Product Review: Venom Lures DK Rig

Ned Rigs have been the flavour this past summer - with results to match, I must add. Thus far Venom Lures have played a big part in this with their Ven-Rig kits. The original principle of the rig is light line, a light mushroom jighead with a small, even smaller than 3” stickbait. This principle is not as sold on the average local fisherman as it is on Americans, as the hook is totally exposed. With all this as a background, I immediately saw the potential of the newly-hung D-K rig in the tackle shop during my weekly browse. I’m not the first one to get it though, as some weight models were sold out before the new shipment arrived. Two features “stick out” here (pun intended): firstly there is a 4/0 weedless-style hook. Secondly, it is available in heavier weights up to ¼ inch. In other words, one can get it to real depths of over 20 foot quicker, plus you can target those depths that have cover. The Hook calls for a more technical discussion. First of all, it is not a 4/0 as I know it. This long-necked model is as long as a 1/0 offset worm hook and the “bite” is shorter than a #1. The closest other 4/0 hook I could get to it in length was a G-lock style widegap. But despair not, as all Venom products are “specced” by top pro’s who have a reason for something. In fact and to my surprise, I found that I could comfortably rig baits from a 3” salty sling stickbait with still enough tail-wag, to a 5” grub with still enough bite for a hookset, and all weedless! Furthermore, the hook is of light wire, which to me is a pre-requisite considering the intended technique. Only the slightest upward pressure must be required to set it. This I realized because I fished around the jetties with 14lb line and bent two out of shape when the actual hookpoint got stuck on a steel pole. The jighead I can tell you about, but cannot explain. It simply gets stuck far less than anything else that I have tried. In fact, I did not lose a single one (3/16 and ¼oz) during a full day at the Bronkies jetties, a spot that is well adorned with other jigheads of mine. I fished another rod with shaky heads and they got stuck regularly. It could well be my fishing style, but, hey, it works for me so change is not a-coming! The versatility that I already saw in the shop, can be frowned upon by some, considering the lightwire hook, which better be set up properly weedless before trying the following. Figuring that I could pitch and swim in the shallows and then bottom-fish the depths with the same rod, I tied on a 5” grub, which I saw as the most versatile, onto a baitcaster with 14lbs line. It worked for everything and shone in a 20-foot plus bottom. Of course the swimming and pitching is not for heavier cover. I even successfully insert-rigged it into a tube bait, but of course there is a specialized Venom hook for this. Baits tried: On the day the bigger grub was so successful that it was hard to change, but I also tried a skip-shad junior with some success, whereas just about any other bait in the 3- to 5” class can be used to stand up on the bottom. In fact, a Venom Trickster 6” Floating Worm looks like the real deal as it remains erect, as tested in my pool.