Typical Mistakes When Rigging Live Or Dead Cut Bait
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Time and again, fishermen make these same mistakes when rigging cut bait.
You’ll only cost yourself more on bait and you’ll lose out on fish you could’ve caught.
Correct these cut bait mistakes to hook into more fish!
Typical Mistakes When Rigging Cut Bait [VIDEO]
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You first need to have a way to cut the bait using either shears or a baitknife.
In this case, I’m using frozen mullet but this technique can apply to other kinds of finfish we’d be using for bait.
Before doing anything else, cut the tail off of the fish.
If you leave the tail on, it may cause your bait to spin in the current which is unnatural for a hungry fish.
With regards to using mullet, you should cut them in about 2-3 inch sections.
The mullet used in the video above was large enough for 3 sections (tail, belly, and head).
Don’t throw away the heads!!
That is one of the best baits to catch redfish.
Mistake #1
When you go to rig the mullet on the hook and pull the hook through the top of the bait, make sure to remove the scales from the hook point.
The scales cover and hide the hook point basically hindering you from hooking into any fish at all.
Mistake #2
You want to make sure you rig your baits up so they appear streamlined in the water.
That means you want to hook the bait through the narrow end to have the back end facing out.
That way it is not spinning as much in the current.
Mistake #3
Another common mistake is some anglers will actually bury the hook point into their bait and leave it there.
The line of thinking is “If you hide the hook, the fish won’t see it and you’ll catch more fish”.
However, that is not so true.
You want to have the hook point fully exposed.
Mistake #4
Make sure you are using the RIGHT hook size for the bait you’re fishing with.
You don’t want to match the hook to the size of the fish you’re after, but rather to the size of the bait.
When it comes to inshore fishing, I don’t go bigger than a 6/0 hook.
I find that a 4/0 to 5/0 circle hook gets the job done for many sizes of cut bait.
Conclusion
Cut bait is an excellent way to reel in some really nice redfish this fall.
But be sure not to make any of the mistakes I outlined above or else you could be losing out on fish and losing money on bait.
Does anything else stand out when it comes to cut bait rigging mistakes?
If you think of any other common mistakes, please share them below this article!!
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about the typical mistakes when rigging cut bait, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Tony. Love your content. What’s the rest of this terminal rig? Were you throwing the cut bait on a Carolina rig?
Thanks Scott!
This was just a free-lined setup. This rod had 20lb braid and I was using a 25lb leader with a circle hook. No weight since it was very shallow here and no current.
Thanks Tony! These tips along with some previous videos you’ve done have been very helpful when it comes to the proper rigging. After spending the last 4-5 days since you posted this attempting to catch my first overslot/bull red (or any size for that matter), I can’t seem to catch almost anything except catfish! I haven’t caught any reds at all (two black drum) on the cut bait, I’ve even tried bigger chunks and/or the entire bait, yet it either gets picked apart or eventually snagged off the hook completely after getting mushy in the water. Any tips or insights that you can provide?
Hey Xavier!
Shoot me over an e-mail at tony@saltstrong.com or send me a message in the chat in the community and I can share some tips with ya!
Great tip. I have been doing it the wrong way, Hopefully I will have better luck applying this method.
Glad it can help and good luck out there Guy!
Hey Tony,
Thanks for your excellent piece. Caught a 28” red this morning because of it. Incoming tide, current wrapping around an island point near Yankeetown
Awesome Paul!
Do cut the tail. It helps to keep the bait from spinning.
For sure!
When using a whole frozen mullet, or sardine…should I still cut the tail off? Where is the best place to put the hook on a whole frozen bait?
Hey Scott!
Yes with any dead bait of any size you will want to cut the tail off. Best way to hook them is through the mouth and out of the top of the mouth or right through the eyes.
Thanks Tony, I learned a LOT from this. You are one of the reasons that I love Salt Strong. Just great advice, every time.
You’re welcome Pete! Thanks so much for the kind words and support!
Great video, Tony! I have two questions:
• Did you leave your bail open and wait for the red to run with the bait before reeling down? If so, were you able to sense the tension before pulling back on the rod (since you don’t need to set with a circle hook)?
• In previous videos you mention using the in-line vs offset circle hooks due to the snagging, yet these Owner Mutu-Lights are indeed the offset ones… can you clarify?
Thanks Xavier!
I did have the bail open and then when I saw my line start to move i closed it. The red started pulling before I even tried to put pressure on him.
Yes these are the offset ones. I’m actually working on a video showing when you should use each type. If using offset or J-Hooks, they are best when you are actively fishing the bait (rod in hand) that way you don’t give the fish too much time to swallow the hook. If leaving the rod in a rod holder a true inline circle hook would be the way to go but can be used in either scenario.
Hey Tony On your video using cut bait I did not see any weight on the line, wouldn’t this cause the bait to float
Hey Rick!
This was very shallow water (less than 2ft) and the weight of the bait itself was enough to keep it down. If fishing deeper water and/or stronger current I would definitely recommend using a weighted rig, such as a fish finder rig or carolina rig.
Tony, can you put some recommendations down for the heavier rods that you use for targeting bull reds with cut bait?
Hey Steven!
The rod I was using is a custom rod, but I also use an 8′ Avid Inshore for the larger bull reds (Model: VIS80MHF) Medium Heavy Power Fast Action. The longer rods help with “lobbing” those heavier baits out. However, I have used my standard inshore setups that I use for artificials with cut bait as well. I would only see the need to use a beefy rod if going after 40+inch fish with very large chunks of bait.