How to Rig a Crab Decoy Jig with Live and Frozen Cigar Minnows

It’s important to know how to rig a Barefoot Crab Decoy Jig using the right kind of tackle and  bait. This article explains how to rig the jig and bait it with live and frozen cigar minnows.

How to plug a live or frozen cigar minnow: Go straight up through the bottom and out of the bridge of his nose and take the stinger hook and put it in the underbelly of the cigar minnow. This is gag grouper candy. This technique is also great for American red, scamps, reds and you name it everything in the ocean. Below are how-to videos and the steps to rig the decoy jig and  construction of the stinger hook.

Your entire tackle box: Use the skein package to hold the following – a few beads, some 130-lb swivels, some stinger hooks, and a bunch of pre-made 4-foot 80-lb leaders.

The Main Line and Leader Rig for the Crab Decoy Jig

How to rig Crab Decoy Jig:

  1. Attach one eye of a 130-lb swivel to the 50-lb Hi-Vis braided main line and a bead using a 6-loop uni knot.
  2. Take a full skein of pink Hi Seas 80lb fluorocarbon leader and cut the whole skein into 4-foot sections.
  3. Crimp the other end of the 130lb swivel on all of the 4-foot sections.
  4. Tie the Crab Decoy Jig to the fluorocarbon leader using a loop knot.
  5. Attach the stinger hook using red (waxed) 250-lb braid and 3-loop uni knot.
  6. Now you’re ready to rig the jig and stinger hook to a live or frozen cigar minnow.

Here’s a great video for learning to make a stinger hook and attaching it to a Barefoot Crab Decoy Jig:

SALTWATER TACKLE YOU MAY WANT TO TRY:

7/0 and 11/0 J-Hook Chin Weights: Target fish include Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi or Common Dolphin, King Mackerel, Wahoo, and more. Easy to rig!

4 oz. Crab Decoy Jig: Target fish for Striped Bass, nearshore Drum, Snook, Grouper, west coast bottom fish, and more.

4 oz. Tuna Squid Decoy Jig: From the eastern, western, Alaskan, and gulf coasts, target fish include: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Fluke, Flounder, Striped Bass, Seabass, Amberjack (east coast), Yellow Tail (west coast), California White Sea Bass (west coast), Grouper, Snapper, Halibut, Ling cod, and all Alaskan bottom fish.

8 oz. - 12 oz. 10/0 Squid Decoy Jig: Catch BIG Grouper, Amberjack, Giant Stripers, and more.