moldcraft wideranges

[jrlsail]

I have a couple of wideranges in need of a single hook rig to run in south florida. I found little searching the forums and am looking for assistance in rigging these (i.e. hook size/type, spacers, etc). We troll for misc fish like fins, wahoo, blackfin, etc.

thanks in advance.

[frankypettolina]

Bill Buckland's Fisherman's Center in Palm Beach makes some excellent single hook rigs. Might be the best bet for you.

[Captain Fred Archer]

jrlsail

Here's how I do it, either tail gunner or scorpion style - I am a 100% scorpy man myself.

The first thing is to use a locking rig to lock the hook onto your leader. As you can see in the photo, I use a short piece of soft plastic tubing that's the right inside diameter for the leader with a nice, fat OD that has to be forced into the hook eye. Melt a ball at the end of the leader and pull the loop down very tight and swage it. If I am scorpy rigging, I am done. I pull the swage into the hole at the rear of the Softhead, it locks in, and I am set.

For tailgunner rigging, you have to locate some very stiff plastic tubing (straightened if you can get it) that fits tightly over your leader and that has a large outside diameter. This is easier than it sounds if you have an industrial supply house nearby. Then you just cut the tubing so that when the swage that holds it in place is in the hole at the back of the lure and the hook is in the right position. Swage the swage down gently and you are ready to go. In both cases the hook rig slides out of the head when you are hooked up, so the fish can't use the weight of the lure to throw it when he jumps.

Sorry, but I only have a picture of this style of rigging on a small squid and you can't see the plastic tubing or the swage in front of it. Hope it helps, though.

First shot is a "locked" hook.

Next two are CaboTigers in both scorpy and tailgunner riggings. These tailgunner has the plastic tubing as a spacer (the hard stuff is fantastic chafe gear too), just like with the Moldcrafts. The last shot is a Moldcraft Hooker rigged our way.

I wish I had some better photos, and I do, but they are in a book and I don't want to upset the "Site Spam Posse" anymore than I already have tonight, so I am not posting it here because I'll be damned if I would do so and not mention what book it came from. Sorry you got in the middle of that. I hope you get the drift...this works great.

[WAHOONBOX]

I have a couple of wideranges in need of a single hook rig to run in south florida. I found little searching the forums and am looking for assistance in rigging these (i.e. hook size/type, spacers, etc). We troll for misc fish like fins, wahoo, blackfin, etc.

thanks in advance.

WHAT IS THE LENTGH OF THE WIDE RANGES? AND WHAT IS THE LENTGH OF THE SKIRT ATTACHED TO THE HEAD?

[jrlsail]

WHAT IS THE LENTGH OF THE WIDE RANGES? AND WHAT IS THE LENTGH OF THE SKIRT ATTACHED TO THE HEAD?

These are the standard 9.5 inch so my guess is 7 inch. We live so close to fishing waters, I am trying to build my "quick afternoon pelagic 5 oclock" spread so I don't have to deal with bait.

Moldcrafts seem to do well for the money...I will be running two chuggers with birds and two wide ranges for a spread. Colors are blue/white, pink/white, green/yellow and purple/black/silver. Since I live next to the boynton inlet (south lake worth) and closest point to the stream in the us, it is sickening to most people that we can go out so quickly...

Current Record: From Dock to lines in to 30# wahoo to dock in 24 minutes. Wife left to get dinner supplies at publix 2 miles away at the same time we left the dock. We beat her home! Right when she asks why we hadn't left the dock, I threw it up on the dock! thug.... :-)

I've only fished my widerange once and the rig I built was horrible....the chuggers are good for summer dolphin and I have decent results when I choose to run them. The original store bought rigging is on those.

Fred's idea is new to me....never saw that type of rig. looks easy, cheap and effective. Do I go tuna style or standard hook?

[daytripper]

I'm most interested in this thread cause I intend to pull much more plastic this year....Considering the presence of wahoo, but more importantly a big ass blue, would you just make the hookset on cable to length and marry it thimble to thimble behind the head with your heavy mono leader?

[WahooKing]

Use a single hook stiffy

http://www.meltontackle.com/catalog/...oduct_id=13956

Have the hooks point just touching skirts end...You can add pony beads between the lure and hook rig to get desired length.

When selecting hook size per lure, the rule of thumb is the gap/bite of hook should just fit the diameter of the lure's head....I like to use open or closed throat s.s southern tuna style.

Boynton is a good fertile area for a mix bag....Be species specific for an increase catch rate...High speed troll the ledge 130'+ in a zig zag fashion for Wahoo...Concentrate your efforts on the strong tides/ebb tides on or around the new/full moon.

Fish the outer reef for Kings...

Run and Gun for Dolphin and Tuna....Look for them birds, rips and/or debree.

Good Luck

[dknott77]

Since if there is a blue marlin around and you drag a purple/black or all black standard wide range over him he will eat it, make sure you rig it right. First off stainless 7731 open hooks pretty much suck (open up like a paper clip). For a standard wide range single hook rig that you can put plenty of heat on, the 10/0 Jobu is your hook, the Hays 10/0 is great too, but a bit smaller than the Jobu and too small for the standard wide range. To rig it first take 7 inches of 650lb. stainless cable, slide on brass sleeve, then 1 inch of small chafe tube, then Jobu, pull all tight and crimp. On other end do the same minus the hook. Take 3/8in. shrink tube and measure piece that will cover from just past hook eye to right below loop at other end and shrink it. Now slide your leader thru(400/530lb.) lure, slide on aluminum hi-seas d or c sleeve(respectively), 1 inch piece of large chafe tube, and run through loop on hook rig. Pull tight and crimp. Now tape the two interlocking loops so their tight(decorator repair tape works the best). This rig works best when the hook stays pegged in the up position in the lure. Take some waxed thread and serve about two inches of half hitches up on your leader from your last crimp and slide softhead down over hitches to peg lure in place. Thelengths here will get your hook point just outside the rubber. And for gods sakes at least put out on 80! Good Luck with it!!!

[jrlsail]

Since if there is a blue marlin around and you drag a purple/black or all black standard wide range over him he will eat it, make sure you rig it right. First off stainless 7731 open hooks pretty much suck (open up like a paper clip). For a standard wide range single hook rig that you can put plenty of heat on, the 10/0 Jobu is your hook, the Hays 10/0 is great too, but a bit smaller than the Jobu and too small for the standard wide range. To rig it first take 7 inches of 650lb. stainless cable, slide on brass sleeve, then 1 inch of small chafe tube, then Jobu, pull all tight and crimp. On other end do the same minus the hook. Take 3/8in. shrink tube and measure piece that will cover from just past hook eye to right below loop at other end and shrink it. Now slide your leader thru(400/530lb.) lure, slide on aluminum hi-seas d or c sleeve(respectively), 1 inch piece of large chafe tube, and run through loop on hook rig. Pull tight and crimp. Now tape the two interlocking loops so their tight(decorator repair tape works the best). This rig works best when the hook stays pegged in the up position in the lure. Take some waxed thread and serve about two inches of half hitches up on your leader from your last crimp and slide softhead down over hitches to peg lure in place. Thelengths here will get your hook point just outside the rubber. And for gods sakes at least put out on 80! Good Luck with it!!!

Great advice. I will try this over the weekend....as for the 80 , we are in Boynton! Our typical fish size:

Blackfin - 7-15#s with July/August run of 20-30#
Wahoo - 15-30#s with fall catches in the 40-50#
Mahi - 5-10# with Spring/Fall 20-30#
Kings - All year 7-20# with Winter catches 30-40#
Sailfish - Winter = more at-bats

2007 was a little wild....within a few miles up and down of boynton the big catches were 50# king, 100# wahoo, 70# mahi and 35# blackfin all within 3 miles of shore! - disclaimer=not us!

[EMTAE]

The pink and white rigged with 130 flo med bally deadly on the whites.