Chapter 4 - Use The Right Rig

Every angler who fishes in salt water should be familiar with the various rigs used for casting, trolling and bottom fishing. This terminal tackle has evolved through years and years of experimentation in presenting lures and baits to fish. The rigs vary according to the area being fished, the fish being sought, the tackle being used and the fishing method in use at the time. Rigs play a big part in successful fishing or the lack of it, and the smart anglers soon learn when, where and how to use each rig.

The simplest rig in salt-water fishing is used for still fishing with a cane pole. Here you merely tie a hook on the end of a line or a nylon leader and lower it into the water. Sometimes a float or bobber is attached above the hook. With a shorter leader this rig can also be used with casting tackle. Usually a split-shot or clincher sinker is added above the hook but below the float to keep the baited hook at the proper level in a tide or current.

Any time you are casting with lures in salt water, whether with a light one-handed spinning rod or a heavy conventional surf rod, it's a good idea to use a "shocker" leader. This is a length of nylon material which is tied to the end of the main fishing line. It should be a few pounds stronger than the main line. With spinning tackle this leader should be long enough so that when the lure is reeled in all the way a few turns of it should be left on the reel spool. With conventional tackle the leader can consist of nylon mono-filament long enough to reach almost to the reel spool when the line is reeled all the way in.

Usually a snap can be tied to the end of the leader, and the lure can in turn be attached to this. But if you are fishing where there are bluefish, barracuda or other sharp-toothed fish around, a wire leader can be attached to the end of the line or to the lure itself. This should be no more than 6 to 8 in. long when used for casting and 2 or 3 ft. long when trolled with light tackle.

When trolling for larger game fish, you may need leaders up to even 15 ft. in length for many of the larger billfish such as sailfish, marlin, sharks, etc. Two kinds of leader are usually used for this type of salt-water fishing. One is the cable-type leader while the other is the single-strand stainless-steel wire.

The rigs used for casting and trolling are relatively simple, and the same rig can usually be used in many parts of the country and for different kinds of salt-water fish. But when we come to bottom-fishing rigs we run into a different problem. Here, there are rigs which can be used for many species, but there are also special rigs which are only good for specific fish.

If you are party-boat fishing, ask the mate or a nearby angler for advice on rigging. Ask, too, at bridges, piers or other places where experienced anglers are present. Tackle dealers will also be glad to show you which rigs to use and how to make them. You can also buy ready-made rigs for many kinds of fish, but because these are often too elaborate and expensive, most bottom fishermen prefer to tie their own rigs. Each angler has his own ideas and preferences, and that's part of the fun in bottom fishing.

For your rigs you'll need a few supplies, such as swivels, wire leaders, sinkers and hooks. Start with some three-way swivels of various sizes. The size 3/0 is about the largest you'll ever need. For light-tackle fishing the small No. 4 swivel is about right. In-between sizes such as the 2/0, 1/0, 1 and 2 swivels should be obtained for use when needed. Some barrel swivels in sizes 3/0, 1/0, 2 and 4 are also good to have on hand.

For making leaders or for snelling hooks, nylon leader material testing 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50 lbs. will be needed for most forms of bottom fishing. These can be obtained in coils of from 10-yd. to 100-yd. lengths. If you are after sharp-toothed fish such as bluefish, barracuda, sharks, etc., you can use cable-wire leader material instead of nylon. Wire leaders are also used for surf fishing for big striped bass, channel bass, sharks and rays.

The most commonly used sinker for bottom fishing is the bank type, although the diamond-shaped style is popular too. In rocky areas, round sinkers are sometimes used, but in surf fishing on sandy bottoms pyramid sinkers hold best. For light tackle and shallow water a 1-oz. or 2-oz. sinker will often serve, but when you are using heavy tackle and thick lines in deep water with strong currents or tides, you may need sinkers up to 12 oz.

Regarding hooks: you can often buy them on short or long leaders in almost any tackle store. If you want to tie or snell your own, loose hooks bought by the dozen or by the box are the best and most economical. Buy them with eyes if you want to tie on the nylon leader material or without eyes if you want to wrap them with fine silk or nylon thread to make snelled hooks. Eyed hooks will save you time and are preferred by most anglers. The hook pattern and size you use depends, of course, on the fish you are after, the tackle you use and where you are fishing. The most popular patterns include the O'Shaughnessy, Eagle Claw, Carlisle and Sproat. Special hooks, such as the Virginia, are used for blackfish or tautog. Chestertown hooks are favorites for winter flounder and Sheep shead hooks are used for the sheep shead, a large member of the porgy family.

These are basic bottom rigs. "A" illustrates the so-called "deep sea" or "bottom" rig. "B" shows a popular bottom rig for flounders and blackfish.

The basic rig for bottom fishing—one that has been used for many years—consists simply of a snelled hook tied a few inches above the sinker. Some anglers merely tie the loop of the snelled hook into the main line and let it go at that. But often this allows the hook and leader to get wrapped around the main line. A three-way swivel tied on the line allows the hook to clear the main line. Instead of using the three-way swivel, some anglers wrap waterproof tape around the line and leader at the point where the tie is made. This stiffens the section and also forces the hook to swing away from the line. There are also various cross-line swivels and spreaders on the market which do the same thing, but the tendency in recent years has been to get away from as much "hardware" in a rig as possible.

The basic bottom rig is also made up with two or more hooks on the line. The popular "deep-sea" rig makes use of two hooks, one tied just above the sinker and the other just high enough above the first to clear it. This rig is used from party boats fishing the offshore wrecks and banks. It is used with small, short-snelled hooks for blackfish or tautog, sea bass, porgies, whiting, ling and similar fish. With longer leaders and larger hooks it is used for codfish, haddock and Pollock. For herring, smelt and a few other fish as many as three or four hooks may be tied on, one above the other.

Another bottom rig which has become increasingly popular in recent years consists of a nylon leader about 14 in. in length tied a few inches above the sinker and another hook on a short 8-in. nylon snell tied near the center of the longer 14-in. leader. This creates a two-hook rig which lies right on the bottom and is especially useful for blackfish or tautog, winter flounder and kingfish (northern whiting). It is also good for eels and any other species which picks or sucks its food from the bottom.

Two types of flounder rigs. "A" illustrates the spreader type with two hooks. "B" shows a single-hook rig attached to a three-way swivel on the line.

A special winter-flounder rig is the type which makes use of a spreader. The sinker is tied in the center of this heavy-wire device and two Chestertown hooks on short snells are attached on the ends. This rig also lies on the bottom, but it is cumbersome and heavy, making it difficult to detect a bite or to get the maximum sport out of playing such a fish as the flounder.

For the more active summer flounder or fluke, as it is called, a longer leader and larger hook are necessary. Carlisle hooks in sizes 4/0 to 6/0 are generally used, depending on the size of the fish. Here a leader from 2 to 3 ft. long is tied just above the sinker. Small, live killifish are often used as bait for fluke, and this arrangement allows them to move around a bit. Many anglers also add a double-bladed fluke spinner or a spoon-like flasher above the hook to attract the fish. Spinners work best in a fast tide or when the boat is drifting and the sinker is bouncing along the bottom.

This is a fluke rig showing a fluke spinner, which is often used instead of the plain hook.

When there are game fish such as weakfish, striped bass, bluefish and similar active feeders around, a "high-leader" rig is often effective. Here leaders as long as 5 or 6 ft. have been used, but 3- or 4-ft. leaders are easier to handle. If you are using the shorter version, it should be tied a distance equal to its length above a sinker which is heavy enough to reach bottom. The hook is then baited with a whole sandworm or bloodworm, a strip of squid, a chunk of shedder crab or a strip of fish and is lowered into the water. Care should be taken to see that the leader straightens out before you release the sinker. When the rig hits bottom, you lift the rod high, then lower it, at the same time letting out some line. When the sinker strikes bottom again, you let it lie there for a few seconds, then lift the rod tip again and lower it, releasing more line. In this way the rig moves out along the bottom with the tide or current, thus covering more territory and at the same time giving the bait some movement. When the rig has been taken out some distance from the boat you can reel in and repeat the process, or you can reel in very slowly, dragging the sinker along the bottom in the hope that a fish will see it.

The high-leader rig discussed above is sometimes used with another hook on a shorter leader or snell tied just above the sinker. Thus, while the more active and shallower feeding game fish can go for the upper hook the more sluggish bottom feeders can take the lower one.

This is a diagram of the high-leader rig showing the optional second hook added near the sinker for bottom feeders.

Surf anglers who do bottom fishing with natural bait use two kinds of rigs. One is the standard surf rig, which is similar to the basic bottom rig except that the leaders are longer and a pyramid sinker is used instead of a bank sinker. The leader, which is usually from 18 to 24 in. long, is tied to a three-way swivel just above the sinker. Hooks will, of course, vary in size and pattern depending on the fish sought. Striped bass, bluefish, channel bass, weakfish, kingfish or whiting can all be taken in the surf with this rig.

The other rig used in surf fishing is the "fish-finder" rig.

It has a fish-finder gadget which has a round ring on one end and a snap on the other. The snap holds the sinker. The line is then run through the hole in the fish-finder and is tied to a leather thong which has been forced through one of the eyes of a large barrel swivel. If you have no leather thongs you can also tie the line directly to a big barrel swivel. Then the leader with the hook is tied to the other eye on the barrel swivel. The leather thong or barrel swivel acts as a stop to prevent the fish-finder and sinker from sliding down to the hook.

The theory behind this fish-finder rig is that when a fish picks up the bait it can move off with it without dragging the sinker. The line moves out freely through the ring on the fish-finder and while the angler can feel the pickup, the fish doesn't get suspicious and drop the bait for good. A cork can be added to the leader so that by letting out some slack line the bait can be carried well above the bottom and can move around and attract fish. Also with such a variation there is also less chance for crabs to eat the bait. In fact, it's a good idea to carry round corks with holes through the centers at all times when fishing the surf with natural bait. When crabs become troublesome, these corks can be added to the leaders of both rigs discussed above.

Two bottom rigs used in surf fishing. "A" is the standard surf rig on a three-way swivel. "B" is a surf rig with a "fish-finder."

Two types of sliding-sinker rigs are shown. "A" makes use of an egg-shaped sinker. "B" uses a snap-swivel and a bank sinker.

The rigs described above are the variety usually used for bottom fishing along the Atlantic Coast. There are, of course, some variations in certain areas and for certain kinds of fishing. It pays to watch closely how the veteran or successful angler makes up and uses his rig. Check such details as the size and pattern of the hooks being used; the length and thickness of the leaders or snells; the distance above the sinker they are tied; and the weight and style of the sinker that is needed. All of these play a part in presenting the bait to the fish properly.

Speaking of bait, the rig you use is worthless unless the bait you use is both correct and fresh. Try to find out in advance which bait the fish have been taking best, then buy or obtain enough bait to last until you quit fishing. If you don't know what bait is best on a given day or in a certain area it's wise to bring along three or four different kinds. Then you stand a better chance of having at least one bait which will catch fish. And nothing beats fresh bait. Buy the freshest you can obtain and change it on the hook often.

One final tip about rigs: I find it's a good idea to make up several rigs in advance before I go fishing. It takes time to make up a completed rig on a boat or on shore when you're actually fishing. With several on hand, you won't have to waste valuable minutes tying up a rig from scratch.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...