Whats Your Fave Sp Rig For Kings?

[my03]

hey guys, when using a power minnow, i really preferr the traditional weighted jigheads, simple is better but do you guys think its better to go a texas rig or drop shotting for larger plastics like sluggos? it seems like everyone is using texas rig for sluggos is there a reason for this? whats the technique? how longs the leader between the sp and the swivel? i tried the texas rig on sluggo and hatted it, seems like there no direct communication with the bait, but rather it feels a bit unco. what do you do with sluggoes or what do you find is the best techique for sp kings? what do you guys do with the texas sluggoes? let it sink to the bottom then crank is fast with pauses?

and also, do you really find bigger is better for kings? and white colors? just seems like a 9 inch sluggo is massive! i thought 4 inch power minnow would suffice.

thanks guys

[wildfish]

havent done it yet but i thought the idea was to use them unweighted and twitch them across the surface.

[LKW]

I still havent been able to come across 9" sluggo's. I use 6" in the silver/white colour riged with a weighted worm hook, for deep water jigging. You can use unweighted stick baits with worm hooks on the surface at times to.

[davester28]

In the warmer months, when there is a lot of pelagic surface action (esp early morning & dusk), it is best to fish plastics with an unweighted worm hook. The 6" Slug-gos on a size 5/0 or 6/0 Owner worm (offset) hook work great. Just cast and rip back quickly while twitching the rod tip. Have accounted for kings, salmon, bonito and tailor this way. If no hits, try slowing down the retrieve and mixing it up. In general however, I find a quick retrieve more effective.

I also find the worm hooks promote a better action by the plastics as they allow the entire body of the plastic to flex, not just the tail. They look incredibly lifelike when being ripped along the surface.

I have also caught kings on Gulp Jerk Shads at midwater and below, with the sun high in the sky. In this instance, a regular jig head (7 - 14 g depending on depth, current) retrieved relatively briskly with lots of twitches and pauses seems to work well.

This season, I'm intending to use hard-bodied stickbaits (Daiwa Saltiga Sliders, C'ultiva Tango Dancers) after hearing lots of great things about them. (Aero wrote a great report the other day about getting them on Tango Dancers.)

As an aside, if you're after demersal species (eg. trevs, bream, jewies) that are feeding on the scraps below bait balled up by pelagics, you can rig the plastic on a regular weighted jighead and let it sink below the surface before commencing your retrieve. (This is assuming you manage to get the plastic below the pelagics! Casting past the school helps).

[davester28]

I still havent been able to come across 9" sluggo's.

If the sponsors don't have them, then give Compleat Angler in the city a go. They generally have plenty of the 9" in stock. Alternatively, try eBay. Very cheap - around $5 a pack.