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Search Gulf Coast Fisherman's Web Site Past articles, specific places or fish, etc.	The Illusion Blade Rig by Patrick Lemire	CURRENT MOON lunar phases
	As fishermen, we are all constantly looking for the edge that will give us a slight advantage over the sometimes "Einstein-like" minds of our particular target species. One trick that has worked well for me over the years is the "Illusion Blade". The added swimming motion added by the blade, also gives a distress flash and/or the look of a smaller fish being chased by your baitfish. This works well to give your bait the preoccupied and vulnerable look.   This comes from the addition of the chrome #3 willow blade below the nose hook and, to some extent, from the "Target Bead" on the hook shank which positions the blade's swivel.   In circle hooks, the Daiichi D84Z Bleeding Bait Circle Chunk Light, or the D81Z in black nickel, both in size 7/0, are my first choices. Mustad Ultra Point 10829BLN and 10827BLN, both in sizes 8/0-10/0 are my personal preferences in these type hooks. When using either of the Daiichis, you must bend the Stopgap Baitholder barb down flush with the hook shank.   This is necessary in order for the soft Target Bead to pass over that section of the hook shank, while on its way to holding the swivel eye against the hook's eye as is shown in the illustration. These soft feel Target Beads come in glow white or glow green; size 2 is the largest. They come from TTI Industries and can be found in tackle shops and sporting goods stores and various tackle catalogs.
Swivel size is first determined by its eye's ability to pass over the hook's barb area. If it's a close fit, turn the swivel eye to where the eye's tapered hole is on the barb side of the of the hook bend; it will pass over the barb easier in that position. The other obvious consideration is that the swivel eye is small enough so that it won't pass over the target bead when it's on the hook shank. The way I assemble these various parts, after making sure they fit as already outlined, is as follows: connect the swivel to the willow blade using a small split ring which allows full range of motion for the Illusion Blade; then slide this assembly onto the hook; next, moisten the hook with saliva before starting the bead installation. You can also clamp the hook in a small vice for better control of its positioning during the bead sliding process. Using extreme care and caution, slide the soft Target Bead around your hook's bend and into position on the hook shank, clamping the swivel eye against the hook eye. Sharp hooks also hook people - don't be your own first catch with the Illusion Blade rig.   To fish the Illusion Blade rig, cast out and let it sink through the water column with your reel in free spool. Keep in touch with the bait by having a slight amount of thumb pressure on the spool while controlling the amount of line being played out. At any tick, touch or slack - set the hook after taking up any slack in the line. With a circle hook, load the rod and the hook should be set when the line comes tight. You can also let the sink happen with your reel in gear and do the same hook setting after the bait's been taken in.   Use a slow or fast retrieve after a shallow or deep sink for anything that eats a baitfish of the size you are using. This would include fish such as tuna, amberjack, wahoo, dolphin, red snapper, ling, and grouper. A fast retrieve at any depth has the illusion of your baitfish either fleeing or chasing the spinnerblade - which is then a smaller fish look-alike. A go, stop, twitch and repeat motion to your baitfish and spinner blade will often trigger a strike. When using any of these sink or retrieve methods, I keep my rod tip pointed at the line's entry into the water. Bait speed changes are done with the reel. At the take, I load the rod and set the hook. This is not "the way", just the way I do it.   The Illusion Blade rig can be fished Carolina-rigged with an egg weight of sufficient size above the swivel that connects the main line to the leader. Use a size that will put your baitfish into the strike zone, wherever that is. The depth desired, and the amount of weight needed to get your baitfish there is controlled by several factors, including water depth, current strength and sink rate wanted. Too fast a sink rate may not get a look as the baitfish passes by suspended red snapper, for instance.   Let's go back for a second to the "target bead". Its glow white or green color is an attractant in itself, that's why they are known as a target bead. At depth, and at night, the willow blade will also pick up the glow of the bead and flash accordingly, or pulse it. Don't forget to use a wire leader when toothy species such as wahoo or kingfish are in the area. They, like dolphin, for the most part like a fast retrieve; add that to the flash of the Illusion Blade and hang on for the strike. If a short-striker gets the back half of your bait fish, keep working it with a twitch, go, twitch motion. The Illusion Blade will give the look of the remaining portion of the baitfish being in its death throes - a second hit may soon follow when these guys are around. The Illusion Blade rig can also be trolled at whatever speed your baitfish can stand.   The Illusion Blade rig gives a swimming motion to a dead baitfish and adds to a nose-hooked live one's appeal. The vibrational signal sent out by the willow blade also gets a predator's attention through their lateral line sensors. The preoccupied/vulnerable look is exactly what a predator homes in on - it's a natural strike trigger.   If you are looking for an efficient, simple addition to your fishing arsenal, the Illusion Blade rig is one that fills the bill. It works unbelievably well on most all of those baitfish eaters out there. Give the Illusion Blade a try, you won't be disappointed. If you have any questions you can email me at pllemire@aol.com.   (http://www.truturnhooks.com) (http://www.mustad.com) (http://www.Daiichihooks.com) [ Articles | Home ]