GAME PLAN

GAME PLAN

Gill plate. Then take a wrap or two through the eye socket and two wraps in back of the wire where it goes down through the head. Finish the bait by wrapping in front of the spot where the wire enters its head and then wrapping down the bill to hold the shank of the hook to it. That’s it — nothing to it. Most people rig this with the hook on top, and the ballyhoo tend to alternate between skipping and swimming. But you can also rig the ballyhoo with the hook on the bottom by reversing the procedure. Instead of down through the bait’s head, run your wire up and repeat the wrapping process described above with the hook positioned beneath the bait’s jaw.

RIGGING SWIMMERS WITH CIRCLE HOOKS 

You can also rig the ballyhoo to swim quite easily with a circle hook by adding lead. Most captains do this by putting a 1⁄8 - ounce sinker wired with the hook on top of the fish and the lead under its “chin.” Simply slide the lead onto the monel wire after running it down through the ballyhoo’s head before you begin the wrapping process. When you take wraps behind the gills, the lead becomes locked in place and forces the bait’s head to ride in a downward attitude, causing it to work in a swimming motion. You can also rig the weight sideways in the bait’s eye socket, running the wire through the lead when you go through the socket