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Fast Ballyhoo Rig

Easy-to-rig, simple-to-replace trolling rig for billfish
Ballyhoo rig from the Dominican Republic
Ballyhoo rig from the Dominican Republic Bill Doster

This rig uses a small O-ring (1⁄8 to 3⁄16 inch) and 20-gauge copper wire to create a reusable rig. The advantages are rigging speed and ease of replacing the bait if it washes out or is damaged.

Dominican ballyhoo rig.
Dominican ballyhoo rig. Bill Doster

Twist copper wire onto the O-ring, then insert the wire through the top of the ballyhoo’s head and out the bottom, and slide on an egg sinker.

Dominican ballyhoo rig.
Dominican ballyhoo rig. Bill Doster

Snug the sinker under the throat. Wrap the wire under the gill plate, over the head and under the offside gill plate, then insert it through the eye sockets.

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Dominican ballyhoo rig.
Dominican ballyhoo rig. Bill Doster

Wrap through the eye sockets, twice behind the weight and once in front. Then wrap over the nose, once behind the O-ring and twice in front of it.

Dominican ballyhoo rig.
Dominican ballyhoo rig. Bill Doster

Snip the ballyhoo’s snoot just ahead of the wraps and insert a circle hook (snelled to the leader) through the O-ring to ride atop the head.

 

Above is a video showing the types of trolled ballyhoo rigs.

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