[js1172]

starting to build king rigs for my trip to the obx in june, the rig itself will be 69# wire to 3.5' of80#wire to 6' of 80# flouro, I know the trebles need to be 4x but what size 4 or 6, also the meat hook, I'm thinking 3/0 to 4/0 but does it need to be 4x also? thanks all
js

 

[Reelturner]

There is no need to use two different sized wires for your rig. But you do as you please, it is your choice.

That being said many pin riggers will use either all wire going all the way to the hooks or attaching fluorocarbon to the wire via a Alright Knot--doubling back the wire and wrapping with the fluorocarbon and then going on to the hooks.

I was taught to use A MINIMUM OF size #4 trebles when making up my rigs. Since then all I've used was size #4's. I see other anglers using size #2's and there are a few out there that will not use anything any smaller than #2's also. One regular on the northern banks uses only # 1/0's. . He says he doesn't want the smaller ones to bend and that is why he will not use trebles any smaller than his # 1/0's. What I said is for kings, etc.

If your targeting or fishing for large Spanish then get yourself some gold trebles size #6 and use a smaller size wire. I have been one particular pier that either they were catching mostly spanish OR tarpon depending on that day. Course if a tarpon eats your bait and your using a small treble your odds are against you from the start.

Single meat hooks.........I'm in the house and my box is out in the building...I can't remember about the strength but size 3/0-4/0-5/0 is in the ballpark.

Hope this helps ....you decide.

 

[Reelturner]

Oh about the guy that uses nothing less than # 1/0 trebles. He used to run #80 mono years ago, then the last time I saw him last year he dropped down to running #60 mono on a Penn 50 Int.

I can't disagree with his opinion of what he told me one day.. I come out here and get a room to fish off the end for three month at a time (he is semi-retired) and by dang the last thing I'm worrying about is 1, if I have enough line or 2, is my hooks going to bend or break to cost me the loss of a fish of a lifetime. I go heavy.

 

[Garboman]

starting to build king rigs for my trip to the obx in june, the rig itself will be 69# wire to 3.5' of80#wire to 6' of 80# flouro, I know the trebles need to be 4x but what size 4 or 6, also the meat hook, I'm thinking 3/0 to 4/0 but does it need to be 4x also? thanks all
js

Most folks I fished with used 18" of 69 pound test wire from the hooks to a very small swivel and then 100 pound mono leader. I do not like Albright knots.

My leaders were 6-7' in total length. I want the leader to be at least as long as the fish I am after.

If you use a long wire leader with no mono, the fish can potentially tail wrap the wire and break you off.

I then had my 25 pound running line doubled for 30' feet with a spider hitch for the pilings.

I used 4/0 extra strong live bait hooks.

Sometimes I used only single hooks, we had problems in the old days with King Mackerel coming up on clear water days with little wind and looking closely at the bait, and if the bait looked funny the King would move on....so we used small hooks

Anyway that is the way I did it thirty years ago when I fished all summer long.

 

[lil red jeep]

Most folks I fished with used 18" of 69 pound test wire from the hooks to a very small swivel and then 100 pound mono leader. I do not like Albright knots.

My leaders were 6-7' in total length. I want the leader to be at least as long as the fish I am after.

If you use a long wire leader with no mono, the fish can potentially tail wrap the wire and break you off.

I then had my 25 pound running line doubled for 30' feet with a spider hitch for the pilings.

I used 4/0 extra strong live bait hooks.

Sometimes I used only single hooks, we had problems in the old days with King Mackerel coming up on clear water days with little wind and looking closely at the bait, and if the bait looked funny the King would move on....so we used small hooks

Anyway that is the way I did it thirty years ago when I fished all summer long.

Its guys like you who have done this in their sleep and know 99% of all the ins and outs that pass on info like this and make this site what it is. Not as many guys on here as in years past who would post pics of rigs and such, but its nice that you shared this. Its different than how I usually set up, but then again, I always thought I was doing something a little wrong and couldn't put a finger on it. Long story short....thanks for sharing!

 

[js1172]

I was given a rig last year when I first started pin rigging at the insistence of Milton, by jimmy from Suffolk va, it has about 8' of 80 mono or flouro, then a swivel, then 3.5 feet of wire, at the end of that wire the meat hook is haywired, through the haywire is lighter wire haywired in with 2 trebles, the release clip goes through the swivel at the main line leader junction. still learning and trying to prepare for my annual trip. will be using a pen 4/0 with upgraded drags running 50# mono topshot backed with 60# braid on a 6' ande 20/50 stand up rod. any advise is appreciated. thanks all
js

 

[Drumdum]

In the days,matter of fact,earlier than Garbo described: We used straight wire,with two single eagle claw 3/0 cadmium coated hooks that we would allow to rust a bit before using.. We would sharpen them up,cause back then we didn't have those fancy presharpened sumbeetches they have today,attaching one hook at the front of dorsal and the other near the anal fin.. That worked WELL when water was super clear.. Then we started attaching mono to the wire with Albright (which isn't the best knot but when attaching to wire without a swivel which would be more hardware for the king to see,it worked,especially since your running line or 50 shock would break before that 80 would).. This rig worked GREAT for kings,we had to upsize a bit when cobia started showing up in numbers off Frisco around 78,but the same general rig..

PS I don't remember but a FEW and I mean a FEW out of hundreds caught with this rig that were foul hooked like a treble would do.. They were hooked in the roof of the mouth or the corner of the jaw.. Which would be a rarity nowadays..

I talked to a friend of mine that I fished with yrs ago using this rig,and he as well as I don't understand the need for all the trebles nowadays..

 

[js1172]

Ken, can I come by for lessons?
js

 

[Drumdum]

anytime I'm home you are welcome..

 

[Garboman]

In the days,matter of fact,earlier than Garbo described: We used straight wire,with two single eagle claw 3/0 cadmium coated hooks that we would allow to rust a bit before using.. We would sharpen them up,cause back then we didn't have those fancy presharpened sumbeetches they have today,attaching one hook at the front of dorsal and the other near the anal fin.. That worked WELL when water was super clear.. Then we started attaching mono to the wire with Albright (which isn't the best knot but when attaching to wire without a swivel which would be more hardware for the king to see,it worked,especially since your running line or 50 shock would break before that 80 would).. This rig worked GREAT for kings,we had to upsize a bit when cobia started showing up in numbers off Frisco around 78,but the same general rig..

PS I don't remember but a FEW and I mean a FEW out of hundreds caught with this rig that were foul hooked like a treble would do.. They were hooked in the roof of the mouth or the corner of the jaw.. Which would be a rarity nowadays..

I talked to a friend of mine that I fished with yrs ago using this rig,and he as well as I don't understand the need for all the trebles nowadays..

I forgot to add as DD reminded me.

Every morning before I put a rig out, I re-sharpened my hooks as a ritual.

I liked the small swivel because I felt my bait swam better, especially if you had a real small bait and you wanted it to live for a long time, long enough for something to come and get ahold of it.

I also knew a couple fellas who only used three #6 4X strong Eagle Claw trebles with crimps and seven strand, to let the bait swim even more easily, these fellas were from SE NC.

There were a lot of Cobia when I fished, and two or three single hooks had a much better chance of getting past the crushers and hooking the cobia deep.