Squid is a great bait for trolling, drifting or deep dropping but rigging one has always presented some problems. This rig should eliminate a lot of the guess work when rigging these squids. Simple and easy. Each rig can be adjusted for any size bait so there is not the need to make up a rig for each bait and no special beads, crimps, stops, floats or weights are needed and very little sewing.

Rigs are available with mono or cable and with each they will have a "Double Leader" inside the bait. In this demo we are rigging with a short cable leader.

All that is needed is rigging floss and sewing needle, open eye needle and a knife.

Step 1: Slide the tubing off the hook and position the hooks on the double leader where they will go into the bait.

Step 2: Slide the tubing back over the eye of the hook and lock it in place by tying a few half-hitches around the tubing.

Step 3: With the knife cut a small slit in the squid where the hook will go thru. Insert the open eye needle into the body and push it up thru the bait and out the slit.

Step 4: Loop the cable leader to the needle and pull the leader back down and out of the squid. Attach the rear hook to the loop on the leader.

Step 5: Insert the front hook thru the bait and the back hook thru the head.

Step 6: Sew around the mantle with the floss.

Skirts can be added or a number of other choices to enhance you rigged bait.

Trolling a Spanish Makerel for big Marlin is a favorite in quite a few spreads. The rig is available in mono or cable and in either case it will have a "Double Leader" in the bait. As you go thru these instructions you will see there is a number of ways to rig.

This rig comes in Cable or Mono and all that's needed is an open eye needle, awl, sewing needle, and rigging floss.

Step 1: Slide the tubing off the hook eye and adjust the hooks according to where they will be in the bait.

Step 2: After adjusting the hooks, slide the tube back over the eye and secure with a couple of half-hitches around the tubing. This will ensure the hook will not slide when troleed.

Step 3: Remove the back hook from the cable rig and insert the open eye needle into the vent. Push the needle up into the bait and exit at the gil plates. Connect the loop of the rig to the needle and pull the cable back tru the bait and out the vent.

Step 4: With the loop out of the vent, attach the rear hook.

Step 5: Center the awl in the head and put a hole thru the bait for the front hook.

Step 6: Insert the front hook into the head of the bait and make sure the back hook is set also.

Step 7: With the sewing needle close the gills and sew around the hook and mouth. The sewing should be up to the rigger as we all have certain methods.

Skirts may be added or anything else you normally use.

These are the basic rigging instructions for our New Double Hook rig. As you will see there are many rigging variations you could apply and to just about any bait. We are showing here a Boston Mackerel being rigged for drifting while Shark fishing and all that’s needed.

Rigging Floss, an Open Eye Needle and an Ice Pick is all that’s needed to rig any bait.

Step 1: Slide the Eye Tubing off the eye towards the leader end. Position the rear hook where it will come out of the baits. Slide the front hook down the cable to where it will be positioned in the head.

Step 2: Slide the tubing back over the cable and the eye of the hook. Leave an equal amount of tube on both sides of the eye. This tubing is sized to be a tight fit so you might have to wet it a little. With the rigging floss tie a couple of knots around the tubing and cable. This secures the front hook and will prevent it from sliding.

Step 3: Remove the rear hook from the rig.

Step 4: Insert the open eye needle into the bait and push it up thru the bait and out the gill plates. Attach the loop end of the cable rig to the open eye of the needle and pull the cable back down and out of the bait.

Step 5: Attach the rear hook back onto the cable rig.

Step 6: First insert the rear hook into the bait and then the front hook. If going thru the head as pictured here you might find it easier to punch a hole thru the head first with the ice pick.

Step 7: A skirt can be slid over the end of the leader and down to the bait.

Tournament Cable was the first company to make Cable Wind-Ons. We have been making them by hand now for over ten years now, in the same manner as our Mono Wind-on Leaders. Some steps are added in the process because of the Cable, but the end result is the same: The Finest Cable Wind-On Leader on the market.

After 20 years Tournament Cable will not be offering Cable Wind-on Leaders. When we first came out with them they became very popular for shark fishing and we sold thousands. But we have found there are just too many negative issues that we felt it best to take them out of our product line.

So what were the issues?

There was nothing wrong with the construction process but the issues were a result of the stainless cable. After a very short time in use rust would form in various parts of the splice, mainly where the hollow core meets the cable and this rusting would eventually cause failures. After continued use you could see the rust bleeding through not only at the serving but in various locations on the entire length of the hollow core.

The cause of this rusting is the stainless cable used. All cable from the major manufacturers is made with 304 or 305 grade stainless. Both have a very high carbon content as opposed to 316 marine grade and rust will occur due to the amount of carbon. This cable is fine for leaders and hook sets etc. but we found not for being inserted into hollow core for wind-on leaders.

What was happening water was migrating between the strands of wire inside the serving and on up the hollow core. Eventually you would notice the rust bleeding though. Regardless of how well the leaders where washed and dried the seepage would still occur.

Regardless of what materials the splice is made with this will happen and weaken any cable leader. With Dacron and Spectra you will be able to see it bleeding through quite easily but with nylon coated cable it’s there but hidden.

Another issue was the rod tip guide. If during the fight if the fish took off in a different direction and if the angler was not paying close attention the cable would slip off the roller and rub against the side frame of the guide. This caused a lot of damage to both the wind-on and the rod tip.