Mono Ballyhoo Rig
I’ve spent some time showing some variations of rigging ballyhoo on mono leader, but I realized that while it is simple, I never showed how to build the rig.
So here are the steps to building one of the simplest, yet most effective trolling rigs in fishing.
The rig can be made out of various sized hardware and leader to match the quarry and the amount of pressure you will be using. You can rig them as individual leaders with hooks, or right to the wind-on leader like we do for tuna fishing. The possibilities are endless and everyone develops their own style for their fishery.
Step one, take your sharpened hook and insert a copper wire about ¼ of and inch or less. Fold it down against the back of the hook shank. This is a Mustad 7691 that we use for tuna fishing here in Central Florida. It will match up with a med to large ballyhoo.
I prefer copper wire because it cinches down and stays put much better than monel.
The monel is springy and wants to loosen up. It also gets little kinks in it that will cut your hands when you try to smooth out the wire to re-rig a bait. Some will argue that copper will break, but I would say that we change out and re-do these mono rigs often enough that the rig is usually spent before the copper can get weak. There are different lengths and weights of copper wire, so make sure you use a heavier copper for larger baits. I get the longer wire and trim to fit.
Next take 2 to 3 wraps around the folded copper tag and the hook shank as seen in the picture above.
Now pass the wire upward through the eye of the hook. It must go in this direction for the wire to be positioned to pass into the head of the bait.
Next tie or crimp the mono leader to the eye of the hook. Any knot you have confidence in will work. I like to crimp anything over 80-pound test. You can refer here for more on crimping.
Now you are ready to rig using any of the variations we have discussed or one’s you know.
Don’t forget that while naked baits are the most edible compared to baits with skirts and lure heads, they have a more subtle presence in the water. That is why we use multiple teasers in the spread to draw the fish in, where they find the most edible gumdrops to gobble, hook and all.
Other Ballyhoo rigging tips:
