Learn to build a double-hook rig for offshore trolling lures.
Will James
The double0-hook rig can improve your hook-up ratio when trolling large skirted lures. To make the rig, you'll need a set of heavy-duty crimpers, double-barrel sleeves (2.8 mm pictured), stainless-steel cable (900-pound Malin pictured), two hooks (11/0 pictured) and chafe tubing.
Begin by sliding a sleeve and chafe tubing onto the end of the wire cable.
Bring the end of the cable back into the other side of the sleeve to form a loop.
Slide the sleeve into the crimping tool to hold it in place while you tighten the loop. Crimp the sleeve.
Your loop should look similar to the one pictured above.
Take one of your hooks and place the cable loop in line with the back of the hook's eye. Take the leader you plan on using and connect the two in the loop from the leader connection. The chafe tubing you placed on the cable loop will protect the leader from becoming abraded by the cable material.
Take the lure you plan on using and slide it all the way down the leader.
With the lure in place, you will now be able to judge where to trim the cable to form a loop for the second hook. In this case, cutting the cable at the end of the lure skirts will give us enough extra cable to work with for the second hook.
Slide the lure up out of the way before you crimp the second hook in place. Slide the crimp sleeve onto the free end of the cable followed by the second hook. Be sure to run the cable through the eye of the hook so it will face in the opposite direction of the first hook.
Slide the lure back down into place and adjust the position of the trailing hook. You want the eye of the second hook to sit inside the ends of the skirt as shown, with the point of the hook exposed.
