Skip Prawn rigging: EWG hooks or a jighead?

I rig my Mintoss Skip Prawn on either a jighead or an EWG hook. I choose the finished rig to suit the water and presentation I want to fish.

Start with the presentation

An EWG rig keeps the hook point close to the body, which is useful when presenting around cover. A jighead gives you a different way to weight and rig the prawn. In either case, check the hook against the actual lure before threading it on.

I discuss hook sizes for the prawn I am demonstrating in the video. Treat those as a guide for that example, rather than a size rule for every Skip Prawn in the range. Hook brands and shapes differ.

Rigging on a jighead

I hold the jighead beside the lure and mark where the hook needs to exit. Start at the nose, keep the hook on the centre line and thread the elastic body on a little at a time.

I recommend a lead-style keeper for the elastic material. Once the body passes over the keeper, check that it is properly seated and straight. Do not leave a bunch in the body simply because the nose has reached the head.

Rigging on an EWG

I pass the point into the nose, bring it out beneath the front of the body and slide the lure up to the bend near the eye. Hold the hook alongside the prawn to check the exit position.

Bend the body back, keep the point on the centre line and bring it through at the pocket shown in the demonstration. Let the body relax and look at the finished shape. It should sit evenly rather than curl around the hook.

Adding belly weight

I also demonstrate a belly-weighted EWG. The front of the elastic body is worked over the weight before the point is positioned. This is my preferred method in that video.

If the nose slides down the hook, I use a small soft bead to help hold it in place. I avoid screw-in styles and oversized weight shapes that damage the entry hole.

Check the rig before fishing

• Hook fits the lure’s length and pocket.
• Body sits straight and relaxed.
• Nose stays seated through a short test retrieve.
• Weight suits the depth and sink you want.

Watch both methods before choosing one. A neat, repeatable rig is more useful than forcing every presentation onto the same hook.

Watch the demonstration

Sources

• Drew M — Skip Prawn Rigging — 00:00–03:41: jighead, unweighted and belly-weighted EWG demonstrations

Mintoss lure in focus: The Mintoss Skip Prawn is a buoyant soft plastic prawn imitation designed for skip casting and a range of retrieves. It comes in 2.5-inch, 4-inch and 5-inch sizes, with jighead or weedless rigging options to suit the presentation.