Well what am I about to do? ;) First I had some really cool lures arrived a few days ago from my friends in Denmark, Dan and Rudi from the Illex Team Anglers was that super kind to send the new Illex 20cm UV Dexter Shads because they wasn't available just yet in the UK, so here they are the first ones crossed the boarders and landed in my tackle box.
Which means I need to get some hardware to gear up the new lures for the weekend to try them, finally after a long long wait. Well should know that I'm probably one of the most suspicious person about wire and hooks and rigs, in the last 2 years specially. The short story was basically that more than 2 years ago I lost a (possible) fish of my life time because (don't saying the brand because i'm polite) after nearly 10 minutes fight I still didn't see the pike but the hooks on the jig head is just straightened out and my fish swim away without showing herself.
So I was a little bit upset (furiously jumped up and down, rod throwing far away and first in my life cry after a fish)......but never mind as they said, but since of this happened 1.) I never touched the brand again, 2,) I determined to found the perfect, strong as possible and still finesse looking, no rusting at all so I can use on fresh and salt water as well, don't damage the shads etc.....hardware outfit to gear my lures up with. I might put my expectations high but after using this set up nearly for a year without a fault I could found in those products, I finally can say yes I found the perfect outfit! So I decided to write my thoughts down about .
Mustad Ultra Point Big Game Jighead
First place the jig heads.....lots of brands lots of different styles! In my case that jig head what I could bend with hand or pliers going to the bin. So this criteria reduce quiet a lot of options. The next one is, how the lure sits on them, I was notorious with glueing the shads to the head because I hate when the lure slips after one take, but the problem was that the lures been raped off from the hook after a fish or two, because the glue, there wasn't any flexibility left to move just rape off. So the slim or one little gap to hold the lure type of jigs was off the cards as well plus hardly can found any in size what has the gape big enough and the weight is between 10g-25g.
Then I came a cross with the Mustad Ultra Point Big Game jig heads! They where perfect, top quality in sizes 6/0 to 10/0 and between 10-25g. The other positive thing is that when I rig the lure up with them the lure sits perfectly, no slipping at all, super grab in the material and during the fight or have a very hard take the lure able to twist a little bit but still don't slip down at all even after a several fish landed. Of course when going home and do the usual tender loving care just take the lure off the jig head a little bit of Mend-It and off you go jigs back and ready for another good few fish to fool.
I like using jig heads even with or without an additional small treble hook just right behind the jig hook, 70% of fish hooked in the lip on the jig hooks, so no deep hooking or harm the fish at all....easy to unhook as well.
Vision Wire Line
The next stop was to found a good wire for traces and additional treble hooks. I don't like crimps, don't know its maybe just me but i never really trusted them. Then start using heavy fluorocarbon leaders with strong knots, which i still using in bright clear conditions but I wasn't happy with the diameters and the size of the knots....just didn't look nice and tidy. Knot2Kinky.....well bought a spool but that was the worst thing what I ever see or try to do anything with ...way too stiff and most of the time just killed the action of the lures. Then started to think what is the fly guys using for pike leaders, that must be light weight so they can cast and also a finesse looking stuff because the fish seems don't bother. Yes the Vision Wire Line, it was a slightly more expensive what I expected but hell worth every penny! Open the pack see how to use it ....well it says on the packet "make a loop and twisted around 8x times then melt it with a lighter" and that's it. I made one but didn't trust it for a first look (really that's it???) then try to pull a part with literally everything , couldn't break it a part with man power! Super stuff love it really, a bit of shrink tube to the joints and job done also so flexible the shads moves perfect on it, just could recommend.
Owner Super Needle Point ST-36BC
The treble hooks....well same story really! I usually used Owner Musky trebles in 1/0 from USA, but sometimes they not available or don't be here (UK) in time etc so found one from here to replace when I'm stuck to get some of the musky special. The Owner Super Needle Point ST-36BC hooks are near same strong as the musky version of them so I was really happy found them in here. Used in smaller size for plugs before on salt water and they are rock and rust proof, top quality, love them.
BFT Flex Heads
One of my easiest found was the BFT Flex Heads, probably because they out not very long ago. My favorite type of rig to use for the bigger shads 20-25cm such for Pig Shads, 210 Illex Dexter Eels, 250 Illex Dexter Shads. Perfect just screw in and add 1 or 2 treble hooks, keeps the big lures in perfect balance and they are literally un-destroyable too......heavy duty and finesse looking bit of kit to use. Tried one other cheaper version but they wasn't in balance with the lures, the spirals didn't hold and they just looked big because the weight.
So there is my thoughts about terminal tackle hope you guys found it useful. :)
Here is some more pictures how I rig them on the lures and how they look like on a 15cm Nitro Shad, 20cm UV Dexter Shad and 25cm Illex Dexter Shad.