
Make sure the lure is pulled up over the barbs and is secure.
If you are using a Z-Man product, the process is almost identical except when securing it to the barbs below the eye of the jighead, you want to almost pull the plastic further than you should so it remains in place.
Conclusion
The 3 must-have lures that should be in your tackle box every time you are out fishing are the Weighted Owner Twistlock Hook, the Weighted Mustad Grip Pin Hook, and the Z-Man Trout Eye Jig Head.
The twistlock hook will give the best action to a jerk shad and allow it to work perfectly in shallow water.
Weight Mustad Grip Pin Hooks are excellent for paddletail lures (Z-man in particular).
And finally, the Z-Man Trout Eye Jigheads are useful in any scenario but will excel in deeper water.
Remember to observe the depth, current, and other conditions to set yourself up for the most success!
If you have any other questions regarding hook type or size, ask me down in the comments!
And if you know someone who wants to know the must have terminal tackle hooks, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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It would be great if the water was as clear on the Georgia coast as it is in the gulf. Artificial is better when the water cools down a bit and the water doesn’t get as dirty on good tides.
I was just about to give up trying to rig the Z-man soft plastics until I saw this video and just rigged up a 4″ diesel minnow with the Weight Mustad Grip Pin Hook. So easy, thanks Tony.
Glad it can help John! You’re welcome!
Hi most of the time I use jigs in the weight of 1/8 to 3/8 once in awhile I will use up a 1/2 oz thanks
Good stuff Jeffrey!
Are your lures (slam shady, Alabama leprechaun) made by Zman in elaztech?
Hi George. Those lures (slam shady, leprechaun) are not elaztech-based but plain ole plastisol-based compounds.
Luis nailed it! Our slam shady 2.0, bomber, and alabama leprechaun are not elaztech.