DECOY - DJ-88 TWIN PIKE HOOK MADE IN JAPAN

Decoy DJ-88 Twin Pike Hook — Made In Japan

"Pike" is the name of a hook shape in Decoy's range, not a species. The DJ-88 Twin Pike is the twin-hook rig in that family: two Pike AS-03 hooks tied onto Katsuichi's own elastic braided assist line. Katsuichi's reasoning is that a fine wire and wide gape combination of this kind does not exist in conventional jigging hooks, and that an assist line with some stretch lets the rig follow the jig instead of fighting it. The AS-03 is a fine-wire pattern with a long taper and CF processing (PAT.) reinforcing the bend, so it converts the light, half-hearted bites a heavy hook rides straight through. Tin finish with Aqua Block treatment, supplied here in #1, #1/0 and #2/0.

The DJ-88 sits in the middle of Decoy's Pike assist range and is the one to buy first if you only buy one. The DJ-79 Long Pike is the single-hook, long-tether version for long jigs and slow work; the DJ-100 Grand Pike steps up to the heavier Pike Type-R hook for power jigging; the DJ-89 Tachi Pike puts the same hook on stainless wire for toothy fish. Below them, the DJ-93 Light Game Twin is a scaled-down Twin Pike for shore light game.

Key Features

• Twin assist rig built on two Pike AS-03 hooks
• Fine wire with a wide gape — a combination not usual in jigging hooks
• Long taper for fast, low-force penetration on light bites
• CF processing (PAT.) reinforcing the bend against straightening
• Katsuichi original elastic braided assist line
• Tin plating with Aqua Block corrosion treatment
• Suits shore and offshore light jigging, including super light jigging with small jigs

How To Rig It

• Front assist on a light jig — Clip the rig to the jig's nose eye with a split ring. On light jigging tackle a front twin alone is usually enough; a rear treble adds tangles and snags for little gain.
• Match size to jig weight — #1 for small jigs in the super light class, #1/0 as the general size, #2/0 where fish or current push you to heavier jigs. An oversized rig kills the jig's flutter on the fall.
• Slow pitch and light jigging — Lift, then let the jig fall on a controlled line. Most takes come on the fall, and the elastic assist line lets both hooks stay with the jig instead of standing off it.
• Do not strike — For seabass and red sea bream the take is often a soft nibble. Keep winding until the rod loads and let the fine wire find its own hold.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Trevally (gerepoh), queenfish (talang), small grouper (kerapu) and barramundi (siakap) on light jigs over reef edges, jetty pilings and river mouths.
• North America — Striped bass, bluefish and black sea bass on light vertical jigs, plus rockfish and lingcod on the Pacific coast.
• Japan & East Asia — The home use: light jigging and super light jigging for seabass (suzuki), red sea bream (madai) and cutlassfish (tachiuo), plus shore jigging for young buri.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Snapper and kingfish on light jigs; hamour in the Gulf; pollack and bass on European inshore marks.

Specifications

Model DJ-88 Twin Pike. Made in Japan by Katsuichi (Decoy).

Recommended Pairing

• Light jigging rod rated to roughly 60–130 g, 3000–4000 spinning or a light overhead reel
• PE 0.8–1.5 braid to a 25–40 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Metal jigs of roughly 30–100 g; drop to #1 for the small jig classes
• Use a heavy-class split ring at the jig eye; step up to the DJ-100 Grand Pike when the tackle moves into power jigging