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Posts: 7067
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Its fall, and alot of us run suckers to tempt the big girls.....lets talk about sucker rigging! Bring on your techniques for rigging, how to run them, etc. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I try to keep them out of the water for as long as possible while rigging them, so that they roll on their back when I put them down. 
Actually, I run a 2 treble quick set rig. I will usually put one close to the bottom, one on a bobber down anywhere from 7-15' deep, and one that is on a bobber 5 feet down for any followers. If I am feeling lucky, and have another dude in da sled, I will run another down rod close to the boat about half way down.
One thing I realized this year is, make sure to feel the fish and judge which way they are moving. This will greatly help your hookups. Don't just feel them, and jack the hooks right away. Most of the time they are not going to drop the sucker, even if you are pulling lightly to get them to move away from you. |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I agree with Tuffy1 set the hook with the fish, not just willy-nilly or you are going to yank it right out of her yap. I've used just about every type of rig but really love the Herbie. |
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Posts: 3908
| I make my own and so far have been very pleased with the performance. First, let me say that I use suckers while casting baits. The suckers hang straight down from a rod that is held 90* from the boatside - rod in holder, using an Ambaussadur w/ baitclicker feature. I raise and lower the sucker depending on structure: bring 'em up when approaching tall weeds, and lower 'em down when I get back away from the breakline. I use my trolling motor and wind to move along and the sucker is essentially slow-trolled, but always staying straight down, or slightly angled, from the rodtip. HOw?s that? Well, that's the cool part. Check this out...
from the rodtip - the line is tied to a 90# McMahon swivel, there's a bell sinker attached to the lower eye of the swivel using a rubberband, and I have about 4' of 60# braided sevenstrand double crimped to the same lower swivel eye. About 2' down the wire, there's a dime-sized colorado blade on a clevis, couple small beads, then a light crimp to hold it in place. Proceeding down the wire, there's a size? mustad blood red treble, wire goes thru the eye and is held tightly to the shank with shrink tubing. Wire proceeds to go thru another clevis that is holding a larger treble, maybe a #4 VMC, and the wire proceeds down to another #4 VMC that is double crimped at the end of the leader. The Mustad goes thru the upper lip of the sucker and then thru a small piece of rubberband, the other two trebles are attached to the sucker as normal.
As I travel along, the bell sinker holds the line down from the rodtip, and the sucker is pulled along at a 90* angle to the line. If everything is working righjt, the sucker swims slowy along as it is pulled by the movement of the boat. That small colorado blade slowly spins around. I use the rubberband to quick-change the weight of the bell sinker depending on how fast I'm moving. If the wind is up, I need more weight. If the sucker is big, I need more weight, too, so he stays down where I want him.
Pretty cool, eh? |
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Posts: 459
Location: New Baden IL | Has anybody used suckers down south?
How do they do with them on Cave Run/Green River?
I dont think I've ever heard of someone catching a muskie on a sucker at Kinkaid.
There isn't many of them to buy down here.
I bet a big goldfish with a hammered gold Colorado blade hanging off it's back would be pretty cool looking in the water.
Rod |
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Posts: 20238
Location: oswego, il | I make my own sucker rigs and assemble them to the size sucker I am using. I use mustad round bend hooks, usually the 1/0 or 2/0 hooks. I make leades of variying lengths and put 1 or 2 on depending on the size of sucker. The sucker has to only be about 10" for me to only use 1 hook. I attach the snap to the nose sucker with a rubber band. I will put one hook on top just in front of the top dorsal fin and the other in the tough part of the meat by the rear pectoral on the bottom. I find with suckers under 14" it is important to balance the hooks or the fish will tire and if the hooks are on top, it will ride upside down. I think this fall I may try to put both hooks on the bottom. IMHO my hook choice is vital. Using the mustad that is not a 4X hook allows me better penetration without that bone jarring knock your hat off hookset. Also the lighter weght of the hooks does not work against the sucker trying to stay upright. My hookups are excellent with this setup. |
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Posts: 600
Location: West Bend, WI | Here is my sucker tip for the year,remember ya heard it here first!! NEVER think that you can go pick up 4 jumbo suckers in a 5 gallon bucket,and think that you can make it home with out you and your car getting soaked 
Edited by plitzzz 10/9/2004 4:40 PM
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | FLMAO I can picture that from the old days Pltzzzz. 
How many of you put spinners on your suckers. Either before the sucker on the leader, or as a tail gunner. I have used them as tail gunners, but never got a fish like that. I suppose you need to give it some good time for that success. Just wondering if it makes a big difference in your catches or not. Also, if you do use them, when would you use one vs. not use one? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I agree, I'd like to hear feedback from the guys using some blades..if they seem to attract more or bigger fish? I started making my own, pretty simple and can be used for any size sucker...I put a small #10 walleye hook on some 90lb seven strand, at one end I tie on a 2/0 treble, then the other I tie a 90lb ball bearing swivel. I can adjust the small hook to the size of the sucker and just lightly hook it in the softer tissue around the mouth and just put the treble in the top middle of the sucker...
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | The Herbie system has been my preferred presentation. Rubber band through the nose and one or two hook system depending on the size of the sucker. JB weld your own safty pin on a variety of hooks from small - large. Crimp differenmt size leads on each hook and you'll be able to fish suckers in all sizes with one or two hooks.
Tail gunners work! They have been very effective for me. Different sizes and colors allow you to find something they like. This weekend it was all about chart tail gunners. They would not look at orange, nickel or no gunner presentations. Might be a fluke but after 4 days of dragging meat and only catching fish on chart gunners, who knows?
I did land my first muskie on a circle hook system. Crimp a 10/0 circle hook on a 16", 27#+ wire leader and your all set. After experimenting with this rig chasing fall pike I have gained confidence in the presentation. 90% hooking percentage. 100% hooked in the corner of the mouth. Converting this system for muskie my hooking percentage went down and I was missing fish. I have determined that the small pike suckers were eaten much more rapidly, which eliminated the need to wait very long before setting the hook. Muskie size suckers require more patience and wait time which is hard to come by when you have a muskie on the end of your line. I was setting the hook before the fish turned and swallowed the bait. Anybody else have luck with circle hooks on larger bait? Any suggestions on the length of time to wait?
I now use Herbie rigs for large suckers. This allows me to set the hook immediately (more my style). If I am fishing smaller suckers circle hooks get the nod. Easy to rig and a more natural presentation.
When using QS rigs and super braids I have found that you do not need a superhuman hook set. Make sure the fishing is turning away from the boat (reposition w/ TM if necessary) and give it a good pull. Straightened hooks and pulling the hook out of the muskie will be the end result with to much force and super braid lines.
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Posts: 336
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | make sure you use the kind of hooks that dont straighten out on the hookset. just ask tuffy1. sorry dude, had to do it. he he.
lazer |
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Posts: 389
Location: Presque Isle Wisconsin | Im still using the "Presque Isle" rig from last year and still have not lost a fish on it.NO comparison to any other setup. Punch a small hole through the suckers mouth run a 30"peice of seven strand with a barrel swivel on the end through the hole.The other end has one 5/0 treble on it.Attach trabe near the suckers dorsal fin lightly in and out after scraping off some scales.Attach to a snap swivel on your line. Hook sets are very strong as 100% of your set goes directly to the hook. Suckers stay very lively as the setup is minimally invasive. Easy and fast to rig Ill never use any other method.Period |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Howie, where are you punching the hole in the lip? In the top or on the sides of the mouth. I would imagine the top, as when it is in the sides, the hookes pull back into the side of the sucker. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I am using Howie's Presque Isle rig also, but have been running tygar leader instead of Seven Strand. I like the idea of tying a knot instead of crimping.
You will not get a sucker to remain more lively on any other rig, and all hookset energy transfers where its supposed to!
I tend to keep my suckers on a short leash, keeping them in an absolutely vertical presentation (most of you know why) with somewhere between five to ten feet of line out, depending on the structure I am fishing.
Edited by nwild 10/12/2004 11:24 AM
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Posts: 222
| Norm, I used that mythod last year to. One question, by putting the leader through the lip, aren't the hooks going forward towards the suckers mouth instead of up into the muskies mouth when setting the hook. I was thinking about putting a rubber band through the nostrils and just run the tyger leader through that instead of the of the hole in the mouth. Then when you set the hooks I would think the hooks would come up more easily. what do you think? |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | Jimbo,
Very good questions, here is my attempt to answer them. First, I place the hook high on the sucker, as near to the top as I can. Second, I hook them very lightly, I loose suckers because of this all the time.
Your question about the direction of the hook movement. Ideally you want the hooks to stay clear of the sucker and head toward the corner of the fishes mouth. I think by hooking the sucker high and light you accomplish this. Your business set should send the hooks flying into the corner of the fishes mouth IF YOU HAVE MADE SURE THE FISH WAS MOVING AWAY FROM YOU before the set. I think this is an extemely important part of meat fishing that some people skip, they don't get the fish moving away before the set. If you don't, more times than not, you will come back with an empty rig. |
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Posts: 30
Location: England | The tackle being described here is very similar to that used in Europe for fishing livebaits. Major difference is you seem to use much bigger baits and therefore larger hooks. Do anglers in the states subscribe to the big bait = big fish theory? Also has anyone tried using a floating line & large float (bobber?) then let the wind take your bait to the snag/structure/fish? |
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Posts: 1284
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Norm, have you tried any of the hooks I showed to you last fall? 5/5 so far this year... |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I haven't yet, not because I am not going to, but because they are on the workbench yet. They will be the way I rig suckers from here on out (if I remember to put them in the boat).
Question for you Mr. Ghoti. What type of glue did you use to afix the hooks to the shank? What size shrink tube?
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Posts: 156
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | Norm/Howie
When you run the wire through the lip, does it actually pull free and break the lip of the sucker on the hookset? Otherwise, I don't understand how the treble hook is actually set into the fish's mouth. But, if you run it through just the skin by their nose/mouth, it would probably constantly rip out while dragging. Do you have a picture of this??
I use a method described earlier with a single , sharp, small treble on top of the sucker and a very small bait hook on top of the suckers head, barely hooking skin. When the fish is swimmin away point the rod tip right at the fish and reel in until the fish makes a strong move, then set hook, not real hard at all. (prevents rippin sucker from mouth) more than not, this hooks them..... Regardless, never horse in a sucker rig fish because if the musky is only holding on to the sucker without being hooked, this helps to give the hook more time to maybe find the muskys mouth. |
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Posts: 1284
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Norm, you've got a PM |
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| I use the blades in front of the sucker. I fish rivers in the fall and the blade (I feel) adds a bit of attraction. Because of the current in a river the blade keeps moving. I have used them on lakes as well and found that the pick ups with or with out blades has been the same. I think the only advantage for using blades would be for stained water applications. My 2 cents. Ed |
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| I would be surprised if I didn't miss a fish or two using the PI rig you are describing. On Eagle, we use 16"-20" suckers. If I were to put a hook on top of the sucker, back by the dorsal fin, I'd miss lots of fish. Muskies generally come in under a bait, and roll up on it. They do this to keep from getting spined by the fins on the baits back. I use the Herbie Rig, and in addition, put the hook in the side.
Just my 2 cents worth!
Donnie |
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Posts: 354
| Hey I would like a picture of the leader through the lip set up as well. Can anyone help us out. Sounds
interesting. |
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| Pictures guys, let's see some pictures of these rigs. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I have messed with lots of methods but here is my favorite so far:
big crane swivel-conect to leader snap on one end-other end to 4" of sevenstrand
inside the crimp I put the swivel and a cheap small (barely fit over wire) snapswivel
on that snapswivel I put a 1/32 oz jig that goes through the sucker's lip
on the other end of the rig is a 2/0 to 3/0 treble
I really like the ease of use with this. The rubber band takes too long and by the time your done (for me anyway) the sucker is dead.
The rig is good for suckers from 8-13" or so. I use two 5/0 trebles on bigger suckers but a similar rig. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I will take a picture of one of these suckers rigged this way on Saturday for all those interested. |
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| any one have pictures of these rigs? |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I forgot, sorry. I will post pictures tonight. |
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