An Owen Lupton Rig, or Old Drum rig, is a particular type of fishing leader designed for bull red fishing, primarily in North Carolina. It consists of a large circle hook with a smashed barb, a very short length of heavy leader, and a fixed position egg sinker over 2 ounces.
What Is An Owen Lupton Rig
The design of the Old Drum Rig is attributed to a fisherman by the name of Owen Lupton, from Pamlico County, North Carolina. He, along with Capt. George Beckwith, led the way in bringing about the use of this conservation minded fishing rig.
Elements that make up the rig, starting from one end to the other:
- snelled 7/0-16/0 crushed barb circle hook
- 1-6” of heavy mono leader
- crimped sleeve
- bead
- 2+ oz. egg sinker
- another bead
- another crimp
- 100-300 lb barrel swivel
Why Use An Owen Lupton Rig
The purpose of this Old Drum Rig is to help prevent gut hooking any old fish that you intend to release. The heavy pinned weight, in combination with a short leader, minimizes deep hooking of the fish. It is surmised that the fish will stop taking the hook deeper within its mouth once it gets to the sinker. The stationary weight also helps drag the hook to the corner of the fish’s mouth which helps with a better, more humane, hook set.
North Carolina requires the Owen Lupton Rig, or something similar, be used when fishing the Pamlico Sound at night with a hook larger than 4/0. This regulation applies from July 1 – September 30 and from 7pm – 7am. However, there really isn’t a compelling reason you shouldn’t use the rig all hours of the day when chasing red drum there. The main reason it isn’t mandated, is to placate the daytime tarpon fishermen’s desire to use J hooks in the sound.
The shortness of the leader doesn’t seem to bother bull reds at all, and the hookup ratio is said to be outstanding. The rig also generally stays pinned to the fish’s mouth quite well. So, all things considered, it may look odd, but it’s quite an effective, and proven bull drum rig. Besides using it to meet Pamlico Sound requirements, it’s an excellent rig to be used elsewhere, especially when fishing from a boat.
You can check out the latest North Carolina fishing regulations here – ncwildlife.org
Are Owen Lupton Rigs Good For Surf Fishing
A true Lupton rig is not so great for beach fishing, as the egg sinker would roll all over the place in the surf. However, you can still use it successfully in the surf with a slight modification. Simply substitute the egg sinker with something more appropriate for the beach, such as a pyramid weight.
How To Tie An Owen Lupton Rig
While the Lupton Rig seems a tad involved, they’re actually quite easy to assemble.
To tie a true Owen Lupton Rig, you’ll need to follow the steps below.
1. Snell a 9/0 – 16/0 Circle Hook
Using 80 to 100 lb. monofilament or fluorocarbon line, snell a large circle hook. Leave yourself 10-12″ of tag end to work with.
2. Slide The Components Onto The Line
Slide the following components onto the tag end of your line in this order – aluminum 1mm sleeve, 8mm bead, 2 or 3 oz. egg sinker, another bead, another sleeve, and finally a swivel.
TIP: When tying your rigs, use different colored beads to indicate your different egg sinker weights. That way, if you have a break off, you can quickly reach for the same weight you had tied on previously.
3. Position The Components
Next, you will slide the tag end back through the sleeves, beads and the sinker. So, you will have doubled the line back through all the components, with a tiny loop around the swivel. Then, slide everything together and position the components where they will be crimped.
4. Crimp The Sleeves
Once you have all the pieces squeezed together, as shown below, it’s time to crimp the 2 sleeves.
Use the appropriate groove on a crimping tool to crimp the aluminum sleeves in place. I’m using 80 lb. mono with 1mm sleeves, so I’m using the 2nd groove from the end of the crimpers below (0.5-1.0).
Your sleeves should have flared out ends if they are properly crimped. The flare helps prevent the edges of the sleeves from cutting into your line.
5. Trim The Tag End
Finally, trim the tag end very close to the crimp. This is particularly important if you will be using a braided main line, as braid is prone to tangle up with any edges it can find.
Baits To Use On This Rig
Any of your normal bull red baits can be used on this rig with great success. It’s hard to beat blue crab, mullet, or menhaden. For a complete list of the best baits for bull reds, check out my article about that here.
Conclusion
These giant spawning red drum are our source for future generations of these prized bulls, so we must protect them. I applaud North Carolina for making efforts to sustain this fishery for the long term. Although I’m not required to use the Owen Lupton Rig in the areas I fish, I think I might just have to give them a try.
Augustus Clay
