1) Using a thawed, small/medium, high-quality ballyhoo, remove the bait’s eyes with an arrow shaft.
2) Use cutting pliers to remove the bait’s pectoral fins.
3) Using your thumb and index finger, push the stomach contents out of the bait through its anal opening.
4) Using your thumb and index finger again, pinch the back of the bait so the flesh separates from the spine. Work your way all the way down the back to limber up the bait. The bait is now ready to be rigged.
5) Spread the bait’s cheeks and insert the hook point into the bait between them.
Work the hook into the bait so the hook point comes out like this.
They eye of the hook should be covered by the bait’s cheeks.
6) Slide the chin weight in until it rests between the bait’s cheeks.
Hold the chin weight in place with your left thumb.
7) Run the point of the Morel up so that the bait’s mouth is pierced on both top and bottom
Pull the Morel tight. The chin weight is now held in place.
8) Wrap the Morel through the bait’s eye socket twice and pull tight, leaving one wrap behind the chin weight and one in front of it.
9) Wrap the Morel around the beak of the ballyhoo twice holding the leader in place.
10) Split the beak of the ballyhoo into two halves using the natural groove in the beak.
11) Run the leader between the two halves of the beak, let it snug up against the leading Morel wrap you created.
12) Continue wrapping the Morel around both halves of the beak, pulling them back together. Wrap until you run out of morel, then break off any excess beak.
13) Repeat approximately 35 times to have enough baits for a hot gaffer bite.
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