Rigging Hogy® Soft Baits

Jump to Casting  -  Drifting  - Trolling

By Captain Mike Hogan

At Hogy Lures, we love soft baits for so many reasons. Not only are soft baits the most life like baits available, but they are so versatile in terms of how you can rig them. With the same bait, you can rig it for top-water, intermediate depth or fished down deep. You can cast them, troll them and even drift with them. As a result, with only a small amount of rigging supplies, you can adapt to just about any fishing situation imaginable. Here’s a break down on how we rig ‘em!

Part 1: Casting

Tandem Rigged Hogys

We like tandem rigging when short strikes become an issue. As baits get increasingly longer, the second hook becomes increasingly important. We particularly recommend tandem rigging our longer baits, such as our 14” and 18” models. On our ten inch sized Hogy, we tandem rig the bait about 50% of the time depending on the fishing situation and how many short strikes are occurring.

The Tandem Hogy Quick Rig: Our Hogy Quick rig system is a superior tandem rigging method for soft baits as it only take seconds to rig which
you can do on or off the water.

This video shows you how to do it!

No Rigging Needles Required! Our system does not require rigging needles nor much rigging experience to complete. Some manufacturers will recommend rigging needles to literally sew the hooks into the bait, but that takes some serious rigging experience and time to complete. (several minutes at least) Furthermore, it is not a technique that can be done on the water and once the bait is worn-out, your work has become obsolete.

Our Hooks are NOT molded in! Other manufacturers mold the hooks right into the bait. Granted this is the easiest method for the angler but the added cost is considerable. Furthermore, if the bait gets chewed up or worn out, the hooks/rig becomes useless. Also, pay careful attention to what manufacturers are using for hardware. Will it hold up? Are the hooks strong enough?

At Hogy Lures, we prefer to rig as we go. That way:

1. You’re not boxed into which rigging method to use
2. You can change baits easily
3. Save on rigging costs.

Hogy Tandem Rig Chart:

• 8” Hogy Paddle Jerk: 10” Hogy Quick Rig
• 10” Hogy: 10” Hogy Quick Rig
• 10” Hogy Double Wide: 10” Hogy Quick Rig
• 14” Hogy: 14” Hogy Quick Rig
• 18” Hogy: 18” Hogy Quick Rig

Texas Rigged Hogys

Texas style rigging came about in the 1970’s as a way to fish soft baits in a weedless fashion. Traditionally speaking “Texas” Rigging includes a nose weight. But when you’re talking soft “jerk” baits, the weight can be counter productive if you’re looking to walk the dog.

When fishing Texas Style, we prefer our baits un-weighted and view this rigging method as a surface-subsurface rigging method. The hooks currently available on the market today are sharp and strong.

Texas style is probably the most common method of rigging soft baits. One major advantage is that the baits are virtually weedless once properly rigged. Although there is a small learning curve associated with mastering this method, it's really quite quick and easy. I usually Texas rig when fishing in freshwater for largemouth bass, but it's also a go-to method for me in extremely weedy conditions in both fresh and saltwater. The only disadvantages are that the hooks normally used for this rigging method are quite light and do not add very much additional weight to the plastic bait so the bait will run close to or on the surface unless additional weight is added. Another drawback is a number of missed strikes. In true Texas rigging the hook point is buried just under the surface of the bait and must pull through the plastic before penetrating the fish's mouth. Therefore, when fishing large soft baits " Texas" style, a hook slot is beneficial as the hook will penetrate to the fish's mouth more quickly.

Rigging Steps (check out  the video below!):

1. Line the bait up with the hook and eye ball placement where the hook will enter and exit the bait. (You can mark each spot with a permanent marker.) The idea here is to make sure the hook will lay perfectly straight inside the bait once it's rigged.
2. Pass the hook through the center of the bait's nose, and exit where you eyeballed proper placement.
3. Rotate the hook, so the hook gap is facing the top of the bait, usually the flat portion and insert the hook into the back of the bait, down the center line. Be very careful to ensure proper placement. If you come out to far, the bait will buckle, causing an unnatural motion. If you come out too close, the hook will be pulled inward, also causing an unnatural action.

Hogy Texas-Style Offset Worm Hook Chart:

• 6” Skinny Hogy: Owner 5/0
• 7” Original Hogy: Owner 7/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 8” Paddle Jerk: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 10” Original Hogy: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 10” Jiggn’ Poppin’ Hogy: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 10” Double Wide Hogy: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook

Weighted Grip Hook:

Some anglers prefer just a single hook in the nose. On our larger baits, this is an effective method for “culling” out smaller fish. We recommend our Weighted Grip Hooks which are 3X strong and designed for very large fish. The little extra weight in the nose helps keep the bait down in moving water, rolling surf or in slightly deeper water.

Hogy Weighted Grip Hook Chart:

• 6/0: 7” Hogy
• 7/0: 10” Hogy, 8” Paddle Jerk
• 8/0: 10” Double Wide

Jig Heads

Jig Heads are the way to go when you want your bait to reach deeper water. We designed our heavy duty jig heads to perfectly match our products. Our heavy duty cadmium hooks are tuna strong and rust resistant.

Rigging Hogy® Jig Heads

1. Line the jig up with the bait to determine proper hook placement. Eyeball where the hook will exit the bait, so that the bait will lie nice and straight on the jig head hook. If you come out too close to the head of the jig, you will have too much hook exposed, which will affect your action. If you come out too far back toward the tail, your bait will buckle, also affecting action.
2. Cut off the nose if necessary to create a nice flush fit. This will ensure proper action and also proper grip on the jig. Insert the hook into the center of the bait. Before pushing the bait against the jig head, some anglers add a drop of glue for extra holding power. Exit the bait on the top side, usually the flat surface, leaving the belly to face downward. Enjoy!

Hogy Jig Head Chart:

• 1 Oz: 10” Hogy, 8” Paddle Jerk, 10” Jiggn’ Hogy
• 3 Oz: 10” Hogy, 8” Paddle Jerk, 10” Jiggn’ Hogy

Swimming Tins

Fishing with swimming tins is a plug and play method. Simply cast and reel! Keep your tip at a 30 degree angle to the water and reel SLOWLY. The swimming tin will do the rest as it wobbles the bait seductively through the water, typically a few feet below the surface.

Rigging the Hogy® Swimming Tin:

1. As with jig head, eye ball where you want the hook to exit the bait so it will be able to be pushed up and over one or both barbs and still remain straight.
2. Push head of the soft bait down the hook and over the barb or barbs. Using the barb closest to the hook will result in more action from the bait, which may be desirable in places with little or no current. Pushing the head over the second barb give added strength and is a good idea when fishing in places with very strong current.

Hogy® Swimming Tin Chart:

• 1 Oz: 6” Skinny, 7” Hogy, 10” Hogy

Soft Bait Teasers

Many surf casters like to add a “teaser” ahead of their lure. Often in surf casting situations, feeding fish are out of range of just about anything other than a metal lure or a heavy plastic plug. But that doesn’t mean the fish want something big and hard! Add a soft bait teaser. We recommend our 6” Skinny Hogy for this purpose, but folks will use up to our 10” Hogy when fish are keyed in on larger prey.

With this technique, we recommend rigging Texas style, so the soft bait remains weedless.

Hogy Offset Worm Hook Chart for teasers:

• 6” Skinny Hogy: Owner 5/0
• 7” Original Hogy: Owner 7/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 10” Original Hogy: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook

Part 2: Drifting:

Drop Shot Rig Click here for details on drop shotting!

This technique has become a hugely popular technique among largemouth bass anglers fishing deeper in the water column. The hooks are attached inline to the leader so that they protrude perpendicularly. The weight is then attached to the bottom, which serves as an anchor for the bait. The idea is that each time you snap the rod with a short twitching action, the baits will quiver as the line vibrates all the way down to the sinker. Try this awesome technique on any game fish.

To drop shot Hogys, we recommend Texas rigging as it will minimize weeding up and tends to have the best presentation.

Hogy Offset Worm Hook Chart for Drop-Shotting:

• 6” Skinny Hogy: Owner 5/0
• 7” Original Hogy: Owner 7/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 8” Paddle Jerk: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 10” Original Hogy: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook
• 10” Double Wide Hogy: Owner 11/0 Oversized Worm Hook

Three Way Rig

“Three-waying” is a popular technique with striper anglers in the Northeast as a way to drift eels and other live bait fish. But three-waying is also an effective technique with our larger soft-baits. Their long profile coupled with our Hogy blend of hand poured plastic allows for a natural serpentine action all on their own doing. Using a three-way swivel, a weight is attached to the bottom connection and a 14”-24” leader is connected to the middle connection. With this technique, we recommend our 14” and 18” Hogys:

Hogy Tandem Rig Chart for 3-Waying:

• 14” Hogy: 14” Hogy Quick Rig
• 18” Hogy: 18” Hogy Quick Rig

Carolina Rig

Some anglers prefer Carolina-Style Rigging which features an egg sinker on the running line stopped by a barrel swivel connected to a 18” to 36” leader. Though you can cast with this rig, we prefer it as a drifting method and would use it on a very slow drift. Since the bait is so close to the bottom, be mindful of snags.

Part 3: Trolling:

The “Naked” Hogy: Our Larger Hogys make excellent tube and worm substitutes for striper folks but that doesn’t mean you can’t troll them for other big game fish including musky and tuna. We particularly like them when trolling because you can impart your own action with short “jigging” style twitches. The best part is that when you take the boat out of gear, perhaps to drop your lures over fish, the Hogy will offer it’s fluid action as the bait descends in the water. Countless fish have been taken “on the drop” with Hogys.

For this method, we recommend Tandem rigging on our larger baits:

Hogy Tandem Rig Chart for Naked Trolling:

• 14” Hogy: 14” Hogy Quick Rig
• 18” Hogy: 18” Hogy Quick Rig

Umbrella Rig/Dredge Bar

With their amazing action, we love Hogys when rigged on an umbrella rig. Inshore, folks will rig them with a stinger down the middle for striped bass.

Popular Hogy Umbrella Rig Combinations:

• 7” Hogys with 10” Stinger
• 10” Hogys with a 14” Stinger

Blue-water folks rig them “hook-less” as a teaser rig, commonly known as a dredge bar. Popular dredge bait colors include black-pearl and rainbow bunker.

High Speed Head  Click here for article on rigging and fishing the High Speed!

Hogys serve as a dynamite ballyhoo alternative when rigged behind a bullet style trolling head. Our favorite sizes for this rigging method are our 10” and 14” models rigged tandem style. We strongly recommend the Hogy Hook Stopper in between the trolling head and the bait, as it will seat the lure properly behind the head and prevent unwanted spinning.

Daisy Chain

Hogys can be rigged as high speed daisy chains. They are so soft, they quiver as they each dance uniquely along the same chain. We recommend the 7” and 10” Hogys for daisy chains with a 14” stinger.

Spreader Bar Click here for an article on rigging and fishing spreader bars

As with the daisy chain, these baits can be rigged up on spreader bars. We recommend the 7” and 10” Hogys for teasers and the 14” or 18” Hogy as a stinger.

As a Trolling Lure Teaser: Many anglers swear by adding a little extra action to their trolling lures. Whether it’s a smaller sized Hogy behind a bucktail jig or a big 18” honker behind a 12” bulb squid rigged on a spreader bar, the Hogys’ natural action will add a little extra something. Many tuna anglers swear by a 14” purple or black Hogy to simulate a tuft of squid ink from a distressed squid.

Popular Hogy Teaser Combinations:

• 1oz Bucktail Jig: 7” and 10” Hogy
• Green Maching Style Trolling Lure: 10” Hogy
• Bulb Squid Spreader Bars: 14” and 18” Hogy