Fishing can be as simple as tying a hook to a line, putting a worm on a hook, and throwing it out into the water. If you want to get serious about fishing however, things can quickly get complicated. One of the beautiful things about fishing is that you can decide how deep you want to get into it. But whether you’re satisfied to be a simple worm dunker or want to become a master angler, there are a few key rigs that you should know.
What follow is a list of the five most important fishing rigs to know. If you get learn to tie and fish these five rigs, you will be able to fish most any situation effectively.
1. The slip float rig is one of the best ways to cover the entire water column. Using the right float and weight combinations you can cover all of the water in front of you. You can also fish from the surface to the bottom to get your bait in front of the fish, wherever they happen to be.
2. The sliding sinker rig allows you to fish deep effectively without using an unnatural presentation that puts fish off of your bait. With this rig you can use weight sufficient to cast your bait out where you need it and get it down to the bottom while still allowing it to flow naturally through the water, and into a fish’s mouth.
3. The slinky drift rig allows you to bounce baits along the bottom in moving water. This is a great way to fish eggs and other lures down around the rocks where fish tend to be. The rig is designed to slickly slide along without getting stuck in any rocks. If it does get hung up, it can usually be pulled free with a little tug.
4. The float drift rig allows you to drift baits at the same speed as the water you are fishing. The float also allows you to suspend the bait at whatever level you’d like. Finally, the float gives you something to look for instead of just feeling around for bites. When the float stops you know that either your bait has been eaten or your hook is snagged up on something. You can cover a ton of water with this rig.
5. The free line rig, which isn’t much of a rig at all, may be the best rig there is. It works in a whole host of situations and is tough to beat when you’re looking for a natural presentation. You can fish the free line rig is still or moving water and catch all kinds of fish with nothing more than a hook and a line.
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