Easiest Ways To Rig The Gold Digger Paddletail
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
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How should you rig the Gold Digger Paddletail for instant success?
Using the simple methods described below, you can catch more fish using the Gold Digger on your next trip!
Check it out in this video right here!!
Easiest Ways To Rig The Gold Digger Paddletail [VIDEO]
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Click here to get your FREE pack of Gold Digger Paddletail Lures
Featured Equipment:
- Gold Digger 3.5” Paddletail
- 3/0 Owner Weighted Twistlock Hooks 1/8 oz.
- 1/8 oz. Saltwater Assassin Pro-Elite Jighead
The Gold Digger is a 3.5-inch black paddletail lure sprinkled with golden flakes.
Because of its color scheme, it is perfect for murky or dirty water fishing conditions.
As far as rigging these lures, there are two main ways that work the best.
That is either on a jighead or a weedless weighted hook.
Depending on the surrounding area and the type of presentation you desire will determine which style of hook you should use.
Weedless Weighted Hook
Weedless weighted hooks are best used in very shallow water of anything less than 3 feet.
Or they excel if you are trying to get close to mangroves or other intrusive structures.
Owner Weighted Twistlock Hooks are a perfect choice because of the twistlock feature and lead weight on the hook shank.
For the Gold Digger Paddletail, the ideal hook specifics are a 3/0 sized hook weighing 1/8 oz.
To start, center the spring on the hook with the center of the paddletail lure.
Then, twist the lure onto the spring.
Once the belly of the lure is facing the point of the hook, slide the hook shank into the belly of the lure.
Slide the hook up through the bottom and out of the top of the lure.
Try to keep everything as straight and centered as possible.
Finally, as an option, you can barely skin-hook the hook point in the lure to initiate its weedless applications.
Jigheads
As far as jigheads are concerned, anything from 1/8 oz. to 1/4 oz. works perfectly with the Gold Digger.
The weight will vary on how deep you are fishing.
Traditionally, jigheads are best used in deeper water of anything over 4 feet.
Jigheads are designed to get your baits down to the bottom faster because of its head placement.
Weighted hooks are designed to glide slowly down to the bottom.
If you are fishing around a lot of intrusive structure, you may not want to go with a jighead that has an exposed hook.
To rig the Gold Digger Paddletail on a jighead, simply slide the hook point through the center of the nose of the lure.
Continue to slide the lure onto the hook while keeping it centered.
Once the lure is securely on the jighead, you can expose the hook point and slide the lure up over the jighead barbs.
Furthermore, in terms of ideal jighead colors to use with the Gold Digger, we find brighter colors like chartreuse to work best.
Chartreuse stands out in dirtier water which is when the Gold Digger is at its best.
The reason for that is the color gold actually requires less light to flash.
In murky water, there is less light penetration which makes the Gold Digger a go-to choice.
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Conclusion
The Gold Digger Paddletail is an essential part of an inshore angler’s tackle box.
If you come across dirty or murky water, you are going to wish you had a Gold Digger Paddletail!
Be sure to take advantage of our current offer and order your FREE pack of these lures today!
Click here to get your FREE pack of Gold Digger Paddletail Lures
Do you have any more questions on how to rig the Gold Digger Paddletail?
Let me know down below!
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about how to rig the Gold Digger Paddletail, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Great lure. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure Stephen!
Awesome tips Tony! Love the Gold Digger!
Thanks Richard!
Love the tip on when to push the hook out of the lure. Details matter.
For sure! Getting those jig heads placed properly is key to making sure you’re lure has the proper action and appearance.
Yes I have used these and similar other paddletails made from other companies to the gulp root beer gold with chartruese tail is one of my favorites and used on a safety pin style spinnerbaits is deadly on reds and flounder inmy primarily murky water where I live and fish here in Jacksonville Florida st Augustine area thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
Good stuff Steven!
Great video Tony I have been fishing these upside down as it helps me align bait and hook They work great here in the Mosquito Lagoon and IR Thanks for the info
Thanks Terry!
Tony…Good info on why they work so well in murky water which is what we have mostly in the inshore waters of the OBX.
Just ordered my free Gold Digger Paddletails. Probably need to get your computer geeks to change the offer. It says “Just pay $2.83 Shipping.” Actually with the constant USPS rate increases it is now $3.50 shipping. Still an awesome deal. Keep the great info coming…just renewed my subscription!
Thank you for the great feedback Kim!
We will look into that!
After watching your trip video, I decided to try out the gold digger on an early morning trip in murky water. Result: slot trout and 19″ and 22″ snook.
Awesome!
Thanks for the video and your time.
You’re welcome James!
Thanks for the video, Tony! Gold Digger is my #1 go to lure due to the murky water in the canal/bayou at my house. What do you recommend for slightly deeper water that also has structure (mangroves/oysters/grass)? It would seem that a 1/4oz weighted weedless hook would be ideal, however that’s not an available option in the Owner TwistLOCK or Hoss Helix hooks, and I am constantly getting snagged if I choose to go with an open jighead.
Xavier. Don’t know if this will help but I add weight with a slotted sinker. I’m just careful to center it. So it doesn’t throw the swim pattern off. Hope this helps
You’re welcome Xavier! You could use a bullet weight in addition to the weighted hook.
Great work Tony!
Thanks Matt!