Natural-bait dredges are deadly for sailfish in the Pacific and white marlin in the Atlantic. Follow these simple steps for rigging a mullet on a pin rig to enhance your dredge the next time you head offshore.
Start with about 4 feet of waxed rigging floss. Double it, then tie a single overhand knot to create a loose loop.
Insert a pre-made weighted pin rig into the mullet’s head through the bottom of the chin. Make sure the wire loop is exposed from the nose of the mullet so that a snap swivel can be easily attached when adding it to a dredge.
Loop the floss over the front of the pin and pull down on the loop to tighten it against the front of the bait’s head.
Make the first wrap behind the weight and in front of the eyes to secure the pin rig to the bait’s head.
Grasp the mullet behind the gills and begin to wrap toward the tail of the mullet, leaving half an inch between each wrap.
After five to six wraps of the first leg, pinch it against the body of the mullet to hold it in place.
Wrap the other leg of the floss in the opposite direction until the ends meet evenly in the middle of the bait as shown. The first wrap should be tight against the weight to secure it in place.
Make an overhand loop knot with both legs of the floss and pull down tight to secure the wraps on the underside of the mullet.
Trim the excess floss and the mullet is ready to go onto a dredge or into a cooler for future use.
A lineup of properly rigged dredge mullet is sure to attract billfish into the spread.
