I have always rigged these things round end first, with the paddles/tails in the back. Anyway, I was looking at one today and I thought how great it would be to rig it the other way around. The paddles would flare out and the tails/tentacles would rise up. I think it would give it a larger/more appealing profile.

I texas rig them though. Thats probably not the best way to rig those. When rigged on a jig, they would essentially be "facing" the fish that way, only youd be pulling them from the front. Like a fleeing crag id imagine. Seems like a waste to have all those things hangin off it just get held down by the water gliding over them.

Rigged backwards, the resistance of the water against all those moving appendages would really alter the bait. IMO, in a good way.

Am I the last one to the party here?

Was I rigging it wrong the whole time?

I just love em. I usually keep one in my pocket and fidget with it in line at the bank etc. You should see the looks I get. (Every once in a while an approving nod from another bass guy)

Like this ?

A-Jay

yeah. like that!

Ive seen that rig before. what are those weights called?

That thing would look great flipping into holes in hydrilla mats as well as be more weedless and fall straighter. When you twitch it, youre really making it dance!

Yup - the weights pictures are simple, standard Tungsten bullet weights, not anything special.

I rig them that way by securing a short section of line (I used mono here but often use braid) to the back of the hook,

then thread the line (with a needle) through the plastic out the end.

Then the line goes through the weight, through a bead (to secure it) and then back through the weight.

Next, the line gets threaded back through the bait and is finally secured to the back of the hook.

This is not something that I do on the water. I have them rigged in advance and replace then as needed.

Tackle warehouse sells something called a Sizmic War Head Weight. It's a rig made just for this tecnique.

I have not used it, but it looks like it would be dramatically less labor intensive.

I could fore see weights being lost rather easily, also they are lead so they will be have a larger profile.

Besides, I get a kick out of catching fish on a home made rig.

A-Jay

Mickey, am I missing something here?

Do you mean to put the eye of the hook at the end of the bait in lieu of the front of the bait?

Like rigging a Senko backwards?

The rig A-Jay is showing looks like a Texas rig with the hook placed farther back on the bait's body but not rigged backwards.

And speaking of doing something different, have you ever thought of rigging your creature and lizard baits in their side? Gives them a different look. Just a suggestion.

Let me know what I am missing. Thanks.

Mickey, am I missing something here?

Do you mean to put the eye of the hook at the end of the bait in lieu of the front of the bait?

Like rigging a Senko backwards?

The rig A-Jay is showing looks like a Texas rig with the hook placed farther back on the bait's body but not rigged backwards.

And speaking of doing something different, have you ever thought of rigging your creature and lizard baits in their side? Gives them a different look. Just a suggestion.

Let me know what I am missing. Thanks.

Look a little closer - the points of the hooks are all facing the back of the baits.

The weights are secured to the front of the bait.

I'll admit this style of rig is definitely not convenient, nor have I found it to be Much more effective than standard rigs.

It's just something different.

A-Jay

I see it now.

From a physics point of view, would you think you would get a stronger hookset with this setup?

Do you think the bass would be able to throw it easier than the standard Texas rig set up?

I do not feel that this provides better hook sets, nor do I think the fish throw the bait any easier than a standard rig.

Those factors are probably the same on each and might depend on other factors besides the bait itself.

There is a slight benefit in that this rig will slip through tightly matted cover a little easier - provided that it is weighted sufficiently because the weight is in the front and the main line is trailing the rig on entry and through the decent.

However, the flip side of that is, it's a little sloppy coming out of tight spots as it's coming out backward - that is if it's not stuck in the face of a big bass.

A-Jay

Oh yeah, the old northern- lower - peninsula (?) rig....the word is out ajay!

they make weights for that rig with an eye to put the hook through. Ive seen them on youtube vids but havent seen them available at any tackle store.

I would think that would help with the fish throwing the hook with the weight in front. It would be in his mouth so he couldnt get it swinging around to loosen the hook.

I will rig some up and give em a shot!@

thanks

I fished this backward rig with a Rage Hawg yesterday.

I was flipping/pitching it in to visible weed clumps in 8-12 fow that weren't all that dense.

Took a few decent (for here) bass.

As the afternoon wore on, thanks in part to Mr. Pike and his friends, I ran out of them as I pre-rig them.

I had to go to the standard rig.

Fish kept biting and I really didn't notice if one was better than the other.

The presentation and the catching was about the same.

A-Jay