I will show you the different rigs and explain why they are used. All of these work, but some are better than others. One thing to remember is keep the weight away from the hook. You just have better luck with a length of line from the weight to the hook, which allows 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 Secret Weapon Recoil Rig^™.

In coming months, Secret Weapon will be bringing out many new products for bottom rigging that I have invented, field-tested, and proved.

First is the Secret Weapon Recoil Rig - the ultimate bottom rig for both natural and artificial baits. It will impress any fisherman. Just watch the videos on this site. In every test, it has out-produced all other bottom rigs more than 5-to-1 with 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 cut- or live bait with a weight tied or crimped 12 to 18 inches above the hook. The weight you choose depends on (1) how far out you wish to cast, (2) the amount of current you're fishing in, and (3) the rod's maximum rated lure weight. Don't go over this weight rating unless you're very careful in casting as you can snap off your rod. (I've done this, and it's no fun).

The typical bottom rig used by most fishermen has several drawbacks. For one, the fish feels the weight before you see the line move or feel the bite. Some fish will expel the hook and bait as soon as they feel resistance, and some will pick the bait off the hook using just the weight to pull against. Other drawbacks include the weakening of the line where the weight is tied or where a spit shot is crimped.

One way to fish this without weakening your line is with a rock-hopper weight. Since the line passing through this lead weight is pegged with a piece of rubber, its position on the line is adjustable. I use this rig when fishing the bottom with ultra-light gear and a very light weight. This setup works much better than a crimped-on split shot, especially with light line.

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.

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

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

Good fishing...

Rodney Long
Recoil Rig^™ Inventor
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