Rig design

F

Frothey

Guest
Ok, so fairly important as something has to be attached to the line, but when looking at a few threads here and there, you notice that every rig under the sun catches! long, short, stiff, flexible - does it REALLY matter in 99.9% of waters?

or do you just need to make sure the hooks free of debris, sharp and attatched to something the fish want to eat?
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

Managing Editor
Joined
Feb 23, 1999
Messages
9,773
Reaction score
1
I think to a great extent it's like it is with baits; when fish are feeding well almost anything will work, but when they're not the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes can turn a blank into a success.
 
F

Frothey

Guest
its the great unanswerable question isnt it....you reel in after a few hours without a bite, change rig and cast back out. 20 minutes later off it goes.

but would it have gone anyway?

who knows!
 
S

Sage

Guest
Frothey, I reckon it is 90% location, 5% rig and 5% bait......but then there is luck...and some would say there is some skill as well...
As long as it is a sensible rig with a hook size that is matched to the bait, I don't think it makes much difference.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
Frothey just out of interest how many rigs you got up your sleeve ?
 
F

Frothey

Guest
dont even keep them up my sleeve....if a rigs that good that you turn to it when you arent catching, why not use it all the time?

i'm getting down to three hooklink materials, four hook patterns (one of those is for pop-ups) and three rig "designs"....and i'm not that convinced i'm missing out by doing it.
 
B

Big Rik

Guest
I've said it before, rig choice is governed by bait, loose feed, bottom that you're fishing over etc

No point in fishing with a 16" ultra supple hooklink over a tight bed of pellet or particle.
 
F

Frothey

Guest
ok, so is a short, supple hooklink as likely to catch as a stiff one one a tight bed?
 
S

stuart clough

New member
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Agree with Graham, when they are really having it anything will work. If they are being cagey a good rig outcatches an average one (in the right location) The other consideration is water clarity and hooklink material. During daylight, clear water conditions flourocarbon is certainly less visble than say braid.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
so with weed,stones,leaves and all sorts of other bits and bobs on the lake bottom mr carp sees braid and hops it ?
 
B

Big Rik

Guest
as likely to Frothey?
I'd say so.

One's as good as the other, but both are better than a long supple, in that particular situation.
 
S

stuart clough

New member
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
"so with weed,stones,leaves and all sorts of other bits and bobs on the lake bottom mr carp sees braid and hops it ?"

Possibly not, but mr carp won't see flurocarbon, and over a single coloured background such as silt or sand braid sticks out like a sore thumb. If the bait is moved by any disturbance and strange looking worm (braid) follows it could make the difference between feeding confidently and not.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
Im not saying your right or wrong ,who really knows and I just like to see the other side of things .

So what about a hook sitting beside every bait we cast out ?
 
S

stuart clough

New member
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
There is no doubt that fish have the visual acuity to see a hook sitting next to a bait. The real question is can they recognise it as something which could result in an "unpleasant" experience.

When they are not feeding avidly, and have time to browse anything that doesn't look, smell/taste or feel "right" has the potential to put them off, or make them feed more cautiously. In this mood the best rig results in the fish picking up the bait, and then you have a chance.

When they are tearing up the lake bed because they are really hungry, they really like the food, or there are other fish competing with them for the food, they don't have time to be as picky and are more prone to mistakes. In this mood any rig will work.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
stuart what Im getting at is fish spook on what they cant see ,they accept what they can see so when we hide stuff and a fish touches it whoooooooooooooooosh its gone.
 
B

Bully

Guest
My point would be that rig choice could be as important, if not more so, than bait (and even location?) if you are making some very basic errors in choice.

I'm no expert, but what if you are fishing a really silty bottom and you whole rig burries far beneath the silt?

Might not be a good example, but if you are not doing the basics right for a given situation then I'd say its very important.

I think this is the same point as Riks?
 
S

stuart clough

New member
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Fair enough.
They may not "spook" off things they can't see, but I have watched them slope off never to return, and put this down to something they saw which they were uncomfortable about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top