Snag-Proof Your Soft Plastics!

Rigging your Squidgies and other soft plastic lures “weedless” or “snag-proof” is much easier than many people seem to think! And once they’re rigged this way, it’s possible to cast these lures into places you could never otherwise reach or cover effectively without constantly snagging up your line and losing expensive tackle. Trust me, you’ll catch a lot more fish as a result of adding this little trick to your rigging repertoire.

Snag-proofing plastics is easy!

These days, at least 75 – 80% of the plastics I cast for barramundi and saratoga in northern Australian waters are rigged weedless/snag-proof. But these innovative rigging strategies go far beyond those species. The same approach works like a charm on any fish that favours hanging out in or around dense snag, rock or weed cover. Bream, bass, estuary perch, flathead, mangrove jack, fingermark, Murray cod, golden perch (yellowbelly) and even trout can all be targeted very effectively by “Texas-rigging” your softies on wide-gape worm hooks.

Weedless or snag-proofed plastics are deadly on barra… but there’s more to it than that!

The most important part of this rigging  system is a wide-gaped worm hook, or a jig head or other delivery vehicle that incorporates a wide gape worm hook. These hooks may look a bit odd at first glance, but they work really well. Lots of companies now make this style of hook. Some good ones include Mustad, Owner, Gamakatsu, and VMC. One really interesting new addition to the wide gape worm hook field is the KVD Grip-Pin hook from Mustad. This clever hook incorporates a little pin that helps keep the head of the rigged plastic in place, preventing it from being too easily ripped free or scrunched down into the hook bend by a striking fish. Another very innovative presentation vehicle for this style of rigging is the TT Lures Snake Head.

A lovely barra on a snag-proofed Squidgy Mongrel.

A lovely barra on a snag-proofed Squidgy Mongrel.

The best way to learn this deadly rigging technique is to closely study the accompanying photos and illustrations.

TO READ THIS BLOG IN FULL & ACCESS OTHERS IN THE SERIES, JOIN “STARLO’S INNER CIRCLE”.