Tackle Tips: Weighted Split-Bill Ballyhoo

November 4, 2022 By InTheBite Magazine

2004 Throwback – #9175 J-Hook Rig

Mate David Chambers

64-foot Spencer, Cabana

Skill Level: ★★★★

Supplies needed: Small ballyhoo with eyes removed, 1/8th ounce sinker, #9175 6/0 Mustad Hook, 60- 80-pound mono leader and a 10-inch section of copper wire or monel.

This presentation shows a common trolled bait for sailfish in the days before the circle hook revolution. Mate David Chambers was gearing up for a trolling sailfish tournament and walked us through his perfect swimming, weighted, split-bill ballyhoo rig. The “split-bill” digs down while the bait is being trolled—much like a plastic lure with a lip.

: 1. Measure the approximate hook placement near the ballyhoo head.

: 2. Holding the gill plate slightly open, insert the hook into the throat latch.

: 3. Position the hook shank and weight snugly under the gill area.

: 4. With the copper wire, your first step will be inserting it into the ballyhoohead, under the eye cavity and then back out the opposite eye opening.

: 5. Pull the copper snug and then wrap the copper wire around the eye cavity twice and leave the tag end of the copper pointing out

: 6. Next, cross the copper wire across the top of the ballyhoo back towards you.

: 7. Continue wrapping the copper around and in front of the one-eighth-ounce sinker and back through the eye cavity.

: 8. Cross the copper wire over the top of the ballyhoo again, making an X pattern.

: 9. While keeping the copper wire snug, wrap around the ballyhoo bill while keeping the monoleader straight in-line with the ballyhoo bill.

: 10. Holding the ballyhoo as pictured, begin pulling your leader up and through the center of the ballyhoo bill.

: 11. The mono will gradually begin to split the bill.

: 12. Pull the mono up through the bill until it touches your last copper wire wrap.

: 13. Holding the monoleader back onto the ballyhoo head, take the copper wire and wrap it three to four times around the ballyhoo bill in front of the mono leader.

: 14. The leader should be positioned as pictured, between the copper wire wraps. This will provide the downward angle of the ballyhoo bill while being trolled. Leave the excess copper wire off to the side.