Making a lighter a rig

[Bigmo]

I want to put together a lighter 5 wire a rig that's legal here in Mo. Anybody have suggestions for me on using any certain type of weighted hooks. Something less than a quarter oz. I want to keep it up in the water column and make it easier to throw longer distances. 

[m&m]

Bigmo, I'm a novice but here is what I did.  I bought the Strike King A-rig and on 2 of the snaps I took a 1/16th oz jig head and cut off the hook at the curve so it has the head and the shank of the hook.  I embedded the shanks into a couple of flukes and glued the fluke to the head.  On the long leader, I used a 1/8th oz jig and inserted a better swim bait on it.  On the other 2 snaps I used the 1/16th oz jigs with different size flukes.  This way I am legal in MO.

Mike

[Bigmo]

Thanks, was the hook shank long enough for some larger baits. 

[dtrs5kprs]

Or use screw locks instead of heads. Hitchhikers, XPS (same thing), or Owner CPS springs. Another option is using a worm hook on the hooked baits, and TX rigging them. The HP hooks work very well for it.

[abkeenan]

Bigmo,

If you want light A-Rigs you can find plenty on Ebay that either have a lightweight plastic head or no head at all (brazed). That alone will cut down 1/4-1/2oz right there. Instead of using a hook and cutting the shank you can reduce weight again by using hitch hikers. They are just screw in metal corkscrew clips and weigh next to nothing. Screw them into whatever "dummy" bait you want threw the nose and you're good to go. Then just use whatever weight jighead you want for your "live" baits with the hook. Don't know your goal as far as exact weight but you could have a fully rigged A-Rig weigh about 1/2oz-3/4oz including plastic baits if you really wanted to.

 

 

[m&m]

17 minutes ago, Bigmo said:

Thanks, was the hook shank long enough for some larger baits. 

Yes and the glue helped keep it up against the head.

Mike

[Bigmo]

Thanks guys. 

[Bill Babler]

Pig Sticker Bait company makes one with a plastic head.  Use the hitchhiker screw lock on the upper two and buy Chomper 1/8th. oz. A-rig jig heads with 3/0 Eagle Claw hooks and that is going to be just about as lite as you can make it.

One of my FLW guys last week threw it on 15 pound Triline and never lost a rig.  I on the other hand with 50 pound braid lost 2

[Bill Babler]

3 hours ago, abkeenan said:

Bigmo,

If you want light A-Rigs you can find plenty on Ebay that either have a lightweight plastic head or no head at all (brazed). That alone will cut down 1/4-1/2oz right there. Instead of using a hook and cutting the shank you can reduce weight again by using hitch hikers. They are just screw in metal corkscrew clips and weigh next to nothing. Screw them into whatever "dummy" bait you want threw the nose and you're good to go. Then just use whatever weight jighead you want for your "live" baits with the hook. Don't know your goal as far as exact weight but you could have a fully rigged A-Rig weigh about 1/2oz-3/4oz including plastic baits if you really wanted to.

 

 

 

What he said.  lots of fiberglass or plastic heads out there.

[Hammer time]

Wish they would make a-rig illegal, way too many big bass are caught and mounted on the wall. It is illegal in BASS and finally FLW and most clubs and tournaments.

Would like to see illegal at all times for everyone.