A rigging needle is simply a needle used for rigging bait to help aid on offshore fishing such as: Trolling, Kite fishing, or live-bait fishing. One end has a hole where the thread is placed while the other end is sharp to be able to penetrate the bait/lure body.
How to Rig the Bait
Of course, there are many different ways to rig your bait, lure, etc. In general, you have to understand that something that you are about to rig to the line. What is it made of? Does it have a head and a body? What is the shape and type of its head? These are just some of the things you have to deal with.
Learn when to use a leader and what leader to use. Select the bait or lure. Cut several pieces of bow string (or other sturdy string), prepare strings as many (or more than) as your lures/baits. Get some pieces of Dacron or similar material. Glue all these stuff together and use a rigging needle to stitch them securely, making sure to arrange them in such a way that you will maximize your chances of landing as many fish as you can.
There are needles readily available, though you can also make your own.
Making Your Own Rigging Needle
What you need is a piece of wire coat hanger, file, hammer, and a drill with a 1/8” drill bit. It is quite simple to improvise a rigging needle. First, untwist the coat hanger and cut off a 12” piece (make it shorter or longer, depending on your bait; 12” is good for rigging eels). Use a file to sharpen one end. Use the hammer to flatten the opposite end. Drill a hole in the flattened portion and that’s it – you’ve just finished making your own needle.
Florida boasts of having over 8,000 miles of coastline as well as 4,500 miles of inland waterways. With this much water for cruising, it is no wonder that boating is such a popular sport in the state. Many boaters often find themselves cruising over Florida waters and its waterways for the sheer beauty of it. Many types of boats have graced the waters of Florida ranging from mega-yachts to wooden skiffs. In Florida, owning a boat is as normal as owning a car.
Florida Waterways
The wonders of boating in Florida are further enhanced with its waterways, passages where boats can pass through for maximum boating experience. There are many waterways maintained by the Florida Inland Navigation District, the two most common and popular are the Intracoastal Waterway or ICW and the Okeechobee Waterway.
The ICW is also known as “the ditch” and is a natural but dredged channel. This channel extends 500 miles down the east coast of Florida to the tip of the Keys. This is a very popular boating route because it runs through rivers, creeks as well-dredged canals, giving boaters an extremely great variety in boating experience.
The Okeechobee Waterway, on the other hand, is composed of 135 miles of boating route. Extremely popular during the summer, this waterway runs along the St. Lucie Canal from Stuart, across the lake, then on to Sanibel Island via the Caloosahatchee River.
Just as cars park in a parking lot, boats do so as well but in ports. Boats aren’t just anchored anywhere. There are many great places to anchor in Orlando including across Ponce Inlet in front of sandbar of the Island; the anchorage in Boca Chica Harbor; and the bayside by Sand’s Cut. Brevard County also has a great place to anchor such as sand Island across Orlando Inlet.
Boating Rules and Regulations
It is recommended that before purchasing a boat or even before boating in Florida, especially for those new in the area, to get acquainted with the state’s boating rules and regulations for a safe and legal boating experience.
A rigging needle is simply a needle used for rigging bait to help aid on offshore fishing such as: Trolling, Kite fishing, or live-bait fishing. One end has a hole where the thread is placed while the other end is sharp to be able to penetrate the bait/lure body.