Spanish sardine rigged to fly under a kite for mahi and tuna. Circle hook would be used in sailfish territory.
December 12, 2025
By Jeff Weakley
There are a couple of reasons why it makes sense to bridle-rig live baits for offshore fishing. One, placing the hook outside the bait maximizes exposure of the point and gap. There’s no tissue in the way to interrupt the penetration of the hook in a gamefish’s jaw at the strike. This is especially desirable when using circle hooks.
Secondly, the commonly available rigging needles and elastic bands are of comparatively small diameter in proportion to the typical hook. Drawing a rigging band through a baitfish causes less injury, resulting in a bait with greater swimming strength and stamina.
The bridle setup also contributes to fewer instances of secondary hookpoint penetration in the baitfish, an annoying occurrence when a hook slides through a bait and re-enters it, burying the business end and leading to huge declines in hookup ratios. Most often the angler isn’t even aware that a hook has turned around back into a bait, until he or she brings in a bait to check on its condition—or reels up after a missed strike.
The photos here reflect a common bridling method: The rubber band is stretched over the bend of the hook and the U-shaper keeper at the base of the rigging needle (this one nylon). The angler draws the needle through the forward dorsal surface of the baitfish, a good position for kite- or float-fishing, and then places it over the bend of the hook. Next, he spins the hook to tighten the band, before inserting the hook beneath the band where it lies securely against the baitfish. It’s now ready to fish.
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The hook shown in the photos is a J-hook, which was selected for mahi fishing during an early summer run of them along the Florida Southeast coast (the baitfish, a Spanish sardine, is a herald of great pelagic action in this region). Some experts maintain that mahi are tricky to hook on circle hooks. Where and when sailfish are the primary target, as in the fall and winter, circle hooks are recommended—and in fact required, during tournaments.
When gearing up for the fast-paced nature of competitive sailfishing, many crews will first hitch the rigging bands to the bends of the hook for hassle-free, secure deployment. Rigging needles and rigging bands are found at coastal tackle shops or online at places like randrtackle.com .
This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe . Step-by-Step Bridle-Rigging Step 1: Rigging needle inserted into meaty “shoulder” of bait. Step 2: Needle carries a elastic rigging band affixed to the bend of the hook. Step 3: Pull band through bait and drop over the hook point. Step 4: Spin the hook to tighten the band. Step 5: Insert the point under and through to finish.
