Alternative Methods to Rig Your OTI Lures

Discover how our alternative rigging methods for OTI lures can enhance your fishing experience. From single hooks for catch and release to Raptor Lure Hooks and Raptor Assist Hooks for targeting specific fish species, find out how to optimize your rigging and increase your chances of success.

Why change your hooks?

OTI poppers and swimbaits come rigged and ready to fish right out of the box with either 250# or 300# split rings and 4X strong treble hooks. But sometimes the situation calls for a single or assist hook to be used.

Catch and release anglers will benefit from the use of single hooks because they are much safer and easier to remove. There will also be much less damage done to the fish.

Anglers targeting billfish and larger tuna can benefit from the heavier gauge, and wider gap that a single hook offers, giving you a much better purchase into these larger fish. The assist cord can also reduce the leverage that the fish can gain when the hooks are directly attached to a lure.

Whatever your reasoning, single hooks can be an excellent alternative to the supplied treble hooks.

Changing to Raptor Lure Hooks

This is probably the most basic change you can make to your lures. The treble hooks were directly swapped with the Raptor Lure Hooks. All of our lures can utilize these hooks when your #1 focus is catch and release.

The Maguroni is pictured below with the 6/0 size Raptor Lure Hook. This size works well with the Mini poppers and the Wave Dancer swimbaits. The 8/0 size is great with the mid-sized poppers like the Goanna. And the 10/0 hooks are great with the larger poppers and baits like the Sea Dragon and Thunnus.

Maguroni Lure with Raptor Lure Hooks

Changing to Raptor Assist Hooks

A Raptor Assist Hook is a great addition to a lure when targeting fish that tend to go airborne, like mahi-mahi. Larger tuna can put enormous pressure and torque on the lighter wire of a treble hook.

The wider gap, and heavier build keep the single hook from deforming under those pressures. The assist cord also keeps the lure from creating leverage and becoming dislodged.

The Goanna Popper is pictured above with the 8/0 size assist hook. Using the Raptor Assist Hook - Glow model also adds a bit of flash to the lure.

Goanna Popper Lure with Raptor Assist Hooks

Mixing it Up

When targeting billfish, switching to a Raptor Assist Hook is a no-brainer. We like these up on the front of the lure and will generally attach the assist cord directly to the swivel/split ring combo rather than to the popper itself.

The rear hook can be a Raptor single, another assist hook, or no hook at all. The idea is that the assist cord will remove the hard connection between the hooks and popper. This should reduce leverage and help keep the fish attached when they're going ballistic on the surface.

We like using the 10/0 size with the Raptor Assist and Raptor single lure hooks shown below. The wider and heavier, the better. These are small hooks for billfish, so you'll need all the luck and help you can get.

Popper Lure with a Raptor Assist & Raptor Lure Hook