Mustad these days isn’t just about hooks. All sorts of gear now bears the Mustad brand, including line, swivels and other accessories. In particular, Mustad is developing a formidable array of ready-made fishing rigs built on these quality components. The rigs are made by Mustad in its own dedicated terminal tackle manufacturing facility and designed for Australian fishing. Here is a full run-down on the Mustad gear:
Mustad Big Red Snapper Rig
Based on the famous Big Red hook, this rig is a tandem-hook design suited to big natural baits. Two similar-sized Big Reds are snelled onto a monofilament trace a fixed distance apart (the hooks are fixed, not sliding). Two free-swinging small or medium sized hooks can do a better job of hooking up than a single big hook – even on big snapper and mulloway. And the two hooks certainly do a neater job with big baits. With the two hooks facing in opposite directions, there is plenty of exposed hook point. What’s more, the bait is presented in a natural fashion, as there is not too much hook shank stuck in the bait to stiffen it up. When the bait is taken, the hooks work independently of each other, maximising the chance of a solid hookup.The Big Red Snapper Rig can catch more than snapper. Its smallest size sports a pair of 3/0 hooks, which can also target smaller fish like bream, flathead and trevally. At the top of the size range, a pair of 8/0s will hold the biggest snapper or mulloway.
Specifications: Hooks: 2 x Mustad Big Red (92554NPNR) Ultra Point, chemically sharpenedLine: Mustad Ultraline monofilament (clear)Hook size/ Line breaking strain: • 1/0 – 30 lb • 2/0 – 30 lb • 3/0 – 30lb • 4/0 – 40lb • 5/0 – 50lb • 6/0 – 50lb • 7/0 – 60lb • 8/0 – 70lb
Mustad Penetrator Snapper Rig (NEW)
Another tandem-hook rig for fishing with big natural baits. This new release from Mustad uses the slick, fine-gauge Mustad Penetrator hooks, rigged on lighter gauge mono traces. It is a rig for those who like a more subtle approach to bait fishing.But don’t be fooled by the fine gauge of the Penetrator hooks. They can still hold big, hard-pulling fish. Being skinny and super-sharp, they penetrate with the greatest of ease so that the strain is taken right in the base of the bend, minimising the strain on the hook. That’s what Mustad calls the Penetrator principle. You can set a big hook on a light line. Baits are rigged similarly to the Big Red Snapper rig.
Specifications:Hooks: 2 x Mustad Penetrator (92604BLN) Ultra Point, chemically sharpenedLine: Mustad Ultraline monofilament (clear)Hook size/Line breaking strain: 4/0 – 30lb • 5/0 –40lb • 6/0 – 40lb • 7/0 – 50 lb • 8/0 – 50lb • 9/0 – 70lb
Mustad Hapuka Rig
With line sizes up to 400 lb and hooks up to 16/0 size, this is a real heavyweight bait fishing rig, equipped with two equal-sized Mustad 39965D circle hooks. Like the fish after which it is named, the Hapuka Rig hunts in deep offshore waters. Circle hooks are favoured because they stay in the fish on the long haul to the top, even if the fish blows its bladder on the way up (with conventional hooks, the fish can literally float off the hook). The two circle hooks are mounted on dropper loops and enhanced by luminous vinyl tubing as an attractor. The 39965D circles are offset (kirbed).The Mustad Hapuka rig is gaining popularity as more anglers hunt deepwater target species like hapuka, blue eye, trumpeter and gemfish. A bit closer to shore, it is also having success on mulloway around the reefs and in WA, it is a proven performer on big dhufish.
Specifications: Hooks: 2 x Mustad 39965D circle hooks, kirbed, Duratin plated
Line: Mustad Ultraline monofilament (clear)Hook size/Line breaking strain: 12/0 – 200lb • 14/0 -- 400lb • 16/0 – 400lb
Mustad 2-in-1 Bait jig
Not all anglers are nimble enough to handle a 6-hook bait jig comfortably. Also, some states have legislated against so many hooks on a single line. So, Mustad divided their bait jig into two 3-hook rigs, in the one package. The Mustad 2-in-1 Bait jig uses genuine Mustad hooks and quality Mustad monofilament. The range covers a variety of hook sizes suitable for everything from small yellowtail to big slimies and nannygai. The ratio of line size to hook size is higher than you’ll find on el-cheapo jigs — even the smallest size Mustad jigs have a 10lb line, giving them good durability and a chance of holding that bigger-than-expected fish that sometimes comes along. Specifications: Hooks: 3 x Mustad 515N (Nickel plated) Line: Mustad Ultraline monofilament (clear) Hook size/Line breaking strain: Size 2 – 15lb • Size 4 – 15lb • Size 6 – 12lb • Size 8 – 12lb • Size 10 – 10lb • Size 12 – 10lb Mustad Big Red Flasher Rig
This was the first of the Mustad Flasher Rigs to hit the market and the definitive product of its type. It uses three Big Red hooks on droppers, decorated with pink flasher material and strong Mustad Ultra line in breaking strains suited to seriously big target fish.These rigs are often called large sabikis and promoted as multi-hook lures that work in the absence of natural bait. But Mustad promotes them as enhanced natural bait fishing systems. They are designed to be used with natural bait (a strip of fish or squid is ideal), with the flasher material acting as an extra attractor. Although they do often take fish without bait, the bait first approach makes them more deadly. When you add an up-and-down jigging action, anything can happen.The main target fish is snapper, but many others have fallen for it. Drifting it over flathead grounds offshore and in the bays, is very effective. Morwong, trevally, kingfish and nannygai are other regular victims and the Big Red Flasher is strong and hardy enough to take emperor and other tropical species around the coral. You can see a practical demonstration of the Big Red Flasher Rig on the Mustad web site www.mustad.no/australia_nz and it is featured on The Fishing DVD Vol. 7. The Big Red Flasher rig (and its close cousins described below) comes packaged in a reusable box and on a convenient foam winder on which it can be stored for further use. Specifications: Hooks: 3 x Mustad Big Red (92554NPNR) Ultra Point chemically sharpened Line: Mustad Ultraline monofilament Hook size / Line breaking strain: 1/0 – 30lb • 2/0 – 30lb • 3/0 – 30lb • 4/0 – 40lb • 5/-0 – 50lb • 6/0 – 60lb Mustad Long Red Flasher Rig
Similar in design and purpose to the Big Red Flasher Rig, but using three Mustad Long Red hooks. These are strong beak-style hooks with long shanks which means they can hold a bigger bait load. They are dressed with green flasher material, which snapper often find especially appealing.
Specifications:Hooks: 3 x Mustad Long Red (92261NPNR) Ultra Point chemically sharpened Line: Mustad Ultraline monofilament (clear) Hook size / Line breaking strain: 1/0 – 30lb • 2/0 – 30lb • 3/0 – 30lb • 4/0 – 40lb • 5/-0 – 50lb • 6/0 – 60lb Mustad Demon Terakihi Flasher Rig
This member of the Mustad Flasher Rig family uses light gauge Demon circle hooks and relatively light droppers and trace, so it is aimed at more subtle fishing styles and spookier fish. It’s very useful when chasing smaller snapper (or bigger snapper that are on the shy side). With its self-hooking properties, the light circle suits the rig well and has proven very successful on snapper, flathead, trevally, morwong and the like.
Specifications: Hooks: 3 x Mustad Demon Light Gauge (39954BLN) Ultra Point chemically sharpened Line: Mustad Ultraline monofilament (clear) Hook size / Line breaking strain: 2/0 – 40lb • 4/0 – 40lb • 6/0 – 50lb • 8/0 – 65lb