Idea for live bait bottom fishing.

[Liveliner]

I wish I could get a buck for a fraction of the stuff that slips out of my "noodle". I am not saying that I invented this set, I just have never seen it before.

I have tried several ways to rig a bait so as to keep it from wrapping. I have tried Three-way swivels, I have tried single swivels with the hook lead and the sinker lead off the bottom loop and have tried several line knot combinations. They all tangle up. Some worse than others. As you may know when you get tangles and knots in your line it destroyes your line strength. The Carolina Rig is a great setup that seldom if ever gets tangles. Soooo--- I got to thinking. I needed something like the Carolina Rigging that would correct itself as it is retrieved. And, like that set up, but only have ONE knot at the hook. That would eliminate the other knots at the swivel(s). I came up with this idea and this sketch drawing.

The idea here is that the main line will connect directly to the hook. Slide a small swivel and a small bead on the main line above the hook. Attach a smaller Lb test line on the lower swivel loop and attach the sinker to that sinker drop line. When you lift the rig, the sinker drop line will pull the swivel and the small bead down to the hook. That will remove all twists and wraps most of the time in my thinking.
When fishing, drop the sinker to the bottom. Then you can gauge by watching your rod tip as to how far you want your live bait to swim freely and how near the bottom it can get. Another huge plus is that when a fish hits it will not pull the sinker. It will be pulling directly against the rod tip. The fish will not spook by the feel of the sinker and you will get a direct pull from the fish without the feel of the weight of the sinker yourself. Same as the Carolina Rig.

Personally I can not wait to try this rig.

Analyze this rig and please tell me what you think. Good or bad. If you see a potentual problem please express it.

Here is my crude sketch:

 

[DHaun]

Good post LL. I like the idea of adding the bead to reduce tangles and the fact that the hook is tied to the main line so you feel the strike better, however I also think having the sinker tied to the main line might pull the hook end of the swivel out away from the sinker line at a right angle reducing tangles as well. Guess I need to try it first to confirm...I also use an egg sinker with a split shot below it so it can pull off easily if it gets hung up saving the rest of the rig (learned that on CFF from Polo-Dog). I'm gonna try it - Thanks for the info!

 

[Jmax]

Add a little leader and another swivel between the bead and the other swivel and you will have the way Eirc had his rigged today.emoThumbsup
He also had the idea of having the line that is connected to the sinker and the swivel a lighter lb weight so that if it catches between a rock or something that line breaks first so he get back everything except the sinker.emoScratch Jmax

 

[HangnMoss]

I've used that rig before. Its very popular along the North Carolina coast, especially with pier fishermen.

The only thing that's missing from your diagram is an optional bobber stop just below the bead to keep the bait away from the hardware for spooky fish. I usually just tied a mono bobber stop, which tended to slip after a good fight or two, so every now and then I'd have to readjust. We used it for flounder, croaker, and other bottom feeders, with and without a bobber stop.

I found this rig especially helpful when bank fishing with minnows for sauger below Nickajack dam. I was missing strike after strike on a traditional dropper rig, and figured it was because the bait was being pulled out of the fishes mouth by the weight of the sinker, or they were dropping it when they felt the weight. Either way, when I switched to this rig, all my frustrations disappeared. I could give the sauger enough time to fully take the bait without worrying about them feeling the sinker. I'd cast out, put on the bait clicker, turn off the anti-reverse, and start rigging my next pole.

Kudos, by the way, for coming up with one of my favorite live bait rigs off the top of your head. I've never used this rig from a boat, just from the bank, but I'm sure it would work great for free-lining shad along deep breaklines.

 

[Fishin Fool]

Jmax - 5/21/2007 8:46 PM

Add a little leader and another swivel between the bead and the other swivel and you will have the way Eirc had his rigged today.emoThumbsup
He also had the idea of having the line that is connected to the sinker and the swivel a lighter lb weight so that if it catches between a rock or something that line breaks first so he get back everything except the sinker.emoScratch Jmax

I'm sure that Eric came up with that idea a long time before I did but I posted it just last week! It works really well when you are going over an uneven bottom with rocks and hang ups.

http://www.chattanoogafishingforum.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9645&posts=11#M75312

 

[EricM]

I use snap swivels and pre-tie everything in front of the TV. Normally any break-off or hook change is then done in seconds, I have a pack of leaders, snelled hooks, and even pre-tied sinker drops all packaged for easy use. Looks like these are all variations of the same great idea! It's too bad that we all had to come up with it ourselves, maybe this will shorten someone else's learning curve.emoToast

 

[Guest]

Looks like a good idea LL I will give it a shot tomorrow when Drumking and I go to the nuke.

Thanks,

Cheez

 

[Liveliner]

The extra swivel and leader will allow line to extend beyond the bead and first swivel therefore leaving two parallel lines that will wrap on the retreive. I read Eric's post and that is what got me to thinking. I thought of this wat to do exactly as discribed.

I thought about a rubber band stop that would slip. That would not work, The movable stops are designed to limit the freeline or as a Top Stop. When lifting the rod or casting, the weight would push the stop down to the hook. Therefore worthless to have.

The swimming live bait will pull the free line through the open swivel eye and get as far away from all the hardware as you will allow.

The egg sinker and splitshot is a good improvement. As youi may note, I did say to use a lighter line for the sinker drop line. So it will break off.

 

[Liveliner]

Used the one swivel and hook directly on the main line today. Not one single twist or tangle. Comes up clean every time. Caught several catfish today on that rig. It works great. The only thing that I can do to improve the rig for deep fishing is to put a rubber band top stop on the main line. If you are using live bait, it is a good thing for the bait to stay up and then pulled down by you, With dead bait use a stop so the sinker will drag the bait down with it.

 

[EricM]

Liveliner, thanks for showing that to me today! Looks like a great idea!

 

[polo-dog]

Neat rig guys! I'll have to try it.

 

[DoubleB]

It sure beats my method.... I've always tied the hook on then tied the sinker on last about 24" under the hook. after this I would grab my hook andpull it up 6 inches holding the line, then wrap it around my fingers and tie it like a ballon. It looks a lot like your rig Liveliner but there is a knot where the swivel is... But I've always felt that it might cause a weak spot in the line... And I really like the idea of the smaller line for the sinker! Thanks Guys.

 

[Liveliner]

I used this rig today for shiners for spot fishing.  Just use a small split shot.  The live minnow can run without sinker resistance.

 

[Guest]

Also tie a long loop at the end of the sinker leader, this way you can change sinkers in a jiffy when you fish current, the sinker you start with may be too large or too small, the change just takes seconds with a loop, this makes for more fishing time instead of tying knots. I use bank sinkers with an eye in the top. Slip the line eye through the eye of the sinker and place the loop over the sinker.

 

[Liveliner]

I bumped this thread back to the top because I answered a how to question about how I rigged for bottom fishing live bait for Bass.  </p>

There are many new members on CFF since this was posted therefore.  I hope this will help folks with a stronger rig that you can also better feel the fish bite.</p>

"You're welcome."</p>

 

[SpurHunter]

Thanks LL! Do you still have a sketch?

 

[Jerry]

Lisa’s solution to line twist on a live-bait three-way rig. Actually this is not an original idea as I will tell later. But my story begins a week ago with a fishing trip when Richard (Rsimms) took my sister-in-law, Becky, and me out catfishing. (See Becky’s Big Blue on 5-31-08, especially the third picture further down.) Becky’s enthusiasm for catching catfish continued well past the fishing trip and became known into the farther reaches of the family. So, when my wife, Coco, took her mama to LA (lower Alabama) this past weekend, cousin Lisa mentioned that she had recently read an article on bait fishing that had a simple idea for preventing line twist on a three-way rig.

The article Lisa read said to thread a small marshmallow on the line just above the hook. This marshmallow will keep the hook floating a little and thereby out of the way of the sinker’s drop line. This should be especially true when a person is drifting with the current. Walleye fisherman will know that this is an adoption of the classic walleye rig called the floating Lindy rig where a small float is placed on the line just in front of the hook. I’m familiar with the Lindy rig. But until Lisa mentioned the marshmallow idea, it had never occurred to me as an approach to this problem.

 

[JaSkynyrd]

I'd like to see this sketch as well, I'll need it here in a month or so live bait fishing in Perdido Bay near Mobile.

 

[SpurHunter]

Pm sent Jason.

 

[foodsaver]

Please change your avatar Spur. Thats gotta be the scariest one I have seen yet!