Fishing Rigs & Techniques.

Freshwater: Saltwater:

Bait Rigging: Bait Rigging:

Fish Pellet Rigging Bridle Rigging
Frog Rigging Shrimp Rigging
Shrimp Rigging Skip Bait Rigging
Squid Rigging
Swim Bait Rigging
Fly Fishing Rigs: Tuna Fillet Rigging
Cheow Lan Fly Fishing Rig
Par Lai Fly Fishing Rig
Techniques:
Blood Worm
Bounce Balling
Chumming
Drop Back
Estimating Weight
Switch & Bait
Tag Line

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 Fish Pellet Rigging
In lakes and ponds where the use of fish pellets is common practice,
the fish might be so used to this kind of food that it is difficult
to catch them on any other type of bait.

In this case it is important to find out if the target fish eats

the pellets at the surface or as they slowly sink.

The easiest way to make the often very hard fish pellets soft enough
to put on your hook is to quickly scald them with boiling water.
Just after this they should be put in a plastic bag, sealed,
and left in the fridge over night!

If the target fish eats from the surface, the pellets have to be dry and hard.
This makes it difficult to attach them to your hook, but not impossible.

The quickest and by far the easiest way to attach a pellet to the hook
is by using small (1 – 2 mm) slices of common valve rubber
(used in bicycle tyre valves). These small rubber bands are then
put on the fish pellet with the hook under it.

One way to get the band over the pellet is by first putting the band
on the closed jaws of a "Leatherman" or similar tool. Open the jaws
and insert the fish pellet, then slide/roll the pellet and band off the jaws of the tool.

Frog Rigging
A live frog is one of the absolute best baits for several freshwater species.

Hopefully you are one of the many anglers who would prefer
to use this bait as humanely as possible.

Rigging is easily done by simply putting a rubber band around

"Kermit's" belly and securing your hook under it.

That way the frog can and will swim freely around for several days,
not feeling any pain – if you should be unlucky enough not to get any strikes!

In that case you still have the option of letting "Kermit" go

at the end of your fishing session.

No harm done.

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 Shrimp Rigging
Fishing with live or dead shrimps can be extremely successful
especially if the target fish is Barramundi.

The shrimp should be rigged so it swims as close to normal as possible

and stays on the hook when casting.

This is done by passing the hook through

from the underside of the tail and pointing it backwards.

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 Cheow Lan Fly Fishing Rig
Below is an illustration of a simple, but sufficient fly fishing rig we use
when fly fishing at Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok.

This rig may not be the most common rig, but based on our experience
with the water, species and size of the various fish at Cheow Lan Lake,
this rig has been tested hundreds of times, and never let us down!

At the end of the "Fly Line" we tie a loop using the best suitable knot,
for the chosen "Fly Line".

We then tie a loop at the end of the "Leader", using a Surgeons End Loop.
These two loops are then joined using a Loop to Loop Connection.

At the other end of the "Leader" (approximately 150 cm long),

it is jointed with the "Class Tippet" using a Double Uni knot.

The "Class Tippet" (approximately 40 cm long) we use in Cheow Lan Lake

is 20 lbs, which is plenty for the species found here.

The "Class Tippet" is then joined with the "Shock Tippet"

with yet another Double Uni knot.

We use an approximately 20 cm long "Shock Tippet" of 30 lbs fluorocarbon mono line.

The 30 lbs breaking strength is needed when targeting the toothy
Giant Snakehead in Cheow Lan Lake,.

Finally we tie on the chosen fly, using a Uni knot.

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 Par Lai Fly Fishing Rig
Below is an illustration of a simple, but sufficient fly fishing rig we use
when fly fishing at Par Lai Lake in Phuket.

This rig may not be the most common rig, but based on our experience
with the water, species and size of the various fish at Par Lai Lake,
this rig has been tested hundreds of times, and never let us down!

At the end of the "Fly Line" we tie a loop using the best suitable knot,
for the chosen "Fly Line".

We then tie a loop at the end of the "Leader", using a Surgeons End Loop.
These two loops are then joined using a Loop to Loop Connection.

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 At the other end of the "Leader" (approximately 180 cm long),
it is jointed with the "Class Tippet" using a Double Uni knot.

The "Class Tippet" (approximately 60 cm long) we use in Par Lai Lake

is 20 lbs, which is plenty for the species found here.

The "Class Tippet" is then joined with the "Shock Tippet"

with yet another Double Uni knot.

We use an approximately 30 cm long "Shock Tippet" of 30 lbs fluorocarbon mono line.

The 30 lbs breaking strength is needed when targeting the toothy Pacu in Par Lai Lake,
and by making it 30 cm long, changing flies quickly is easily done.

Finally we tie on the chosen fly, using a Uni knot.

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 Bridle Rigging
This way of rigging live fish for trolling is one of the simplest methods.
It is also one of the most productive rigs in the Phuket area,
when targeting Sailfish and Marlin.

Bridle Rigging
Step by Step.

The bridle itself is a short length

of monofilament line
with a sliding noose in each end.

Begin by tying a noose on the hook

and pulling it up tight
using the knot configuration shown here.

Then tie another sliding noose in the other end

of the monofilament, keeping in mind
that the bridle needs to be quite short,
say 100 mm for towing Skipjack Tuna.

Tying bridles of this short length

does take a little practice.

Close the loop up on your loop gauge or pen,

but not so tight that you can't get it off.

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 Slide the loop off your loop gauge
and engage your open–eye live baiting needle.

When the baitfish comes aboard, the hook

is usually cut straight off to save time,
and the needle is passed straight through
the eye tunnel of the baitfish taking care
not to damage the eyes.

Pull the second loop right through

and hook it over the point of the hook.

Then disengage the loop

from the open–eyed needle.

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The bait is put back in the water

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 Skip Bait Rigging
One of the more complicated bait rigs used in sportfishing around the world.
This rig is widely used when the target fish is Marlin.

Skip Bait Rigging

Step by Step.

Extend a tube into the gills and out

through the anus of the fish.

Push your leader through the tube

then remove the tube
leaving the leader in place.

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Attach a suitable size hook to the leader.

The knot shown is suitable for heavy

monofilament leaders but you will have
to use a metal sleeve, of the correct size,
and a crimping tool, should you
be using a 49 strand wire leader.

Now we have to stitch the mouth

and gills closed:

Begin by looping a 40 cm length of thread

over the nose so the loop lays under
the head of the fish. Then thread the eye
of your stout needle with both tag ends
and drive the needle down through the nose
of your bait fish from top to bottom
and forward of the underslung loop.

You may need your awl

to initiate the puncture.

Pull the needle right through and with it

both tag ends of the thread.

Now, re–thread the needle with one tag end

and pass it through the eye tunnel
of the fish as shown.

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 Pull the needle right through
and with it the tag.

Then thread the needle with the other tag end

and pull it through the eye tunnel of the fish
in the opposite direction.

Tie both tags together using a granny knot

and pull the entire stitch really tight.

Now, it is important to use a knot that slips,

like a granny, otherwise the knot might lock
before the stitch comes really tight.

Puncture your bait right in the centre

of the head, in the case of this mullet,
that is right between the eyes.

Then drive the awl right through

so the point protrudes under the head.

Take about 40 cm of your galvanised wire

and push one end down through the puncture
you have made.

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 Now, push one end of the wire up
through the first puncture you made,
that's the one for the mouth stitch,
and push the other end through
in the other direction so they cross over
within the forward puncture.

Bend the lower protruding wire forward

so that it lays alongside the leader
then wind the upper protruding wire tightly
around both the leader and the lower wire.

Having made a series of tight wraps

with the upper wire, wrap the leader tightly
with the protruding lower wire.

Make the second set of wraps continue

more or less flush with the first set.

The completed bait should look

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 Squid Rigging
Sometimes it can be difficult to catch fish using lures, minnows and poppers!

This is often because of the concentration of natural bait in the area.

All game fish feed on squid, which leads to the question,

"Why not rig a dead squid for trolling or drifting"

If you decide to try, and why not, then here is a very easy
and successful way to do the rigging.

All it takes is a freshly caught or quick frozen squid, a suitable hook,

a length of leader (mono or multi–strand), about 1 meter of wire,
a knife and a pair of scissors.

Squid Rigging
Step by Step.

Fold a length of wire once

and twist it together to make
a rigid needle with an eye.

Make a small cut in the belly of the squid,

right in the centre, and about 2/3 of the way
back toward the tail.

Push the eye of your needle under the mantle

of the squid and out through the small cut.

Thread the end of your leader through

the eye of your needle.

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 Retrieve the needle
from the squid's mantle,
pulling the end of the leader
through with it.

Tie on the hook.

Shown here is the nail knot.

Insert the hook in the bait. Start

under the head with the hook point
facing back toward the tentacles.

Push the hook point into, then out

from the underside of the head,
but not too deep.

Be careful not to push it through the head

which will choke the hook
and prevent solid hook–ups.

Push a wire straight through the

underside of the squid about halfway
between the tip of the tail
and where the leader emerges
from the belly.

Cross both ends of the wire

through the tip of the tail.

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 Lay the lower wire tag alongside the leader
at the tail and wind the upper wire tag tightly
around both the leader and the lower tag
in a barrel roll.

Make sure there is some slack

in the leader between the barrel roll
and the hook, so the bait doesn't bend.

Make at least 7 very tight wraps,

then bend the wire tag
into a crank handle and rotate
until it breaks flush with the barrel roll.

Do exactly the same with the other wire tag.

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This bait may be drifted deep or trolled along the surface
for Marlin, Sailfish Yellowfin Tuna and Dorado.

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 Swim Bait Rigging
Probably the most complicated rigs used in the pursuit of BIG fish,
but also a very productive rig when rigged correctly.

Swim Bait Rigging

Step by Step.

Extend a tube into the gills and out

through the anus of the fish.

Push your leader through the tube

then remove the tube
leaving the leader in place.

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Attach a suitable size hook to the leader.

The knot shown is suitable for heavy

monofilament leaders but
you will have to use a metal sleeve
of the correct size and a crimping tool,
if you are using a 49 strand wire leader.

Now we have to stitch the mouth

and gills closed.

Begin by looping a 40 cm length of thread

over the nose so the loop lays under
the head of the fish.

Then, thread the eye of your stout needle

with both tag ends and drive the needle
down through the nose of your bait fish
from top to bottom and forward of the
underslung loop. You may need
your awl to initiate the puncture.

Pull the needle right through and with it,

both tag ends of the thread.

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 Now, re–thread the needle
with one tag end and pass it through
the eye tunnel of the fish as shown.

Pull the needle right through

and with it, the tag.

Then thread the needle with the other tag end

and pull it through the eye tunnel of the fish
in the opposite direction.

Tie both tags together using a granny knot

and pull the entire stitch really tight.

Now, it is important to use a knot

that slips, like a granny,
otherwise the knot might lock
before the stitch becomes really tight.

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 Use your awl to make a puncture central
to the head of the fish only far enough back
on the head to allow space for a suitable size
bean sinker to be rigged under the head.

Take about 40 cm of galvanised wire

and push it right through the puncture
made by your awl.

Then thread on your bean sinker

which should be about the size
shown in the diagram relative to
the baitfish you are rigging.

Push the tag of the wire back

up through the hole
originally made for the mouth stitch.

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 To form the towing bridle, raise the leader
protruding from underneath the gills to
a fairly sharp angle to the head of the fish.

Bend the wire protruding from the head

forward, then sharply upward,
to lay alongside the leader.

Then commence a series of firm wraps

around both leader and head wire with the
wire
protruding from the top of the fish's nose.

Having made a series of firm wraps

around both leader and head wire,
finish off by making another series of firm
wraps around the leader with the tag
of the protruding head wire.

The result should look something like this

with the fish secured on a bridle, which –
in combination with the sinker
under the head – should make it swim
in an attractive manner
beneath the surface when towed
directly from the rod tip.

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 Tuna Fillet Rigging
Rigging up a Tuna fillet for Shark fishing can be done in various ways.

The technique shown below is a well–proven method that will increase your hook–up rate
and minimize the risk of losing the Shark when it starts rolling on the leader.

You should use a 6 – 8 meter trace of 400 – 600 lb steel wire

with a high quality (Sampo) swivel crimped on in each end.

Two hooks (Mustad 7699 size 12/0) rigged on similar steel wire
are then crimped on to the one swivel.

The tail of the Tuna is then cut off and the two hooks, used as needles,
are pushed straight through from the tail–cut and out on the back and belly of the Tuna.

Each of the hooks is then pushed through the skin of the Tuna further up the body,
leaving the shank of the hooks along the body and the barb pointing out and backwards.

The bait is tied up with heavy thread where the wire penetrates the skin
and the Tuna is cut in half between the gill slits and the hooks.

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 Blood Worm
Using the Blood Worm technique when fishing, has surprisingly
nothing to do with using a worm as bait.

It is a technique originally invented for Shark fishing

by American angler Fred Archer.

It is now used in many fishing venues around the world, including Phuket,
with slight changes depending on the behaviour of the target fish in the area.

The technique is similar to fishing with live fish, trolling or drifting,

with only one exception – the cut of tail of the bait fish!

This might not sound like a drastic change in technique, but

it can mean a big difference in the amount of landed billfish.

On days where the billfish are showing but only as lazy non–feeders,
the trick is to quickly cut off the tail of a baitfish,
avoiding cutting too deep so the fish will start bleeding.

Once in the water, the baitfish will wiggle its now missing tail
in an attempt to swim, and this behaviour
often turns lazy billfish into feeding predators.

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 Bounce Balling
Bounce balling is a highly effective, yet very simple, fishing method
when fishing over sand or mud bottom for various bottom dwellers.

The technique is essentially a slow trolling technique designed to drag a bait

along the bottom, causing a commotion and thereby provoking a strike.

The rig is made with a three–way swivel tied to the main line.
At the bottom of the three–way swivel, a 25–35 cm. monofilament line
with a 1 to 2 pound cannonball sinker is attached.

Note that the sinker should be attached with a line of slightly lower breaking strength
then the main line, so this line will break off if the sinker becomes snagged.

From the center connection of the swivel, a 1,2 – 1,5 meter

monofilament line with a chrome dodger is attached.
Trailing 25–35 cm. behind this dodger, the lure is attached.

As you drift or slow troll over an area of sand or mud bottom,

you bounce the sinker on the bottom by lifting and dropping the rod tip.

This way the sinker will create a sound, vibrations and clouds of silt
that attracts bottomfeeding predators. As they get closer,
the reflections of the metal dodger also helps trigger the strike.

As you are fishing with such a heavy sinker, it is very difficult to judge
just how hard to strike, so therefore do not try to set the hook.
Wind in the line until you feel the fish and the hook has set itself.

A heavy rod is required to stay in control of the large sinker,

and braided line is also a huge benifit as the low stretch
and increased sensitivity, makes it easier to feel the sinker
bouncing along the bottom.

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 Chumming
Chum is a substance made of small pieces of fish, blood and fish oil,
often used when fishing for sharks while drifting or at anchor.

The purpose of chumming is to attract fish with the smell and to tempt
them to eat. Chum is also used in combination with small pieces of fish.

Sharks react most to the smell, while Dorado and several species of Tuna
react more on the pieces of fish falling through the water layers.

Chum can be prepared from home and frozen in blocks.

These blocks are then put in a semi–submerged net or bucket
with holes, where they slowly dissolve and let out a trail in the water.

If the chum mostly consists of blood and oil a bit of sand

can be mixed with it to bind and make it sink slowly.

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 Drop Back
Trolling live or dead bait with a drop back is successfully used when targeting billfish.

A rubber band is attached to the mainline in the desired distance from the bait.
This rubber band is then attached to the release clip on the outrigger.

From the release clip the mainline hangs loosely in a desired length to the rod tip.
The reel is set with a drag of 25 – 33% of the line's breaking strength.

When the billfish strikes the bait, the rubber band snaps thereby giving the fish
time to turn and swallow the bait before the line is straightened and the hook is set.

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 Estimating Weight
The following formula is a well–proven method to very accurately
estimate the weight of most game fish.

The measurements are all in inches and the final result in pounds,
but this can then be transformed into kilograms.

The girth of the fish is measured on the greatest part and then squared.

This number is then multiplied by the body length of the fish,

measured as illustrated below.

This result is then divided by 800 to get the weight in pounds.

Example:

Girth is 3 feet 4 inches = 40 inches

Body length is 8 feet 4 inches = 100 inches

40 x 40 =1600
1600 x 100 = 160000
160000 / 800 = 200 lbs.

To get the result in kilograms, the final number is then divided by 2.2.

Example:

200 / 2.2 = 88 kg.

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 Switch & Bait
The Switch and Bait trolling technique offers the advantage of covering
a larger area while fishing with live bait or fly casting.

The idea is to troll a pattern of hookless teasers at normal lure trolling speed
to attract the targeted fish, which usually is Marlin or Sailfish.

When the target fish appears or strikes a teaser, the angler

should take a pre–rigged live bait from the live bait tank
and feed it back to the fish. At the same time the crew should wind in
the teasers to avoid crossed lines when the fish strikes the bait.

If soft lures or teasers are used in the teaser pattern, the striking fish
tends to stay interested for a longer period, often allowing the angler
to decide the most suitable equipment for the fish.

Several line class world records have been set using this technique with
a wide range of equipment rigged and ready to be fed to the showing fish.

The downside to the technique is that it requires an experienced

and skillful captain and crew, plus a bit of getting used to by the angler.

Shrimp Rigging
Fishing with live or dead shrimps can be extremely successful
especially if the target fish is Barramundi.

The shrimp should be rigged so it swims as close to normal as possible

and stays on the hook when casting.

This is done by passing the hook through

from the underside of the tail and pointing it backwards.

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 Tag Line
A tag line is a line which is attached to the halyard
near the release clip on the outrigger.

Tag lines are usually of the same material as the outrigger halyard
with a short trace of braided line at the free end. The maximum length
should not be more than the distance between the outrigger tip
and the corner of the transom when hanging free.

A rubber band is twisted around the trolling line

and then attached to the free end of the tag line.

On strike, the rubber band snaps and the trolling line straightens
between the rod tip and the hooked fish.

Because of the greatly changed angle between the boat and the release clip
(now the rubber band), this technique minimizes the drop back, and therefore doesn´t
give the fish much time to spit the hook out before the drag on the reel sets it tight.

For easy retrieval of the tag line after a strike, many boats now use
a metal ring or short tube on the outrigger halyard.
The weight from the ring makes it slide down the halyard
to the side of the boat, then there is no tension on the tag line.

When the trolling line again is attached with the rubber band to the tag line,
the pull from the lure will lift the ring to the tip of the outrigger and spread the lures.

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Sumber: www.fishing-khaolak.com

Semoga bermanfaat untuk rekan-rekan di tanah air.

Dari :al fakir anaz_wood

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