After purchasing a new lure or reskirting an old one, it’s always important to trim the ends of the new skirts. The ends of rubber skirts come out much thinner than the rest of the skirt because of the manufacturing or extrusion process. This can cause the skirt to form a knot around the point of the trailing hook after being trolled around for a while.
This knotting can hinder the lure’s action and hookup ratio. I prefer trimming the skirt about half an inch. This keeps the point of the trailing hook clear of the skirt so it cannot impede the point on a hookup. You also have to remember to keep the eye of the trailing hook — whether a single- or double-hook rig — inside of the skirt for International Game Fish Association and tournament rules. Once the lures hit the water, check them hourly to make sure the skirts are free from tangles, that the hooks are in the right place and the lure is free from floating debris.
