Jack Crevalle are powerful and aggressive fish that can easily bend hooks and break lines.
In this article, I’ll go over 3 fail-proof rigs for Jack Crevalle to increase your hook-up ratio, so you can land more of these fun fighting fish!
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Table of Contents
The Bait Rig
The bait rig is a basic setup that can be used in many different situations and at just about any depth (although it really shines in medium to deep depths).
To use this rig, you can use either live or cut bait. For jack crevalle, baitfish such as mullet, croakers, mojarras, shrimp, or crabs are great options.
This rig can also be used with either live bait or cut bait, depending on the size of jack you are pursuing and the size of your bait.
You will also need a 3-way swivel, a pyramid sinker (or any sinker that weighs more than one ounce), your hook, and some monofilament leader line.
The setup of this rig is very simple and straightforward. In fact, it only takes a few quick steps to set up and you will be ready to start fishing.
How To Rig
First, attach the 3-way swivel to the mainline. Ensure that you use a solid fishing knot such as a clinch knot. Next, tie on a stretch of the monofilament as a leader to the bottom-facing swivel ring.
A length of one to three feet is ideal, depending on your preferences and the depth you want to target. At the end of this line, tie on your pyramid sinker. Lastly, tie your leader line and hook to the last remaining swivel ring.
Your leader line can be as long or as short as you would like, although two to three feet tends to produce the best results. The end result is a rig that will place the bait at or near the bottom to where the pyramid sinker sits.
This rig works really well if you are targeting jack crevalle in the surf because the pyramid sinker will bury itself into the sand, but allow your bait to float freely in the strike zone.
As the water moves, the currents will pull the bait up and down and help to better present it for hungry jack crevalle.
For the leader line, stick with a 40+ lb test or stronger. You should also use strong hooks such as 4/0 bait hooks or even 4/0 circle hooks.
Jack crevalle are strong fish and will need sturdy hooks and strong fishing lines to keep them from breaking off during a fight.
The Sliding Sinker Rig
The sliding sinker rig is most commonly known as the Carolina rig and is used in both saltwater and freshwater fishing alike. It is best used to target the bottoms and is considered by most fishermen to be the most effective fishing lure out there.
The great thing about the sliding sinker rig is that it can be used with live bait, cut bait, or artificial lures. To make this lure, you will need an egg sinker (at least 1 ounce in weight or more), some leader line, a strong swivel, and your hook or lure.
As we mentioned earlier, stick to a 40lb+ test leader and stronger hooks such as 4/0 circle hooks or 1/0 bait hooks.
How To Rig
To make this rig, start by threading your mainline through the hole in your egg sinker.
You will then attach it to the swivel. On the other end of the swivel, tie on a leader that is one to three feet in length.
At the end of your leader, tie on your hook or lure. The idea of this rig is to allow a fish to freely take the bait or lure and run with it. They will pull the fishing line through the egg sinker without feeling any weight, allowing you to properly set the hook.
The best way to utilize this rig is to cast out and allow it to drop down to the bottom. Once it’s there, reel in any slack and wait.
You want enough tension on the line to see or feel the fish once it takes the bait and starts to run with it. After the fish starts running, you can stop the line and set the hook.
The sinking bait rig is a great choice to use in rough weather or in areas with thick structure or cover on the bottom. This rig does a perfect job of not getting hung up on things like this as well as staying put even when the water has strong currents trying to pull it away.
The Two-Lure Trolling Rig
Trolling involves fishing while pulling a lure or bait behind a moving boat. This method of fishing helps an angler to cover a lot of water very quickly and better find fish.
Because jack crevalle are fast and aggressive fish, trolling can be a very effective way to fish while using a boat.
One of the best trolling rigs is the two-lure trolling rig. As you can probably imagine, this involves using two lures at the end of your line.
All you will need in order to create this rig is the two lures of your choice, some fluorocarbon leader line, and a strong, 3-way swivel.
How To Rig
To tie up this rig, simply tie a swivel onto the end of your main fishing line. Next, take the fluorocarbon leader and create two lengths of it for each lure. When trolling, take care to choose a strong leader line as it will put much more stress on it.
Stick with a 100 lb test line or stronger when chasing after jack crevalle.
For the two leader lines, cut one to a length of five to ten feet. For the other, cut it anywhere from six to eleven feet. The key here is to make sure that one is slightly shorter than the other.
Next, tie one leader line onto each of the remaining swivels. At the end of the leaders, tie on your lures. Some of the best lures for jack crevalle include Rapala floating crankbaits, deep-diving Skipjack crankbaits, Bass Assassin plastic sea shads, or Kastmaster spoons.
Once your rig is assembled, you are ready to throw it out the back of the boat and start trolling! Start off slow, and up your speed as you start to let out your fishing line.
The optimal distance behind the boat is anywhere from 50 to 150 feet. Once your rig gets to where you want it, lock in the line and start covering potential areas that you want to target.
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