State Mandated Quick Strike Rigging in Wisconsin

[Red Childress]

This area has a ton of excellent livebait fishermen chasing bass and walleye using 4-6 inch chubs, suckers, etc., that hook into muskies/pike by accident after letting the fish "run" with the bait long enough for the entire bait/hook to be swallowed. There are several guys who drop anchor or shore fish that target muskies with a single hook rig just like anywhere else but with a simple modification, the hook-set can be instantaneous instead of waiting for the hook to reach the stomach.

Now we know for certain that most of these "bite-offs" or cut-offs will ultimately lead to a dead fish. Education is the absolute key with this issue.

I have killed a few pike and at least 1 muskie myself using single-hooks with live bait back in the early to mid-90's....Big bait under a slip bobber was/is very popular in targeting (mid to late-Fall) pike during the shallower water migration on Kinzua. I used to make my own Quick Strike rigs back in the day and they worked very well with all muskies/pike being hooked in the mouth. Then I bought my first "Herbie Rig" in '95 and used them for a few months and they were great but not cheap. I have not tried any of the newer versions on the market but I hear they work even better.

All you really need to do is get some heavy mono/fluorocarbon or uncoated wire and run a single treble from the main hook to fit the size bait you are using. Put the treble near the dorsal fin and you have yourself a quick strike rig. It is that simple.

Plus, if you set the hook BEFORE the hook is swallowed, you can re-use the sucker again in most cases. You save your sucker and save a fish in the process.

100% artificials for my boat the past 15 years or so.