6" And 68 Hudd Rigging

[deep]

This is something I have been working on for a while, and tried it out today on the water for a couple of hours. Worked well for me. The idea is not original, of course, but I'd like to share a few modifications I made.

I don't like the jig hook on the smaller hudds. It gets snagged easily, and smaller fish wreaks havoc on the bait when hooked. Weedlessness (snaglessness) is what I was looking to achieve; and the option to break off the hook and save the bait when it does get snagged. This modification is not necessary for the ordinary 6" hudds, 'cause the weedless hudd is readily available.

The first step is to cut off the jig hook on the 68. But remember to leave a little nub of the hook.

Next, find a size 4 treble hook, such that one of the hook points is perpendicular to the hook eye. In the pic, the hook on the top is perpendicular. The treble is actually a VMC I took off a husky jerk.

Then, you want to tie the treble to the line-tie of the bait. I used 14 or 17 lb mono (lower test than the mainline), so that I can break off the hook if snagged. Sevenstrand wire or braid should also work. The important thing is the adjust the length of the mono so that you have to pull the treble a little bit to make the (treble) hook eye fit onto the nub of the original jig hook. The flat part of the hook shank should lie on the hudd.

If done correctly, we're almost there. That treble is now fixed pretty well to the hudd, and will stay there through a cast, well almost always. No need to embed a hook point, or superglue; both of which will damage the bait when it gets eaten (or snagged).

Just for insurance though, I like to do one more step. I tie the treble hook to the belly ring with a simple loop knot on a 4 lb or 6 lb mono. The whole point is I want that loop knot to break and set the hook free when a bass eats it.

Or, you can put a drop of superglue on the back of the bait to glue the treble. Be aware though than the "skin" of the hudd will peel away when a fish pulls that treble away from the bait.

This is what the 68 looks like after being eaten by one smallish bass (used 4 lb mono to tie down the treble), and after breaking off the hook from a snag (used superglue, and a bit of skin peeled off).

This is just a start to modifying the hudd, and a work in progress.

Thanks to Butch Brown, Fish Chris, Mike Gilbert & Randall Kirkpatrick.

P.S. Superglue hardens up the plastics. Hot/ boiling water is a good superglue remover that does not damage the bait.

P.P.S. The 6"/68 hudd doesn't have much foam in front of the dorsal fin, compared to the 8"; and embedding one hook in the foam, as in the BB rig, doesn't work very well. Putting the treble behind the dorsal fin affects the action IMO. It's a small bait, and can take only so much tampering.

[1234567]

Very nice mod Deep. You really think Butch and those guys have a clue about what there doing??

[deep]

Another version of the rigging.

Cut the third hook point clean off.

And installed the treble upside down. Looks similar to the BB rig, except that there's no hook point embedded.

Rigged this way, the treble has a slight tendency to rotate. In the earlier rigging, the body of the bait resists this rotation tendency.

Didn't fish the bait rigged this way, so idk if this is more snagless or not; definitely something to try out the next time I hit the lake.

[J Francho]

I've gone back to leaving the original hook in place, too many gut hooked fish when fishing the 6 with your 1st rig.

[deep]

I've gone back to leaving the original hook in place, too many gut hooked fish when fishing the 6 with your 1st rig.

hmm.. only spent a couple of hours working on it, so no big deal.

Anyway, I don't fish regular 6", only the weedless 6".

I'll be making a few real weedless 68s (with a 8" tail on a weedless 6") over the winter; that would take care of everything.

P.S. Don't tell me you fish the 8 incher with the stock jig hook?

[J Francho]

That would just be an expansive pike bait. No need for me.

[purebass-ing]

Hey Deep. Very nice mod man! Where did you catch your hud fish this time?

Gotta take me out to nail some big mama these days man! I am hoping to dedicate myself to swimbaiting these days!

Off topic, what's so special about the 68?

Does the 8 inch tail's stronger kicking action really produce more bite? Do you know why is that? Or what particular situation does it shine over the 6 and 8 alone?

I am just getting into the hud fish lesson. Been watching a lot of matt allen's video... but didn't find much information about the 8 tail 6 inch body.

Thanks man!

[Bassn Blvd]

You could have saved yourself a lot of time and just googled it. Butch shows how to make that modification, nothing new and been around.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=butch%20brown%20rigging%20the%20huddleston&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D453ZUor4jI0&ei=ZnjDTqXMDdPaggf27cj5Dg&usg=AFQjCNFcvfMS4HmDMfZZFOSt0xzzEhlY5g

[J Francho]

You could have saved yourself a lot of time and just googled it. Butch shows how to make that modification, nothing new and been around.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=butch%20brown%20rigging%20the%20huddleston&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D453ZUor4jI0&ei=ZnjDTqXMDdPaggf27cj5Dg&usg=AFQjCNFcvfMS4HmDMfZZFOSt0xzzEhlY5g

Sure, quick strike rigs have been around since the late 80's, but deep's rigging is different. Just as Fish Chris's is a little different too: http://www.trophybassonly.com/id224.htm

Just because you think you can find a video on YouTube doesn't make you the expert - you gotta go out and try it, and see what variations work for you. I wouldn't discourage anyone from documenting their process with pictures. Besides, Butch shows rigging the 8" bait, which is different in a few ways than the 6" or 68.

[WRB]

Deep, if you want to talk to Butch directly and ask how he would rig the 68 to fish from shore PM me.

Tom

[1234567]

Deep, if you want to talk to Butch directly and ask how he would rig the 68 to fish from shore PM me.

Tom

Do you have over 1000 pm's yet

Truly a noble gesture Tom. It is rare when a person of your knowledge and experience are willing to share as much as you. Thank for doing what you do!!

Tony

[Triton12]

I don't want to make it 1001, but I would like to know how to rig a 68 for shore fishing.

Thank You for sharing your ideas deep.

[WRB]

Fishing a bottom bumping swimbait uphill through brush from shore is a big problem regardless how you rig it.

From a boat you can move and present the swimbait at different angles, from shore your options are limited. To help you need the proper rod; 7"6" to 7'9" medium heavy or heavy swimbait rod with 65 lb braid tied direct to the swimbait, no leader is needed. The longer rod will help in 2 ways; max your casting distance and allow you to lift the rod high and gently giggle the swimbait out of a snag...DO NOT Rip it out until it's your last ditch effort. The swimbaits weight helps to dislodge the snag, when the lure comes out of the snag reel the line to take up any slack quickly...strikes often occur at this time.

Rigging; the standard hook allows the swimbait to roll on it's side without snagging. I would look into adding a wire weed guard pianted black or dark green. If you prefer the nose hook rig take a look at Mustad W3551 size 2 on the rig you have developed.

I believe the ROF5 68 slow sink fished in the water column, not allowed to bottom bump should work. Dead sticking and waking a floater like a 10" Triple Trout when the water is calm is your best choice.

Tom

[bigbassctchr101]

I don't fish a swimbait too often, but occasionally I will use a small rubberband. If you put it over the entire bait and have it tight enough to hold the hook in place, it will usually break when you hook a fish (or a snag). But, i think it more securely holds the hook in place until you need it. Just a thought.