Hookpoints Ish Monroe Dropping Bombs Rig

Photos and story by Jason Duran

In this Hookpoints we are going to explain how to rig the bait Ish Monroe used to win the Elite Series event on Okeechobee. He caught 104.8 pounds primarily using this bait.

Seen above is everything needed to rig this bait. Starting from the left is the Paycheck Baits Punch Stop alongside the Paycheck Punch Skirt. The plastic creature bait is a Missile Baits Bruiser Flash D Bomb. The hook is a TroKar TK130 Flippin’ hook. The link is Spiderwire Ultracast Braid in 50lb test. The weight is a River2Sea Tungsten Trash Bomb in 1oz. While Monroe used his Daiwa Steez Flipping Stick and a Zillion Type R reel, we didn’t have the exact rod and reel So, the rod seen here is a Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese Flippin’/Pitchin’ and a Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese Victory 701 Reel.

You will be punching in some of the heaviest cover and will need to have some very strong line. Here we are using 50lb braid. Monroe used 70lb braid. Depending on the cover your fishing, choose the proper size you will need. Seen above is a Paycheck Baits Punch Stop. These stops come packaged on a wire keeper with a bright yellow holder.

This wire will help you slide the stop on your line. Just simply loop your line through wire and slide the Punch Stop onto your line, pulling the end of the line all the way through the Punch Stop.

Seen above is what the Punch Stop will look like on your line. This stop will help keep your weight from sliding up the line. Paycheck Baits designed this Punch Stop to work with heavy tungsten weights and larger diameter line.

Next you will want to add a weight to the line. Here we have used the River2Sea Trash Bomb tungsten weight in 1oz. You can see above how the punch stop pegs the weight in place and prevents it from sliding up the line. The Trash Bomb has an insert to help prevent the tungsten from damaging the braid and causing unwanted breaks. You may also notice the natural matte finish on this weight.

Now is time to add the Paycheck Punch Skirt to the line. Insert your line through the nearly indestructible composite bead. Paycheck hand ties each skirt to ensure uncompromised quality.

You cannot catch fish without a sharp hook. Here we have the TroKar TK130 Flippin’ Hook. This hook like all TroKar Hooks is surgically sharpened. You will also notice the TroKar B.A.R.B on the shank this prevents the plastic from sliding down the hook.

A key feature to this bait is the knot. This bait requires a Snell Knot. Seen above is how you start your line on the hook Insert your line through the front of the hook and line it up with the shank of the hook.

Next you will pinch the line and hold it against the shank of the hook will taking the tag end and making a loop over your thumb. Seen above the tag end is the line that loops from left to right and lies next to the shank of the hook.

Seen above is another photo of the loop just a little tighter. You will now want to begin to wrap the tag in around the shank of the hook just above the keeper barb. You will want to wrap it towards the eye of the hook.

Seen above is what it should look like while you are wrapping the line around the shank. You will want to make sure you keep the wraps neat and wrap towards the eye of the hook.

You should make about 5-7 wraps around the shank of the hook.

Once you have completed your wraps now it is time to insert the tag in through the loop you made and have been holding against the shank.

After you insert the tag through the loop it is time to pull the main line to tighten up the knot. Pull the main line very hard after the initial snugging and make sure the knot is tight.

Once the knot is tight you can cut off the tag end.

See here why it is important to tie a Snell Knot. See how the hook pops up at an angle when the weight adds pressure to the eye of the hook. This will cause the hook to penetrate the fish’s mouth easier when the hook is set.

Now you are ready to start the Missile Baits D Bomb on the hook. Insert the TroKar TK130 Hook into the nose of the bait.

Thread the bait onto the hook to the first bend of the hook and expose the hook point in the center of the body of the bait.

Now is the time to take a measurement of where you will want to reinsert the hook point into the body of the bait.

Insert the hook point and be sure to keep it in the center of the bait. This will help prevent line twist.

Expose the hook point through the other side and prepare to “Tex-pose” hook back into the bait.

Seen here is the “Tex-posed” hook point. The hook is just below the surface of the bait. This will help with faster hook sets as well.

Seen here is the finished Trash Bomb. Slide the Punch Stop down just above the weight and peg it in place. You can notice also here with just a little amount of pressure how the hook wants to pop out sideways.

Notice the large profile of this bait. This bait is perfect for punching grass matt or any thick cover where bass are living. The D Bomb had a unique ribbed body that displaces lots of water. It is a great punching bait because it will slide through some of the thickest cover. The tails come connected in the package they sail when they are left connected. If you separate them they will flap when they are swimming in the water.

Here is the completed Trash Bomb. If you have never punched a bait get ready. This bait can produce some really large bites.

A good strong high speed reel is a must when fishing these baits. Often the hooksets are fast and you need to quickly take up the slack to make the hook set. A Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese Victory 701 Reel is a great choice.

A rod with a very strong backbone is also a must. You will need a lot of power to pull these fish out of the cover the Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese Flippin’/Pitchin’ rod is an excellent choice for getting those fish out. It is 8’ long and provides the right amount of power to pull those big ones out.

All of these products can be purchased at Monster Fishing Tackle, visit them on the web at: –www.monsterfishingtackle.com