How to Rig Lures Like the Pros

(Originally published July/August 2014)

Presentation is everything when it comes to enticing big game. Here’s how to do it the same way as the captains and mates whose tournament chances depend on it.

By Greg Thummel

Growing up fishing in New Jersey during the 1980s and ‘90s, lure fishing was king. The better boats trolled lures most of the time and turned it into an art. My first trip lure fishing next to these boats and seeing what they caught left me hooked!

How a lure is rigged is one of the secrets to the art of lure trolling. I have confidence in the quality of my rigs after years of practice and studying how the pros have done it.

They are very simple and tough.

Here is a step-by-step process of how I rig my lures.

First, if my lure has a metal tube, I like to take a No. 3 drill point countersink and clean the ends to remove any possible sharp edges. Then, if there is room in the tube, I like to slide some chaff tubing inside, with a millimeter sticking out both ends. Then, I take a grill lighter and heat the ends so they mushroom, locking the chaff tube into place.