Reedy's Alpha Rig™ — 10 Pack
One rig. Two species. Pre-tied on heavy mono with a single circle hook. Sets itself on the run — big gummies and trophy snapper on the same drop.
$110 $130 Shop the Alpha Rig
Reedy's Rigs™ · Designed in Victoria · Tested in Western Port
Best Gummy Shark Rigs in Australia — Pre-Tied Setup
Pre-tied gummy shark rigs, pull-tested and ready to drop. Heavy mono trace, Reedy's Dominator 8/0 circle hooks for self-setting bites — and a tested 187 LumoHook range when you'd rather strike yourself. The same rig family that took a 31kg gummy in Western Port on Reedy's 187 LumoHooks. One rig family for gummies and trophy snapper.
Gummy sharks have crushing plates, not teeth — which is why heavy mono works and wire doesn't.
- Trusted by 10,000+ Aussie Fishos
- Pull-Tested Knots
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Why Reedy's™
Why our gummy shark rigs catch more fish
Gummy sharks cruise the bottom, follow scent trails, and crush oily baits — but they'll drop a rig the second something feels wrong. A spinning bait. A dull hook. A knot that gives up under load. And that fish is gone.
We've spent years tying rigs that solve those exact problems on the water — Western Port, Port Phillip, the surf coasts. Every Reedy's gummy rig is built around three rules:
- A Reedy's Dominator circle hook that sets itself. Japanese steel, chemically sharpened, slight offset, wide gape — designed to plant in the corner of the jaw on the run.
- Mono trace strong enough for the fight, soft enough to flow. No coated wire. Gummies have crushing plates, not teeth — extra stiffness kills your presentation.
- Knots that hold under sustained drag. Every batch pull-tested before it leaves the bench.
If you've been tying your own and losing fish at the boat — this is why.
Snapper double · PPB
Same rig family. Same hook standard. Real gear, real results.
The gummy & snapper rigs
Pre-tied gummy shark rigs, hooks & leader
One rig family. Two species. Pre-tied rigs built around the same heavy mono trace and hook standard that took a 31kg gummy on a Reedy's 187 LumoHook in Western Port. Match it with the hooks and leader we trust.
The full kit
Gummy shark rigs, hooks & leader
Pre-tied rigs, the hooks we tie them with, and the leader to match. One rig family for Western Port and Port Phillip Bay.
ULTRA Snapper Rig — 10 Pack
The #1 snapper rig in Port Phillip Bay. Pre-tied flasher paternoster — pick your colour and hook size. Catches snapper, gummies and reef species.
$110–$120 Shop Ultra
Reedy's Dominator Circle Hook 8/0
The hook every Reedy's rig is tied with. Perfect for gummy sharks and big snapper. Tie your own with the same hook we trust.
$24 Shop Dominator
Reedy's 187 LumoHooks 4/0
Tie your own. Suicide-style with lumo glow for low-light gummies, snapper and mulloway. The hook that took our 31kg Western Port gummy.
$34 Shop 187 LumoHooks
Reedy's Monofilament Leader
German-extruded mono — the line we run on every Alpha Rig. Three strengths: 20lb · 40lb · 80lb. 80lb is the gummy & big-snapper sweet spot.
From $19 Shop Leader Range
What fishos say
Real reviews from real anglers
Verified Google reviews. No paid testimonials.
MH
Matthew Hunt
Charter boat operator · Google review
★★★★★
"Only pre-made rigs I use personally & on my charter boat. Best R&D, best research, great quality & unbelievable results — that's a yiiiphaaa."
Read more reviews from charter operators, recreational fishos, and weekend warriors who put our rigs to work every season.
See All Google Reviews →
Know your quarry
What is a gummy shark?
Understanding the animal is the fastest way to improve your catch rate. Most tackle choices that confuse new anglers — no wire, heavy mono, no striking — make complete sense once you know what a gummy actually is.
The gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus) is a medium-sized, bottom-dwelling species endemic to southern Australia — found from Port Stephens in New South Wales across Bass Strait and Tasmania to Geraldton in Western Australia. It is one of the most important recreational fish species on the Victorian coast, and by far the most popular shark targeted by local anglers. Females are slow-growing: they take around five years to reach sexual maturity, live up to 16 years, and reach a maximum of about 185 cm and 25 kg. Males are noticeably smaller, topping out around 148 cm.
Most fish you will land in Western Port or Port Phillip Bay fall in the 6–15 kg range. Anything over 20 kg is a genuine trophy. The big fish are almost always females — many of them mature breeding stock that move into the sheltered bays to pup between January and March.
Gummies feed primarily on crustaceans — sand crabs, blue swimmer crabs — along with squid, octopus, cuttlefish, marine worms, and small bony fish. They cruise the bottom and crush prey between flat, plate-like dental rows. There are no cutting or slashing teeth. This is the most important biological fact in gummy fishing: those flat crushing plates cannot bite through heavy monofilament. Wire trace is not only unnecessary — it actively reduces bites by stiffening the trace in current and ruining bait presentation. An 80 lb mono trace handles abrasion from the shark’s rough, denticle-covered skin and gives nothing away in the water. That is why every Reedy’s rig is built on Reedy’s 80lb Mono Leader, not wire.
The “gummy” name comes directly from the jaw — no exposed teeth, a wide flat mouth that gapes open looking almost toothless. First-timers are always surprised. Same fish. Same shark. No teeth.
The white spots scattered across the back are the easiest field identification marker. No other shark you are likely to encounter in Victorian waters has them. This matters because gummies and school sharks are regularly confused — and the distinction has real consequences.
Gummy vs school shark — know the difference
Gummy shark: flat crushing plates (no functional teeth), white spots on back, no markings on fins. Legal to keep at 45 cm partial length.
School shark (Galeorhinus galeus): small sharp functional teeth, plain grey-brown body, no spots. Conservation-dependent under national law — release any school shark you catch, carefully and promptly.
Gummies are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species sustains significant commercial pressure — well over 1,800 tonnes per season across southern Australia — but is not currently threatened. Responsible handling and voluntary release of large breeding females keeps the fishery healthy for everyone.
The Reedy's™ way
How to rig for gummy sharks
This is the rig we run 90% of the time in Western Port. Simple. Deadly. Works from 2 metres on the flats to 25 metres in the channel.
Mainline
30–40lb braid. Thin diameter for sensitivity, low stretch for hook-ups.
Wind-on Leader
4 metres of Reedy's 80lb Mono Leader — German-made, soft, low memory. Long enough for the Ezi-rig sinker clip to slide.
Sliding Sinker
6–14oz bomb on an Ezi-rig clip. Heavier on big tides, lighter on neaps.
Swivel
Quality ball-bearing swivel below the clip. No spin, no twist.
Trace
1.5m of Reedy's 80lb Mono Leader. Soft, flowing, no wire — gummies don't need it.
Hook
6/0–8/0 circle. Don't strike — wind into the fish and let the hook do the work.
The sliding sinker means the gummy doesn't feel weight when it picks up the bait. The long trace lets the bait flow naturally in current. Circles do the hooking for you.
Hook size & type — circle vs suicide
Circle hooks self-set in the corner of the jaw. You don't strike — you wind tight, lift slow, and the rod loads up. Strike on a circle and you'll pull the hook clean out of the bait nine times out of ten. Old habit dies hard for snapper anglers; learn the new one and you'll land more gummies than you ever have.
6/0 covers most fish to 10 kg. 8/0 is the call when you're targeting trophies (15 kg+) or running big squid hoods and salmon fillets. Anything bigger than 8/0 and bite rates drop — gummies have a smaller mouth than the size of the fish suggests.
The Reedy's Dominator™ is the hook on every Alpha Rig — Japanese steel, chemically sharpened, anti-rust coated, sized 1/0 through 8/0.
Note on suicides: Reedy's 187 LumoHooks™ are suicide/J-style — a different tool, used differently. Set on the strike, run them on snapper, mulloway, and big-bait presentations. Don't confuse the two — one self-sets, one needs you to drive the hook home.
Surf variant — running paternoster
For beach and surf fishing, swap the sliding sinker for a running paternoster: a 1 m dropper to a breakaway sinker (4–6 oz star), 1.5 m trace of Reedy's 80lb Mono Leader, single Reedy's Dominator™ 8/0 circle. Cast, wedge the rod high, wait. The breakaway holds in the swell while the long trace lets the bait roll naturally on the bottom.
Three biggest fish-losers
- Striking on the bite. Circles don't need it. Strike and you pull the bait. Wind tight, lift slow, let the hook find the corner.
- Wire trace. Stiffens in current, kills bait roll, costs you bites. Gummies don't have teeth — they have plates. Mono is the answer.
- Dull or rusty hooks. Sharp matters more than size. Run a fresh Dominator every session and your conversion rate doubles.
Skip the tying. The Reedy's Alpha Rig is pre-tied to these exact specs — heavy mono, Dominator circle, pull-tested knots. $110 for 10 rigs (save $20).
Shop the Alpha Rig
Smell wins fish
Best baits for Victorian gummies
Gummies hunt by scent. Fresh, oily, and on the bottom is the formula. Ranked by what's actually worked across hundreds of Western Port sessions.
- Fresh SquidHeads & strips. Stays on, leaves an ink trail. The number-one bait.
- Salmon FilletCut wide at back, thin at front. Stops bait spinning in current.
- Eel FilletUnderrated. Mud-flat killer.
- Couta StripsStrong scent, holds well on a circle.
- Pilchards / MulletBackup option when fresh isn't available.
- Cuttlefish & OctopusTough bait, great in heavy current zones.
Bait prep tip: Cut a small slot in the top of squid hoods so water flows through the tube. Kills the spin, keeps the bait sitting naturally. One detail = one extra fish a session.
Where to fish
Gummy zones across Victoria
Western Port is the gummy capital of Australia, but Port Phillip and the surf coasts hold them too. These are zones we've put fish on the deck.
Western Port
- Tortoise Head Bank — start of the run-in, year-round.
- Bagge Harbour — reliable, especially after dark.
- East Arm — spring & summer, around 9m.
- Corinella → Cape Woolamai — channel edges & drop-offs.
Port Phillip Bay
- Mud Islands — edge fishing, big tide bites.
- Clifton Springs — consistent boat fishing.
- Portarlington channels — drift & anchor.
- St Kilda & Kerferd Rd Pier — land-based, after dark.
Tide tip: Western Port gummies typically fire on the run-out. Anchor up-current of structure, set a berley trail, let scent do the work.
The truth about gummy season
There's no gummy season — they're a year-round fish
Everyone wants to tell you "autumn is the peak" or "winter is when they fire." Honestly? We've landed gummies every month of the year in Western Port. There's no off-season — only off-tides.
What actually matters more than the calendar:
- Tide movement — run-out in Western Port, change of tide in PPB. Slack water is dead. Doesn't matter what month it is.
- Bait freshness — fresh squid catches gummies in January or July. Old freezer-burnt bait catches nothing year-round.
- Time of day — first hour of dark consistently outfishes daylight, every month.
- Where you anchor — channel edges, drop-offs, structure. A boat over open mud is a wasted trip in any season.
The "winter peak" myth probably comes from after-dark winter fishing being more comfortable on the boat, not because the fish are more active. Summer gummies are alive and well — you've just got to fish dawn, dusk or after dark to avoid the cooked deck. Push deeper on hot days.
Bottom line: if the tide's running, fresh bait's in the water, and you've got a rig that holds up — you'll catch gummies. Calendar doesn't come into it.
For current Victorian recreational fishing rules and bag limits, check the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
Victorian regulations — know before you go
- Minimum size: 45 cm partial length (rear of gill slit to base of tail).
- Bag limit: 2 in possession (combined gummy + school shark).
- No filleting on water: keep them whole until you're back at the ramp or shore.
- Marine National Parks: French Island, Churchill Island and Yaringa are no-take zones.
- School sharks: conservation-dependent — release any school shark, carefully and promptly.
- Always check the VFA fishing guide before heading out — regulations change.
Ready to go? The Snapper & Gummy Starter Pack has the rigs, hooks, leader and swivels you need — bundled with $80 off ($159 vs $239).
Shop Starter Pack
Quick answers
Gummy rig FAQs
What size hook for gummy sharks?
A 6/0–8/0 circle hook is all you need. 8/0 is the biggest hook you'll ever want for a gummy — anything bigger and you start losing bites. Every Reedy's rig is tied with our Dominator circle hook — Japanese steel, chemically sharpened, anti-rust coating.
Do you need wire trace for gummies?
No. Gummy sharks have crushing plates, not teeth — heavy mono (60–80lb) is plenty. Wire reduces bites because it stiffens the trace in current and kills your bait presentation.
Best rig for Western Port gummies?
A sliding Ezi-rig sinker on a 4m wind-on leader, with a 1.5m 60–80lb mono trace and a single 6/0–8/0 circle hook. That's exactly how the Reedy's Alpha Rig is built.
Pre-tied or tie your own?
Pre-tied wins on consistency — every knot pull-tested, every hook chemically sharpened. Tying your own makes sense for big custom traces or specific local conditions. We sell both rigs and components.
When is the best time to fish for gummies in Victoria?
Honestly, there's no off-season. We catch gummies every month of the year in Western Port. What matters is the tide (run-out in Westernport, change of tide in PPB), fresh bait, and fishing at dawn, dusk or after dark. Calendar doesn't come into it.
Do gummy rigs also catch snapper?
Yes — that's exactly what the Alpha Rig is built for. A 6/0 circle on heavy mono is the perfect crossover for big snapper, gummies, and school sharks in the same session.
What size gummy can you keep in Victoria?
45 cm partial length — measured from the rear of the gill slit to the base of the tail. Bag limit is 2 (combined gummy + school shark). Always carry a measure; the partial-length rule confuses people who think it's tip to tail.
Can you catch gummies from the beach?
Yes — surf gummies are a serious Victorian fishery. Best beaches: Venus Bay, Waratah Bay, Kilcunda, Gunnamatta, and the Ninety Mile (McLoughlins, Seaspray, Woodside). Run-up tide into the dark, big breakaway sinkers, fresh squid or salmon. Use the surf running paternoster variant in the rig guide above.
What's the difference between a gummy shark and a school shark?
Gummies have flat crushing plates (no teeth), often white spots on the back, and are legal at 45 cm. School sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) have small sharp teeth, no spots, and are conservation-dependent under national law — release any school shark you catch, carefully and promptly.
How big do gummy sharks get?
Females reach about 185 cm and 25 kg — they're the bigger sex by a long way. Most caught fish are 6–15 kg. Anything over 20 kg is a genuine trophy, and 25 kg+ fish make local legend.
What do gummy sharks eat?
Crabs (sand and blue swimmer), squid, octopus, cuttlefish, marine worms and small bony fish. They cruise the bottom and crush prey between flat dental plates. That's exactly why fresh squid, oily fish strips, and octopus are the best baits.
Do gummy sharks have teeth?
No. Crushing plates only — wide flat dental rows used to crack crab shells and grind squid. That's where the "gummy" name comes from. It's also why heavy mono trace works and wire is the wrong call.
What's the world record gummy shark?
The IGFA all-tackle world record is 30.8 kg, caught by Neale Blunden at McLoughlins Beach, Victoria in November 1992 — it's stood for over 30 years. Trophies of 25 kg+ are still landed every season along the Ninety Mile, Wilsons Promontory and the eastern reaches of Western Port.
Best tide for gummy fishing?
Western Port: run-out tide — huge water movement, gummies hunt the channel edges. PPB: change of tide, slack to first run. Surf and East Gippsland: rising tide into high water. Slack water is dead.
Trophy gummies
Gummy shark records
These fish grow. The Victorian coast has produced some of the biggest gummies ever recorded.
| Record | Weight | Angler | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGFA all-tackle world record | 30.8 kg | Neale Blunden | McLoughlins Beach, VIC | 1992 |
| Reedy's verified catch | 31 kg | Reedy's Rigs crew | Western Port, VIC | 2020s |
| Recent Victorian trophies | 25–27 kg+ | Various anglers | Wilsons Prom / Manns Beach | 2020s |
Want to land one? The rig that took our 31kg is the same one in the Alpha Rig 10-Pack — heavy mono, single circle hook, pull-tested knots.
See it in action
Watch it happen
Reedy's Rigs on the water. Real catch. Real gear.
No fluff. No gimmicks.
Stop losing gummies.
Stop losing gummies.
Start landing them.
Pre-tied, pull-tested, and proven on the water. Tens of thousands of rigs sold to Australian anglers every year.
Shop Starter Pack — Save $80 Shop the Alpha Rig