What is a Quick-Strike Rig?

[Craigums]

?

[cjac]

It's a wire harness set-up with a couple trebles on it basically, designed for tip-ups and bobber type presentations. The whole point is being able to set the hook as soon as the fish hits the bait, as the two trebs will give you a hook-up.

Minn law gets a little tricky, two hooks consitiutes a "lure" so the beads or a small blade need to be added to make it legal and meet the "lure" specs.

I've started making my own, pretty easy really. #27 or #30 seven-strand, pack of treble hooks and swivels, couple blades, shrink tubing and you're ready.

Here's an example:

[hanso612]

I've been using them for thirty years and called them an upgrade kit. I purchase 6 inch leaders in#30 and 12 inch in #30-80. I take a split ring and put a spinerblade on the front swivel of the 12 inch. Then I use 4/0 kahle style hook on the bottom snap. I then add the 6 inch leader to the bottom of the twelve inch and close it up. Put the kahle on so hook faces up and add the 6 inch second and the rig will ride truer. I put a small trebble on the back of the six inche. Add a sucker and an appropriately sized rubber core and heave it over the side and wait for the upgrade.

I usually have all the components in my bag already for use in other kinds of fishing. The leader with the spinner has paid off for me as an attractor when trolling crankbaits for pike as well.

Tube jig hooks with the weight molded on the hook work well for the front hook too. No split shot needed to keep the sucker down. I like a single hook for the front. It seems to snag on the bottom less and has less chance of snaging on the net on the way in.

I like foam bobbers better than plastic. They hold up better in a pack and cast better. Long stiff rods that rate 3-5 oz are needed to throw these rigs but they don't need to be good or expensive. I like Gander Competitor series 7 foot musky rods for a cheap (but heavy)sucker rig.

Early season pike usually are within the depth of this bobber rig and rod. Late season pike and muskies are better fished with a slip bobber or free lined. Hans

[MurkyWaters]

I am also new to the quick-strike...I've heard of a couple of different ways to rig the bait on the quick strike...How do you rig your baits? Uppermost hook on through the lips and lowermost hook through the dorsal? Should the dorsal hooks be pointed up or pararell to the bait? (I hope you can visualize what I'm asking)...Thanks!

[Scott M]

Murky, you've got the right idea. That's how I operate my quick strike rigs. One of the three treble barbs hooked up through the lips and on the rear treble, one of the three treble hooks hooked through the skin by the dorsal fin facing up.

I suppose it's to each his own, but it's worked for me.

[hanso612]

I hook the uppermost hook(the single kahle syle) first. I grab the stuggling decoy sucker with the palm of my hand over the back then i run the first hook up under the jaw and out the snout without going into the cartilage. Then, I scrape a scale or two off with a tip of the treble hook. This allows me to push the treble in easier without risk of pushing to hard and haveing the hook go to deep. I start the hook from the tail end going forward and leave the finished treble standing straight up, but I don't think it matters much.

Others run a pin through the nose of the sucker and run a wire through the hole. Then they wrap the wire to hold the hook in place-pinning the minnow on. Eye sockets can be used too, effective to hold a dead bait on while slow trolling. This is a salt water technique, but I like it for fresh water if I am going to cast a live sucker and retrieve it over and over again.

On big decoys, I've seen a rig using three trebles and the first hook(the one that supports the bulk of the weight) is attached to the back first(just behind the dorsal) and twin leaders with small trebels are stuck on each side. The same spinner requirement rules still apply.

I like a lively minnow and try to position the hooks so they do a minimal amout of damage. I also match the size hooks to the bait. Once the bait dies, step on it or cut sclices in it and give it another go out there for a while as it oozes fresh scent. Many of my biggest pike and catfish have come off a squished bait like this.

The biggest thing to remember with the rig is to set the hook fast- hence the name. Don't let the fish swallow it. On the hook set, have the drag set loosely or a big fish can rip its own flesh pulling away especially if you have a stiff rod and the fish hits close to the boat. Take up slack and use your thumb to keep line from spolling off during the hookset. This is important with the light drag setting. Reset the drag during the fight accordingly. Hans

[MurkyWaters]

Thanks for your help. Do you change your rigging while using dead bait?

[MuskieMojoTackle]

IMO quickstrike rigging is more in the method of setting the hook than the actual hardware. Even for muskies, most "quickstrike rigs" I use only have one treble hook.

I've actually gone away from using traditional quick strikes like the ones shown above with live bait for under a tipup. A single small treble in the back of a minnow works well for me. Still hit the fish right away and you will be fine. I've never had a problem with gut hooking fish like this. A pike will usually t-bone a minnow so that single treble finds the mark very well. I dont generally use very large minnows either so two hooks is really overkill and kills the swimming action of the bait.

If I am on BIG pike water where I want larger baits, I am using deadbait anyway...deadbait always gets a quickstrike rig...mostly so I can maintain its posture in the water the way I like it. For this I use a unique (at least I've never seen anything like it) little quickstrike rig that I make at home.

[rbandsasha]

MuskieMojoTackle,

Any chance of seeing your type of quick strike rig for dead baiting? I am looking to make some rigs, and just looking to see what is the "best" one first.

Anyone else with ideas or tips are appreciated also.

Thanks in advance.

[The Hex]

I use a 50 pound berkley vanish flourocarbon leader, with two beads, a tiny spinner,and a snap swivel and a red treble. I tie a barrell swivel to the end of all my tip ups so can change my rig for a smaller or bigger hook or different color spinner. I will make the leader a little longer in case I get some nicks in the line, this way I can just cut it and re-tie. I had one break off in the three years I've benn using this rig and that was cause I tried horseing a big one, but I've caught alot of fish in the upper 30's in length without a problem. Like Mojo, I also think one hook is good enough. I've only had one fish swallow my hook.

[KTapper]

Best invention every made. I would not go tip up fishing without a quickstike rig after using one.

[mainbutter]

IMO quickstrike rigging is more in the method of setting the hook than the actual hardware. Even for muskies, most "quickstrike rigs" I use only have one treble hook.

Just checking, a treble hook is considered to be 3 hooks in MN, right?

[blackdog1101]

I think some folks are missing the point of a "Quick Strike" rig. The top treble hook, which is the only hook that gets baited, is able to slide on the wire. It is held snug in position by the shrink tube, about 6" above the lower treble. When a fish takes the bait, the angler sets the hook right away, which causes the wire to slide through the shrink tube, and the lower treble hooks the fish in the chin.

[blackdog1101]

Here's an article which may help

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/exclusives/if0612_QuickStrike/

[hanso612]

I don't like to use a treble hook on the front of my quick stike rigs. They increase the risk of the hook getting caught on the lip of the net while netting a fish. They also pick up weeds and can get snagged easily when fishing in a shallow back bay ridden with logs or rocks. Suckers also seem to be more active without the big treble in their face.

I like to match the size of the front Kahle style hook to match the size of the sucker leaving enough hook to be effective on the front hook-not just a way to anchor the minnow. Gami makes a great size 4/0 that covers most situations, but you can order bigger. Hans

[MuskieMojoTackle]

MuskieMojoTackle,

Any chance of seeing your type of quick strike rig for dead baiting? I am looking to make some rigs, and just looking to see what is the "best" one first.

Anyone else with ideas or tips are appreciated also.

Thanks in advance.

After some reading, it appears that my quickstrike is made in the image of the ones from BigTooth Tackle.

Maybe I did see them before, and they inspired me? Who knows...either way, that rig is the best I have found for fishing with deadbait.

For live bait, I am still just using a single treble or a circle hook.

[Random guy]

As for the quick strike rig and dead bait I use the Bigtooth Tackle "Naturual Rig" it hangs dead bait perfectly in the water, plus all I pike has to do is look at it and he is hooked.

[b1gf1sh1]

does anybody sew deadbait anymore? thats still the best i know to put together a quickstrike or circle hook on deadbait.