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Bottom rigs
Many spices of fish feed on the bottom,
(or right off
it) looking for
anything they can find to eat, so many people fish on the bottom, or
right off the bottom, there are many different rigs used for bottom
fishing, from simply throwing a heavy natural bait on a hook out, and
no weight, to weighted
multiple hook rigs. I will show you the different rigs, and why they
are
used, some of these are better than others, but all have worked well
for
many fishermen. One thing to remember is keep the weight from
the
hook, you just have better luck with a length of line from the weight
to
the hook, allowing the fish to take the bait before feeling the weight.
I have spent 45 years fishing bottom rigs, and over the last 8 years making them more efficient, inventing the Rig Saver, and Rock Hopper weights, the StandOut hook, and the SpecTastic Wiggle Rig.
I have spent 45 years fishing bottom rigs, and over the last 8 years making them more efficient, inventing the Rig Saver, and Rock Hopper weights, the StandOut hook, and the SpecTastic Wiggle Rig.
On
05/1/07 I started
my own tackle company to manufacture terminal tackle,
I will be bringing many new products for bottom rigging that I have invented, and tested.
At this time I only have the SpecTastic Wiggle Rig available, it is the ultimate bottom rig for both natural and artificial baits
It will impress any fisherman, just watch the videos on the link above, and in "all test",
it has out caught all other bottom rigs more than 5 to 1 for every species of fish except carp
Below are your other bottom rigging methods
I will be bringing many new products for bottom rigging that I have invented, and tested.
At this time I only have the SpecTastic Wiggle Rig available, it is the ultimate bottom rig for both natural and artificial baits
It will impress any fisherman, just watch the videos on the link above, and in "all test",
it has out caught all other bottom rigs more than 5 to 1 for every species of fish except carp
Below are your other bottom rigging methods
Typical bottom rig
The typical bottom rig consist of a hook
of the
proper
size for the bait being used, and a weight tied, or crimped 12 to 18
inches
from the hook, the weight size is determined by how far you wish to
fish
from where you are standing, and the amount of current your fishing in,
and
the "Rod's Maximum" lure weight, don't go over this weight
size
unless
your very careful in throwing, as you can blow up your rod. (I've done
this,
and it's no fun).
The typical bottom rig used by most fishermen has it's draw backs, for one, the fish feels the weight, before you see, or feel the bite, some fish will drop the hook and bait as soon as they feel the resistance of the weight, some will pick the bait off using the resistance of just the weight to pull against. Other draw backs include the weakening of the line where the weight is tied on, or where a spit shot is crimped on.
One way to fish this without weakening you line is with the Mojo slip shot weight , the weight is pegged with a piece of rubber, and the weight is adjustable to it's position on the line. I use this rig when fishing the bottom with ultra light rod and reels, and a very small weight is used. this works much better than a split shot, especially with light line.
"Rig
Saver" link
The typical bottom rig used by most fishermen has it's draw backs, for one, the fish feels the weight, before you see, or feel the bite, some fish will drop the hook and bait as soon as they feel the resistance of the weight, some will pick the bait off using the resistance of just the weight to pull against. Other draw backs include the weakening of the line where the weight is tied on, or where a spit shot is crimped on.
One way to fish this without weakening you line is with the Mojo slip shot weight , the weight is pegged with a piece of rubber, and the weight is adjustable to it's position on the line. I use this rig when fishing the bottom with ultra light rod and reels, and a very small weight is used. this works much better than a split shot, especially with light line.
"Rig
Saver" link
Slip weight, bottom rig.
A " much better" rig, is the
"slip weight",
bottom rig. This rig allows you to feel, or see the bite, before the
fish
feels the weight, you can even open you bail (or push your release
button) to let
all the line out you want, to make sure the fish has the hook.
With
the "slip sinker" the fish never feels the resistance of the weight.
When rigging a slip sinker, you must keep the sinker from sliding down to the hook, you need a weight stop (something to stop the weight) , they sell weight stops, and these work, but are a bit expensive, when fishing areas where you might hang up a lot, and break off your rig (we will talk about snags, later, under weights). some people use a split shot, but this can weaken your line, and they slip easily. I use the slip weight stop knot tied with my EZ Knot , and a bead. Others use a swivel, and then tie a leader to the hook, this is the best way, as the swivel keeps your line from twisting, when reeling in your bait, natural baits can really twist your line at this time.
When rigging a slip sinker, you must keep the sinker from sliding down to the hook, you need a weight stop (something to stop the weight) , they sell weight stops, and these work, but are a bit expensive, when fishing areas where you might hang up a lot, and break off your rig (we will talk about snags, later, under weights). some people use a split shot, but this can weaken your line, and they slip easily. I use the slip weight stop knot tied with my EZ Knot , and a bead. Others use a swivel, and then tie a leader to the hook, this is the best way, as the swivel keeps your line from twisting, when reeling in your bait, natural baits can really twist your line at this time.
Three way swivel rig
(dropper rig)The three way swivel bottom rig is used
for a number
of reasons, one is it allows you to use a weaker line to the weight
and/or
to the hook than the main fishing line, if one hangs up on a snag, you
only loose the weight, or hook, (unless it's the swivel that hangs up
in rocks) and you keep all of your main fishing line. In years past I
have lost nearly all of my main fishing line on a single outing, when
breaking off on snags . The line breaks at it's weakest point when you
hang up, and that weak
point can be anywhere along the line, even right at the rod tip. The
three
way also keeps even your weight from twisting your line.
The three way is not as good at catching fish as the slip weight rig, but it is a bit better than the typical bottom rig, as you can see or feel the bite, before the fish feels the weight, although the length of travel the fish takes the bait before feeling the resistance of the weight is greatly reduced.
When using a three way swivel for a dropper rig, the leader to the weight is three times that of the leader to the hook, this allows the bait to be held off the bottom, dangling from the stretched out fishing line between the rod tip, and the weight.
A dropper rig can also just be tied to the main line, by tying a loop knot to the main line, then tying the hook leader to the loop. I use the EZ knot dropper knot for this application
The three way is not as good at catching fish as the slip weight rig, but it is a bit better than the typical bottom rig, as you can see or feel the bite, before the fish feels the weight, although the length of travel the fish takes the bait before feeling the resistance of the weight is greatly reduced.
When using a three way swivel for a dropper rig, the leader to the weight is three times that of the leader to the hook, this allows the bait to be held off the bottom, dangling from the stretched out fishing line between the rod tip, and the weight.
A dropper rig can also just be tied to the main line, by tying a loop knot to the main line, then tying the hook leader to the loop. I use the EZ knot dropper knot for this application
Double swivel slip rig
The double swivel slip rig gives you the
best of all
the above rigs , it allows your fish never to feel the weight, yet
allows you to sacrifice that weight with a lighter than your main line
leader, if the weight hangs on a snag. You first slip a
swivel
onto the main line then tie the other swivel to the end of the main
line. You tie your weight leader to the sliding swivel, then your
weight. You then tie your hook leader to the other swivel
that is
tied to the main line, then tie on the hook. On this rig you
use
a lighter line to both the weight, and the
hook, than your main fishing line. When the fish strikes, and takes the
bait
he pulls the main line, but does not pull against the weight at all, as
the weight swivel slides on the main line. This rig requires
5
knots,
and few fishermen go to that much trouble. There is a special new
weight,
that lets you do this with only two or three knots. I will
cover
it
in the 'Weight" section, it's called the "Rig Saver"
from Mojo.
THE STANDOUT HOOK BAIT RIG
As you can see a float is used with this hook when using live or natural baits, unless you are fishing straight down , then you tight line it. For bottom fishing use a small float, not large enough to float your weight off the bottom, but just big enough to keep you bait off the bottom. This is the BEST bottom rig for cat fishing as well as other species, as the fish don't have to dig the offering out of the muck of the bottom, it also allows the scent of the bait to travel further, drawing fish from further away. When I first tested this rig for cat fish, I had a StandOut hook above the weight, and a regular hook below the weight, both hooks were baited with the same bait. I never caught a single catfish on the hook laying on the bottom, they always hit the one above the bottom first (The StandOut), not saying that none of them would have not hit the hook on the bottom, but they just preferred the one "off " the bottom "first".
Now I use two StandOuts above the weight for cat fishing, one 6 inches from the weight, the other 18 inches from the weight.
The best thing about this rig, is the bait is always just right above the bottom, regardless what depth you cast to, you don't have to keep adjusting your float height, like you do with the float on the top of the water.
StandOut hooks now comes in sizes up to 2/0
If you have not checked out the
SpecTastic Wiggle Rig
yet, now is the time to click the link above
THE STANDOUT HOOK BAIT RIG
As you can see a float is used with this hook when using live or natural baits, unless you are fishing straight down , then you tight line it. For bottom fishing use a small float, not large enough to float your weight off the bottom, but just big enough to keep you bait off the bottom. This is the BEST bottom rig for cat fishing as well as other species, as the fish don't have to dig the offering out of the muck of the bottom, it also allows the scent of the bait to travel further, drawing fish from further away. When I first tested this rig for cat fish, I had a StandOut hook above the weight, and a regular hook below the weight, both hooks were baited with the same bait. I never caught a single catfish on the hook laying on the bottom, they always hit the one above the bottom first (The StandOut), not saying that none of them would have not hit the hook on the bottom, but they just preferred the one "off " the bottom "first".
Now I use two StandOuts above the weight for cat fishing, one 6 inches from the weight, the other 18 inches from the weight.
The best thing about this rig, is the bait is always just right above the bottom, regardless what depth you cast to, you don't have to keep adjusting your float height, like you do with the float on the top of the water.
StandOut hooks now comes in sizes up to 2/0
If you have not checked out the
SpecTastic Wiggle Rig
yet, now is the time to click the link above