2 Ways To Rig FROZEN SHRIMP For Reef Fishing
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
It’s reef fishing time!
If you hate spending money or time on getting live bait, then you’re going to love this video.
You’ll learn two ways to rig frozen shrimp for reef fishing, plus a tip on how to keep the shrimp on the hook longer.
These tips helped us catch some nice snapper, and can help you catch more reef fish, too.
Check it out below!
How To Rig Frozen Shrimp [VIDEO]
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We just got back from fishing in the Florida Keys with Capt. Mark “Hollywood” Johnson of FloridaKeysFunFishing.com.
We hit some reefs one afternoon and caught some really nice (and delicious) snapper on frozen shrimp.
Here are the two rigs we were using:
Rig #1: Circle hook with a split shot
For this rig, all we did was tie on a circle hook and pinch on a split shot above it.
Here’s what we used:
- 20 lb. leader
- Circle hook (size depends on the size of the bait)
- Split shot (size depends on depth and current)
Rig #2: Knocker rig
For this rig, we slid an egg sinker onto the leader and then tied a circle hook on.
Here’s what we used:
- 20 lb. leader
- Circle hook (size depends on the size of the bait)
- Egg sinker (size depends on depth and current)
How To Rig Frozen Shrimp
One of the big problems people have with frozen shrimp is that they fall off the hook too easily.
To stop that from happening, here’s a trick:
Put the hook through the shell twice.
First, put the hook through the underbelly of the shrimp down near the tail.
Then, pull half of the hook out through the shrimp, twist it around, and insert the point back into the top of the shrimp.
This will keep your shrimp on the hook more securely.
Conclusion
You don’t need live bait to catch fish on a reef.
We used frozen shrimp, mullet, and ballyhoo and caught some nice snapper on this trip.
And if you do use live shrimp, be sure to thread the hook through the shell twice so that it’s more likely to stay on and catch fish.
Have any questions about using frozen bait?
Or any suggestions for rigging frozen shrimp?
Let us know down in the comments.
And if you’re on the keys and want to book a trip with Capt. Hollywood and his crew, check out FloridaKeysFunFishing.com.
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Terrible video you can’t even see how he’s rigging the shrimp may want to redo that one out of the Shadows
Your video suck. You need close ups to show the rigging of the bait better. Shadows and distance are your enemies
Yep, lesson learned on this video. Here’s a closeup video we did on the proper way to rig a shrimp on a jighead – https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-rig-shrimp-on-jighead-video/
That is a nice video, but is for live shrimp. Johnson said that he went through the frozen shrimp twice, and as noted by others you can’t see what he did.
Not a good video. poor lighting, filmed in a shadow from a distance. couldn’t see what the fast talker was doing.
Thanks for the Info, going to try it , I used to loose my bait before it reached the water , I fish on shore 👍
Great video, as always! It goes right to the point — very clear and concise.
One additional “no duh” tip:
Because everything eats shrimp, you’ll also catch a lot of smaller “trash” fish, like grunts and pins, especially if you’re chumming. Well, those fish may be undesirable to you, but they’ll be very desirable to the predator fish that are attracted to the action around the chum slick. So throw a frozen shrimp rigged on a lighter hook into the chum slick, catch some grunts and pins, and use them for fresh bait (live or cut) on bigger hooks.
Would a Weighted Hook present the bait better than a Split Shot or a sinker bumping against the bait…………….
Joe and Luke, Where can you see the recommended Fishing Guide list for Everglade City, Chokoloskee, Fl.? Thank you, Tom Watts, Naples, Fl.
Why/what scenario would you use a knocker rig instead a fish finder rig and vice versu?
Good morning Blake! Hollywood here.. thanks for reaching out! The short story is.. here in the keys we tend to chum a lot snd create a chum slick behind the boat. This in turn brings a lot of fish up off the bottom snd feed in the slick. The knocker rig allows the bait to drift back looking naturally. This is very important for Yellowtails etc as they are smart fish especially in clear water. The gosh finder rig is designed for more of a bottom fishing scenario in deeper water taking chum out of the equation! I think there is a SS video by Tony on YT that might even explain it more.. Hollywood out!
I let the fish tell me. Yesterday, I used a knocker rig while my buddy used a fish finder rig. A couple of redfish and trout to my goose egg within the hour…I decided a use a fishfinder rig. For some unknown reason to me, the fish finder rig worked better. The secret was the distance between the bait and the sinker. Two feet of leader was the magic distance, any shorter and the fish would stop biting. What surprised me, even more, was that it didn’t matter to the fish, if the shrimp were a day old or live. We ran out of fresh bait and used day-old headless pink shrimp that was left overnight in the car. Neither of us wanted to leave the hot bite and didn’t have to.
What’s everyone’s best snag free rig for bottom reef fishing? Knocker rig-circle hook is my typical go-to. Thanks in advance!
Greets.
Carry your frozen shrimp in garlic powder prior to use.
Rgds.
May i ask why? First time hearing this tip!
Garlic is an appetite inducer for most marine fishes. Great for their immune systems too.
It’s an appetite inducer for me as well! Haha
Hahaha couldn’t agree more