Pre-Rigged Lure vs Rigging Your Own: Which One Should You Use?
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Most anglers don’t think much about how their soft plastic is rigged.
But that decision can affect everything… how the lure swims, how long it lasts, and even how many fish you hook.
It can also determine how versatile that lure really is once you’re on the water.
I created this video to show you the real differences between a pre-rigged soft plastic and rigging one yourself.
I’ll also explain why both options have their place depending on the situation.
Key Takeaways
- The real advantage of pre-rigged lures (and the hidden limitation)
- Why hook placement changes how a lure actually moves
- When fixed weight becomes a problem on the water
- The durability difference most anglers don’t think about
- How one rigging style gives you far more flexibility
- Why both setups can still catch fish in the right situation
Featured Gear:
- Lure 1: Prawn USA Original
- Lure 2: ZMAN PrawnstarZ Shrimp
- Rig 1: Hoss Football Jighead (Most Popular for Prawn USA Original: 4/0 Hook 1/4 oz)
- Rig 2: Hoss Helix Hooks (Most Popular for Prawn USA Original: 4/0 Hook 1/8th oz)
- Rig 3: Hoss Round Eye Jighead (Most Popular for Prawn USA Original: 4/0 Hook 1/4 oz)
Note: The ideal rigging setup depends on the depth you’re fishing. Click here to see our recommended rigging guide.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, both setups can work well.
Pre-rigged lures make things simple and quick, which is great when you want to spend less time rigging and more time fishing.
But rigging your own gives you flexibility to dial in weight, hook size, and presentation for the conditions you’re fishing.
Understanding the tradeoffs between the two can help you make better decisions on (and off) the water.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each:
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great info Tony. I have used pre rigged lures in the past, but now rig own.
thanks
have bought glow in the dark only.
Well Tony you know what I think of on prerigged baits I use very few except for the chasebaits flick prawn i do also own now the new zman prawnstar z that your showing in your video and have caught some fish on them especially at night but I will admit prerigged baits do definatly have limitations and 1 is my problem as well in your mentioning of limited depth range I have found the chasebaits is only good to about 6 ft after deeper then that i start using the saltstrong power prawn but unlike the zman prawnstar z shrimp the chasebaits as you know can be rigged completely weedless with its slotted body and weedless weighted worm hook unlike the zman prawn that has a totally exsposed hook just like the voodu shrimp in fact before I saw your post about the chasebaits flick prawn years ago that’s all I used was the voodu shrimp but only certain shallow situations because like all prerigged shrimp lure depth limitations I have found something though that has increased a little more depth in the chasebaits flick prawn and that is wrapping several strips of those sticky leaded weight suspend strips that I believe storm baits made years ago that I still own some it does make it drop more and unfortunatly now because of president trump’s imposed tariffs because tge chasebaits is made in Australia the price has almost doubled they used to be about 10 bucks for one now they are about 15 plus the tariff is added making them about 20 bucks for 1 bait pretty exspensive but when I bought a couple to try after reading your report and finding how good they were I ordered about a dozen more and over the years have only lost a few and still have about 8 to my name wich I covet accordingly ha ha anyways great info as usual Tony thanks for it and all you do🤔😉👍
Those Vudu pre-rigged lures are also made with a different type of plastic – you have to keep them separate from your other plastics in your tackle box. IMHO this is another negative.
Great point!
I like to rig my own, I can dial them in to each situation without carrying a lot of tackle
Good choice!
I have had luck buying bulk non rigged DOA and used our hooks. I wanted to see if our hook methods would outperform the pre rigging.
Good stuff!
Good pros and cons explained!
Thanks Larry!
Good information that anglers should consider. I carry both, but I think some things should also be considered. The lures featured are very different by the materials used to make them and have very different characteristics in the water. Secondly the pre-rigged models typically have a very realistic look and the body lures are less realistic looking. Third.. all 3 of the leading pre-rigged TPE shrimp lures offer the lure in various sizes and weights to cover just about any scenario. And lastly the Prawnstarz shrimp featured in the video is also available in a “body only” version while maintaining its TPE and buoyancy traits. IMO the ultra realistic characteristics and buoyancy of the pre-rigged TPE models far outweigh any negatives when compared to a un-rigged non-TPE shrimp lure.
Good points, thanks for sharing!
I love to rig my own because I can create anything I need the lure to do for my situation.it is so universal.
For sure!