Don’t Make These Mistakes When Rigging Weedless Soft Plastics!
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
We’ve got to STOP making these mistakes when rigging weedless soft plastics!!!
In this video, I’ll detail the TWO most common mistakes and how you can correct them.
If you keep making the same mistakes, your presentations will appear unnatural and uninteresting to predatory fish.
Take a look!!
Mistakes When Rigging Weedless Soft Plastics [VIDEO]
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Mistake #1: Wrong Lure/Hook Pairing
Whether you are using a paddletail swimbait, a jerk shad, or even shrimp lures, these rigging tips apply.
If you use a 3/0 hook with our 5-inch BOMBER lure, the hook is not going to sit properly.
The hook will sit too far forward which is not ideal.
Some predatory fish, like trout, strike from the tail-end of the lure and often kick that tail up.
Not only will your hook point be hidden, but the lure can ‘taco’ and catch the hook point and look completely unnatural.
A larger hook with the BOMBER actually prevents that from even happening in the first place.
Similarly, on the flip side, a shorter soft plastic lure paired with a larger hook won’t work as best either.
You have to slide the hook through the super skinny ends of the tail to properly rig a small lure on a big hook.
It will not glide right in the water and certainly can appear unnatural.
In very clear water, fish can be picky, and having the best possible presentation only sets you up for success later on.
For smaller soft plastics, the 3/0 hook pairs best, and with larger lures, I recommend bumping up to the 4/0 hooks.
It has a HUGE impact!!!
Mistake #2: Not Centering The Lure
Before you twist a lure onto a helix or slide it onto a hook shank, be sure to have the hook point centered in the lure.
Take a few extra seconds to make sure you are in the center of the lure.
Rigging Z-Man Soft Plastics
If you are fishing using any Z-Man lures, then you will have to create a pilot hole in the lures.
Z-Man uses its ElaZtech blend to create its soft plastic lures.
The material is A LOT more stretchy and flexible than other plastics.
First, create a pilot hole by inserting the hook point into the head of the soft plastic.
Then, take the spring on the hook and push it into the pilot hole you’ve just created.
Now, grab hold of the spring around the lure and spin the hook with your other hand to dig the spiral into the plastic.
Twist the hook until the lure begins to twist and then slide the hook point through and out the top of the bait.
If you try to rig one of these lures up as I described earlier in the video, it won’t catch and the lure will fall right off the hook.
Conclusion
Natural-looking presentations catch WAY more fish than lures rigged up improperly.
If you want to catch MORE fish, you’ve got to correct these rigging mistakes!!
Do you have any additional questions about any of these mistakes when rigging soft plastics?
Please share what you think in the comments!!
If you know someone who wants to learn more about any of these mistakes when rigging soft plastics, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Great video Wyatt! You explained the problems well.
Thank you for the Video. Just got my 5″ Slam Shady Bombers with the 4.0!
This Beginner Now has All the soft plastics rigged properly. Ready for Walking the beach and Hunting Bull Reds!
Thanks for the instruction. I mess up all the time. I think this will help.
Thank you so much! Have struggled with the Zman for awhile
No problem Sam! They’re a bit easier with the pilot hole & pinch method!
Great info! Thank you
Absolutely Fletcher!
Thanks for the tips. I hope all of the Saltstrong team came through hurricane Ian ok. I live in the Pensacola area and have been through several hurricanes. Not having power, flooding, no air conditioning, no gas, all make it tough. Joe and Luke, I would ask, if you or anyone on your team need anything, please reach out to the Saltstrong Nation. You help us all year to enjoy our hobby and I would bet most of us would be willing to return the kindness. If nothing else, you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Thanks so much Mel, we greatly appreciate the support!
Thanks Wyatt. I haven’t used Z-man baits yet so appreciate tip on how to rig them and tips on hook size for different baits.
No problem Joe!
Could you focus the camera shot better on the hands in some of your video.Other than that your videos are some of the best in the business.Thanks.
Sorry about that Gregory, with the constant moving around and the lens I have, it doesn’t always autofocus as quickly as I’d like, but I’ll try to do it a bit cleaner next time!
You are correct but for me I guess its a common sence thing because I can usually tell by the hook and lure if the hook is the right size or not when rigged if the hook covers about half the area of the lure its usually correct but if it covers three quarters or more then to me its obviously to big for the lure like on paddletails for instance if the hook on the lure when rigged if the point goes into the tail of the lure instead of the body then how would the tail move correctly?! It wouldn’t because the hook would impede the true action of the lure but to me that’s common sence but of coarse I also have been fishing with artificials since I was about 14 years old I started out in mich using the old mister twister curly tail grubs with a quarter ounce jighead for smallmouth bass
in the 70s so that’s 46 years out of my 58 years on this earth that I have used artificials for fishing and dont use anything but lures no bait I have no confidence in it I know it works its just not for me that’s all thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
Thank ya as always Steven!
Wyatt,
Thanks for the Z-man tip! I have made them work, but much clumsier & awkward mounting to hook. Your screw pinch method is direct & specific – I like it!
Great tip on the Z-man. I have struggled many times with putting the weighted hooks on the Z-man. This method look easy and faster to do (I don’t know how many times I pricked myself with the hook doing it my way). Thanks
I actually stole this Z-Man rigging tip from Tony, so the credit goes to him!