So SP's have to be rigged straight!

[Rod Bender]

Hi all
Every instructional SP video states that the SP must be rigged straight on the jighead or it won't work. Every fisho, tackle store salesperson etc says the same thing. Will it really make a difference? Of course you will try and get is reasonably straight but I can't figure out why it will matter that much. Wounded bait fish do not swim straight so why does it matter if your plastic does not swim perfect? I'm not that big a user of plastics so am certainly no expert on this but I am interested in peoples opinions.
Thanks in advance
Jim

[sloth]

It's more if it's not straight it will spiral on the drop which isn't ideal. You'll still get hits but not as many as you would if it swims nicely down through the water column. Rig it. Chuck it in the water in front of you - if it spirals re-rig it else you're good to go.

[Fishsniper]

Unfortunately they have to be straight to get the best action out of them

[dazwah]

As sloth stated, they will spin. If they don't then you are good to go.

[purple5ive]

Not just spiral. But if you retrieve a not so well rigged plastic. It doesnt dart around propwely like it should. If its a minnow.. curltails will spiral and awim sideways. Etc.
You don't have to get it 100% straight. Straight enough is usually ok. Like for pinkies when they are in a frenzy. They will smash anything that goes down there. Even ones with tails missing etc.

[eslop]

You know I love my SP's Jim. Straighter the better. But just as importantly, imo, light as possible jigheads. That way when I pause in the retrieve, the sp will flutter down slowly and entice the strike. If it's too heavy it'll just drop like a stone.

Not being straight will cause it to drop badly too.

[Basti]

Beware of going too light on curl tails especially. If there's not enough weight to make the body drop first, the trail itself can make the thing spin

[sloth]

And .... A bit of a trick when you're not getting a bite is to deliberately rig heavy. A plastic flashing past can sometimes invoke a reaction strike - not always finesse on SP.