# Stinger Rig Recipe



## Rstanek (Nov 5, 2007)

After a few requests, I've put up the recipe for my stinger setup that I've recently started using. I use it with the Gulp 2-inch shrimp because while it's a deadly bream plastic, it's bulkier size means that bream often bite short and you're left with a useless chunk that has been bitten cleanly off millimeters behind your hook...

Others may do it differently, but I've found that if they're pre-prepared, this is the quickest and easiest way to do them, and saves you trying to tie them on the water. _Sorry about the shaky pictures, but holding the pliers in one hand and the camera in super macro mode in the other doesn't make for clear shots..._

_*What you'll need;*_

 1 pair needle-nosed pliers (silver sugery type with thin locking jaws are the best).
 10cm of fluorocarbon of the same strength you're using between your braid and your jig head.
 Ultra sharp treble hooks (I use the owner needle point ones), around size 12. Alternatively, Gamakatsu has these hooks specifically for this kind of thing, but I haven't used them yet; http://mylureshop.com/p/650271/gamakats ... -hook.html
 Appropriate jig head for the structure you're fishing.
 Your plastic of choice.

First, tie a loop knot (http://www.animatedknots.com/rapala/ind ... dknots.com) in one end of your fluoro, trying not to waste too much line as this will make it harder for you later on. Push the loop through the eye of the treble, but not far enough for the actual knot to pass through.










Next, take the other end of the piece of fluoro, and feed it through the loop that's been pushed through the eye of th treble, pull it tight and hold it for a few seconds so the line stays in that position.










Once you've done this, you need to tie a locked half blood knot or a uni knot http://www.animatedknots.com/uniknot/in ... dknots.com) in the other end of your fluoro. If you've wasted too much line with the loop knot, this can be too fiddly and you won't be able to tie the knot properly. When tying this knot, I use the gape of the jig head hook and make about 4 or 5 turns. Pull the knot tight, but *DO NOT* slide it down to the hook. Leave it as a sliding loop, and leave the tag *UN CUT* (this will make it easier on the water).










This is essentially what I pre-tie. I'll make about ten the night before, more if I'm going out for a longer session than usual or if I know I'm heading into an area where I have a good chance of losing a few rigs.

Once you're on the water, rig you're plastic as you would normally, then slip the loop from the locked half blood knot or uni knot over the point of the hook, past the barb.










Grab the treble with your pliers, and the tag with your teeth or another set of pliers and pull the loop tight, it should slide down neatly to the hook (if not, use a bit of spit and pull it carefully down with your nails) then trim your tag. The rig will likely be a bit long, so I wrap the line around the plastic once near the hook, then pin the treble in the tail. The stinger setup should not alter the action of the plastic in any way, so if it's the right lencth, don't loop the line around the body of the plastic, as this will cause it to bunch up.










There you go, this should convert those frustrating 'half plastics' into hook ups! _*Remember, don't tie sloppy knots! If a fish only grabs the stinger hook, there will be 4 knots between you and the fish instead of only 2, so they have to be as strong as possible.*_

If I haven't explained anything clearly enough, PM me and I'll try and explain it a different way or shoot you some more photos.

Rowan.


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## tobes (Jul 8, 2008)

excellent thank u


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## zipper (Feb 27, 2008)

freeeeeeeesh, thanks for that


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## wayner (Jan 7, 2009)

you should get a lot more chopper tailor with the treble in the tail like that.

wayne


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## wayner (Jan 7, 2009)

Are you losing any bigguns to small bites, Wayne?

find that the bigger ones hit the head of the lure/sp more than the tail.the smaller ones grab the tail the most and those pesky little tailor


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

that is very innovative rowan, looks like an excellent solution . i will give that one a go


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## mustrumr (Feb 27, 2009)

Neat rig - I'll give it a go. I've started using a stinger rig on Gulp sandworms (6 inch cut down to 3 inch) for exactly the same reasons as you, but this looks a much better method than the way I was doing it.


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## Rstanek (Nov 5, 2007)

Thanks for the positive feedback guys.

Wayne, this rig does mean that you hook more chopper tailor but that's just it; you actually hook them, they don't just attack the plastic until it's gone. Once they hook themselves, the stinger hook comes free so the plastic isn't in their mouth and 8 times out of 10, you get the stinger rig and your plastic back in one piece, in a situation where you normally would've just lost the tail to the peckers... Also, there is always a chance that a big bream will bite short (as happened to me on Sunday) and with this rig you've got a much better chance of converting that inquisitive nudge or nibble into a hook up.

Plus, in a competition scenario, the littler bream might be what gets you on the board (as we've seen in most of the abt kayak events, the fishing has been really tough). From a recreational point of view, it might mean the difference between catching nothing in an entire session, or having fun with a few smaller bream ;-) .

There is one down side though; if you do lose a plastic but not the rig, you can't put another plastic on the same rig as the uni knot or LHB knot can't be easily worked out and retied on the water. This means that if you put on a new plastic, you have to put on a new rig each time. As long as you pre-tie a few, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.


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## azzaroo (Aug 17, 2007)

neat stinger rig rasta, thanks for the effort of sharing it with us


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## pescado (May 17, 2007)

Like it rowan, huge fan of the gulp shrimps.

Couple of questions though, why dont you just tie direct to the treble stinger with a blood knot? Have you thought about taking to a milk bottle with a hole punch and slipping the circular disc over the main hook to reduce the chance of that knot breaking off on the barb (in the event that that the rear stinger is taken)?

good post mate, certainly got me thinking anyways ;-)


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## joejoe (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time to post stinger rig it is much appreciated.joe


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## Rstanek (Nov 5, 2007)

pescado said:


> Like it rowan, huge fan of the gulp shrimps.
> 
> Couple of questions though, why dont you just tie direct to the treble stinger with a blood knot? Have you thought about taking to a milk bottle with a hole punch and slipping the circular disc over the main hook to reduce the chance of that knot breaking off on the barb (in the event that that the rear stinger is taken)?
> 
> good post mate, certainly got me thinking anyways ;-)


There's no real reason I tie it with a loop knot, it looks a bit stronger, but I doubt it actually is...

I hadn't considered blocking the barb in any way because I'm not sure that it'd be too big of an issue. If you think about it, if there's a fish on the stinger it'd be pulling in a direction parrallel to the shank of the jig head hook, keeping it in the middle of the gape of the hook and away from the barb. There should always be pressure on the line, so there shouldn't be any way that the fish could pull the stinger in a direction perpendicular to the shank of the jig head hook, thus pulling the knot up towards the barb. The knot doesn't slip easily once it's tightened down, so it shouldn't get close to the barb (though if it did, it's small enough to slip under the 'overhang' bit, and not get spiked by the tip).

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say, it's kind of hard to explain without drawing it...


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Ahh! A way to get hook-ups out of all those nibbles, nudges and runs that turn into nothing. This is an awesome guide thank you very much. Got plent of those shrimps and always get hits on them so I'll be testing it out on saturday.

Peace!


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## dunebuggy (Dec 21, 2008)

Rstanek, thanks for a very detailed description and excelent photos. It's a little different to how I would normally do it but, I like it.
Thanks also for the links to the animated knots. What an excelent site that is.
Many thanks.
Stuart.


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## Sidetrak (Dec 16, 2008)

Great post Rstanek. I'll have to try your design, I hate losing gulp tails.

I thought I's share an alternate stinger set up, that was shown to my by Anton at the tackle shop in Sporty's Warehouse on the Gold Coast. It uses fine guage wire rather than fluoro. It's a little fiddly but simple to do. If you get the length of wire right and rig it well it doesn't affect the action of the plastic too much. I am yet to try this rig with a gulp prawn. It may be harder to rig with a gulp, as there are not translucent. However, you can feel the loop in the wire with the hook point, so you don't necessarily need to be able to see through the plastic.

Materials:
no.2 mustad aberdeen hook
Size 14 owner treble or choose your materials to suit the plastic size
Fine guage wire cut to appropriate length
Plastic - I'm using an atomic prong

Method:
1. Attach the wire to the treble with a twist
2. Measure the length of wire needed against the plasitic, taking in to consideration the placement and length of hook you will be using
3. Create an eye/loop in the other end of the wire
4. Insert the loop end of the wire into the tail of the plastic
5. Insert the hook, carefully feeling to make sure that the hook point goes in through the loop in the wire
6. Check allignment
7. Repeat for many lures
8. Go and catch a big fish!

Tracey


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

thanks greatly for the picture trace(interesting that a fishing girl should be called trace your parents obviously knew where your future lay) 
i read your description in the trip report but a picture is greatly appreciated. 
and boys you should listen to this lady, she regularly outfishes all the pros up here. i think youll be on the pro circuit soon tracey.

i will try both these rigs this weekend if i get a chance

pete


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## Imaddictedtofishing (Nov 28, 2007)

just tried the stinger rig at the bottom of my street. Caught 6 bream up to 32cm, 5 of which where caught on the stinger hook. Thanks mate!


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## Rstanek (Nov 5, 2007)

Imaddictedtofishing said:


> just tried the stinger rig at the bottom of my street. Caught 6 bream up to 32cm, 5 of which where caught on the stinger hook. Thanks mate!


No worries, glad it did the trick for you!


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## ronston (Oct 21, 2008)

Nice idea, ive been trying to work out a stinger arrangement for some time now, but have had no luck with a single hook. But your treble rig looks the goods and i'll be tying a few up the next time i go out.  Cheers Ronnie.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2009)

Fantastic rig. I have been trying it but getting thwarted still, the treble placed a little too far up the lure, been getting just the tip of the tail bitten off. A mate reccomends a feather to hide it. Any takers for that notion?


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