# Spanish Tree/Straw Rigs 101



## SmoothLures

Well no one else wanted to do it so here it is. It's not that difficult. 

1. Gather your straws. Look for coffee stirrers or cocktail straws, they're the same. I use white/red stripe, red, and yellow. Some people use clear tubing, hot neon colors, ect, just use what ever you like. Look at party supply stores, "beverage" (liquor) stores, ect. You can get them online but the shipping is as much or more than the cost of the straws and who really needs 1000 of each color??










2. Cut them to length. About as long as your hook shank is fine. 










3. Slip them over your hooks. As you can see I'm using 2/0 Eagle Claw aberdeen hooks. They need to be gold. 










4. Put your hooks on your line. I'm using 30 lb Berkley Big Game directly from the spool. Bottom hook should go on first. I always use yellow on the bottom. Then alternate your red and white/red straws. Make them all point the same way. 










5. Pull off a few feet, slide them down to your spool, tie a small loop knot for you to attach your main line to. I use a surgeon's loop throughout the rig. Move down 6-8" and pull your first hook up, make a loop knot with it. Your loop should be about 1.5-2.5" long. Wet and pull tight. Take care not to slam a hook into your hand while tightening. 










6. Repeat with all of your hooks spacing 6-8" apart. When you tie the last one on, strip off about 2.5' and cut. Take a 3 oz. bank sinker and tie on 10-18" from the bottom hook. It's personal preference. I do at least 12". Trim tag end. 










7. Drop the sinker into a section of pool noodle (the styrofoam things kids play with in the pool). 










8. Tightly wrap the line around the bottom 1/4 of your new found rig keeper, sticking the hooks in the top where the sinker eye is. When you get done stick your loop either under a hook or lift one up and stick it in the middle of the loop. 











Drop in a quart ziplock, 2 or more to a bag. 

A few notes - They're very flexible. Use whatever you like. 

Cinch down your loops tight. 

Use a small swivel on your main line, clip it to the top loop, and unwrap carefully. I get bitten off at the swivel alot as I like to fish mine deep every now and then, so I have gone to tying direct to the line. Use a good strong knot you trust. 

Lower into the water, so that your top hook is on top of the water at it's highest point (when you push down on the rod). Commence to jigging. When you get a bite, reel up fast and get him OVER the rail, don't sit there looking at him. Quiet often you won't even have to unhook them, as they'll pop right out as soon as he hits the pier with slack line. Measure and drop him in the cooler or back in the water. 

As of this writing our limit in SC is 15 Spanish at 12" FORK length. 

You'll also catch blues, ribbonfish, skates, even seen a fat pompano get pulled up, menhaden, grass shad, anchovies and silver sides, and who knows what else?

Sorry for the cell phone pics. I think they'll do though.


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## osiya47

*bible*

should be in the bible thats all i got to say great work


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## lil red jeep

I agree that this is a great post. I have a question though. Up here I don't recall ever seeing that technique used, so I am completely unfamiliar with it. As rigged, are you saying the fish bite the straws without bait, like it's an artificial? Does this work just by dropping straight down and jigging or can this also be used by casting to water a little deeper and pulling it through the water? I ask this because the end of my favorite pier is pretty shallow and spanish are most often caught 25 to 50 yards off the end of the pier on gotcha plugs. Again, nice post!


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## zooqi

Thanks and is helpful.


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## SmoothLures

No problem guys. 

Jeep they are dropped straight down, but if a school of silversides comes within range sometimes you can flip it out and work it through them. You can't do much for casting as it's 6-8' long.


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## RuddeDogg

Great post.


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## Ryan Y

I used to make mine as well but I used the gold hooks. Now, I just buy them, I like the clark spoons on the ends. I do replace the gold hooks often though.

Good deal, Bible worthy.


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## SmoothLures

Ryan Y said:


> I used to make mine as well but I used the gold hooks. Now, I just buy them, I like the clark spoons on the ends. I do replace the gold hooks often though.
> 
> Good deal, Bible worthy.


That's something worth mentioning, a lot of people troll these for Spansih on their boats with Clark spoons instead of the lead. 

You can also use a diamond jig, Stingsilver, or other heavy metal plug instead of the 3 oz bank sinker while you're jigging them from the pier, but if you get cut off then there goes a few more bucks....


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## cutbait91

right on smooth you nailed it.


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## cutbait91

oh by the way i have caught jack crevelles, ladyfish and trout on those also!


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## new2salt

Great job, very helpful, Thanks


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## justinstewart

Nice post! 

Should be in the bible.


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## maor0

Can i use them all year long.?


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## TimKan7719

You can use anything all year long but that dont mean the fish will bite. These tree rigs are mostly for Spanish and Blues but on ocassion other things will bite them. I wouldnt recomend using them all year long. unless you are just following the Spanish north and South through out the year. I have tied up about 12 or so of these in antisapation of this weekend more to come.
Tight Lines,
Tim


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## Fishman

Looks good. I've seen them built with the larger drinking straws but not a coffee stirrer


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## maor0

TimKan7719 said:


> You can use anything all year long but that dont mean the fish will bite. These tree rigs are mostly for Spanish and Blues but on ocassion other things will bite them. I wouldnt recomend using them all year long. unless you are just following the Spanish north and South through out the year. I have tied up about 12 or so of these in antisapation of this weekend more to come.
> Tight Lines,
> Tim


thanks!


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## Kellercl

So these are used baitless? Interesting. I am going to attempt to make one. Excellent post.


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## Paymaster

Awesome! Thanks.


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## Seachaser

Great post. I have found 30 pound to be pretty light. I prefer 40 or 50 and still get lots of bite offs.


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## tylerhb

im wondering would it be better to use regular sized straws or the small coffee straws that you used? im guessing bigger straw=bigger bait so bigger fish


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## SmoothLures

Kellercl said:


> So these are used baitless? Interesting. I am going to attempt to make one. Excellent post.


Yep. They hit the movement.


You can use whatever size straws you want, give it a shot.


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## Kellercl

Thanks for the assistance. I am currently in process of collecting straws.


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## wdbrand

*Smooth,*

I've been shortening the rig to 5 hooks and using a 1 oz or 2 oz trolling[inline] sinker with a treble and hair or small plastic grub for weight. Just add a swivel for twist and paint whatever color you like. And it works and is a cheap trailer.


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## wdbrand

*BTW Smooth,*

a fine post and well shown. Easy and cheap. The reason I shortened it was to be able to cast it. Thanks for putting it up.


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## fishinNuT

this is a great topic, thanks for the info. im gona make some this weekend.


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## DrumCook

Do U WANT TO SELL ANY IM TO LAZEY TO MAKE THEM


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## OBX8ozbomber

*Smoothlures/Spanish Tree*

Made some rigs w/ straws from McDonald's, worked great! Others wanted to know where I bought'em at. Great tip, thanks!


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## Birdie0067

Excuse my ignorance...There must be no regulations of the number of hooks you can fish with from one pole? I'm not trying to be smart, but in Ohio we can only use spreaders with 3 hooks attached. Then again we don't have an ocean. Thank you for your response. I am very curious to try this when we go to the OBX.


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## BubbaHoTep

Hey Hunter, great post, my friend!  I just saw it. Yep, I agree it's Bible-worthy. I like to use small colored aquarium tubing as well - easy to snip create "custom colors," if you will. Below are a couple of pics from my Photobucket. 

Hey LRJ, most folks jig them because (as was pointed out) they're difficult to cast. However, a lot of the regulars down at Myrtle Beach State Park used to use a long underhand cast (long rod) and retrieve them back toward the pier. The longer the rod, the easier that is to manage.


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## osiya47

arts and crafts and fishing who says were just a bunch of cave men


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## cobia_slaya

believe it or not ive caught spto and puppy drum on them in the creeks


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## MBsandflea

BubbaHoTep said:


> Hey LRJ, most folks jig them because (as was pointed out) they're difficult to cast. However, a lot of the regulars down at Myrtle Beach State Park used to use a long underhand cast (long rod) and retrieve them back toward the pier. The longer the rod, the easier that is to manage.


I would be the main one you saw doing that, it's easier with a spinning reel than a baitcaster. I used to lean in the south corner, before they put rod holders there, and pitch straight into a hole that usually got a hit before the line stopped feeding off. After stepping up my rods and reels I started using a Penn 320GT on a 6ft Penn Powerstick rod, and the underhand tosses became almost impossible. I still use only medium-heavy action rods 6ft or shorter and can heave them just as far as anything bigger or longer.


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## dahut

We used to do this in California off the pier, too. I was fuddled the first time I ever saw them dinky little bits of plastic, but they were fish catching rigs!

SO this is a hot summer thing, right?


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## dahut

Id also add there was always a torpedo jig weight with a treble hook and skirt or ribbon on the bottom.


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## Fishwander

If your just going to experiment with a few of these and not make them by the thousand count , stop by your local fast food/ burger-N-fries when you get coffee, and grab a few from the condiment area.

I use a foam 'pool noodle' to secure my sabiki rigs pretty much as you have done with you "straw-rig" . Keeps them safe and secure without fear of being hooked while reaching into the bucket.

Fishwander


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## SmoothLures

dahut said:


> We used to do this in California off the pier, too. I was fuddled the first time I ever saw them dinky little bits of plastic, but they were fish catching rigs!
> 
> SO this is a hot summer thing, right?


Starts with the Spanish run, sometimes as early as the first or second week of April in SC. Til whenever they leave for the year in the fall.


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