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Fishing Rigs & Setups

What goes on the line, in what order, and why each piece is there.

A rig is just the order things go on your line. Get the order right and the rig does its job; get it wrong and you are cutting the hook off to start over. Every setup below lists its components in the exact sequence they thread on, from the main line down.

Almost all fishing is covered by a handful of these. Learn the slip bobber and the Carolina rig and you can already fish bait at any depth and drag a soft plastic along the bottom — which is most of freshwater fishing.

The one rule that saves you a re-tie

Anything that threads onto the line — stops, beads, floats, sliding sinkers — goes on before you tie anything to the end. The hook is always last. This is the single most common beginner mistake, and the only fix is scissors.

Freshwater rigs

Carolina Rig

Easy

Covering bottom for bass with a soft plastic

A sliding weight ahead of a swivel, with the bait on a leader behind it. The weight drags bottom and kicks up silt while the bait trails behind on a slack leader, moving naturally rather than being dragged.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineBraid or mono from the reel.
  2. 2Bullet or egg sinkerSlides freely on the main line. 1/4 to 1 oz depending on depth and wind.
  3. 3BeadSits between sinker and swivel. It protects the knot from being hammered by the sliding weight — the reason the rig does not fail at the swivel.
  4. 4Barrel swivelStops the weight and prevents line twist.
  5. 5Leader12 to 24 inches. Longer leader = slower, higher fall.
  6. 6Hook + soft plasticOffset worm hook, usually rigged weedless.

Tip: The leader length is the adjustment that matters. Short leader keeps the bait near bottom; long leader lets it glide well above it. Change this before you change colour.

Knots for this rig: palomar, improved clinch

Texas Rig

Easy

Soft plastics in heavy cover

A bullet weight riding directly on the line above a weedless-rigged soft plastic. The pointed weight noses through cover and the buried hook point means you can fish places an exposed hook cannot go.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineBraid is usual, for pulling fish out of cover.
  2. 2Bullet weightSlides on the line, point facing the rod. Peg it with a bobber stop to keep weight and bait together in thick cover.
  3. 3Offset worm hookTied directly to the main line — no swivel, no leader.
  4. 4Soft plasticHook point pushed back into the body so it is weedless.

Tip: Pegging the weight makes it snag less and keeps the presentation compact; leaving it unpegged lets the bait fall separately after the weight lands, which triggers more bites in open water.

Knots for this rig: palomar, improved clinch

Drop Shot Rig

Moderate

Finesse presentations for pressured fish

The weight sits at the bottom of the line and the hook stands out above it, so the bait hovers off the bottom at a fixed height and can be shaken in place without moving anywhere. It is the rig for fish that will not chase.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineLight braid to a fluorocarbon leader, or straight fluoro.
  2. 2HookTied with a Palomar, leaving a long tag end — commonly 12 to 24 inches.
  3. 3Tag through the eyePass the tag back down through the hook eye from above. This is what makes the hook stand out perpendicular to the line instead of hanging.
  4. 4WeightPinched or clipped to the bottom of the tag. A cylinder weight slips through rock better than a round one.

Tip: The distance between hook and weight is how high your bait sits. If fish are pinned to the bottom, shorten it; if they are suspended, lengthen it.

Knots for this rig: palomar

Slip Bobber (Float) Rig

Easy

Presenting bait at an exact, adjustable depth

A float that slides freely on the line until it hits an adjustable stop. This lets you fish 12 feet deep but still reel the float right down to the rod tip to cast, which a fixed bobber cannot do.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineGoes on first — everything below threads onto it in order.
  2. 2Bobber stopThreads on first. Slide it up or down to set your fishing depth — this is the whole point of the rig.
  3. 3BeadNext. It stops the float sliding over the small bobber stop.
  4. 4Slip floatThreads on below the bead, free to slide down to the weight when you cast.
  5. 5Split shotPinched on roughly a foot above the hook. It cocks the float upright and pulls the bait down.
  6. 6Hook or jigTied on the end. Bait with a leech, minnow or piece of nightcrawler.

Tip: Order matters and there is no recovering from getting it wrong — thread stop, bead, float before you tie anything on the end, or you will be cutting the hook off to start again.

Knots for this rig: improved clinch, palomar

Ned Rig

Easy

Finesse fishing when nothing else works

A short piece of buoyant soft plastic on a light mushroom-head jig. The bait stands up off the bottom at rest, which looks like a feeding baitfish and is very hard for a pressured fish to ignore.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineLight line — this is a finesse rig and heavy line kills the action.
  2. 2Mushroom jighead1/16 to 1/4 oz. The flat head is what makes the bait stand upright.
  3. 3Short soft plasticBuoyant material, usually a stick bait cut down.

Tip: Do almost nothing with it. Drag it a few inches, then let it sit. Most bites come while it is stationary and standing up.

Knots for this rig: palomar, improved clinch

Wacky Rig

Easy

A slow, shimmying fall to suspended fish

A hook through the middle of a stick worm so both ends flutter on the drop. There is almost no technique to it — the fall does the work — which makes it one of the highest-percentage rigs for a beginner.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineLight line or a fluoro leader.
  2. 2O-ring (optional)Rolled onto the middle of the worm; hook through the ring instead of the plastic. One worm then lasts many fish rather than tearing on the first.
  3. 3Wacky or octopus hookThrough the ring, or straight through the worm's midpoint.
  4. 4Weight (optional)A nail weight in one end to speed the fall and tilt the presentation.

Tip: Let it fall on a slack line and watch where the line enters the water. Most bites happen on the initial fall and you will see the line move before you feel anything.

Knots for this rig: palomar, non slip loop

Saltwater rigs

Fish Finder Rig

Easy

Surf fishing with bait

The surf version of a sliding-sinker rig. The weight rides on a slide rather than directly on the line, so a fish can pick up the bait and move off without feeling the sinker, and you can change weight without retying.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineFrom the reel.
  2. 2Sinker slideCarries the sinker on a clip and slides on the main line. The clip is why you can swap weights without cutting anything.
  3. 3Pyramid sinkerClipped to the slide. The pyramid shape digs into sand and holds position against current and wave push.
  4. 4BeadProtects the swivel knot from the sliding weight.
  5. 5Barrel swivelStops the slide and separates main line from leader.
  6. 6LeaderHeavier than the main line — 30 to 60 lb for bull redfish, striped bass, bluefish or sharks.
  7. 7HookCircle hooks are the norm for bait, and hook fish in the corner of the mouth for easier release.

Tip: This is a Carolina rig built for the surf. The functional difference is the sinker slide: it takes a pyramid weight that resists being rolled by the waves, and lets you change sinker size as conditions turn.

Knots for this rig: improved clinch, uni, palomar

High-Low (Dropper Loop) Rig

Moderate

Pier and surf fishing two baits at once

Two hooks on dropper loops above a bottom sinker, presenting baits at two different heights on the same cast. It doubles your chances of finding the level fish are feeding at.

On the line, in order

  1. 1Main lineTo a swivel at the top of the rig.
  2. 2Barrel swivelTop connection, prevents twist.
  3. 3Leader with two dropper loopsTwo loops tied into the leader at different heights. Each loop stands out from the line and carries a hook.
  4. 4HooksOne per dropper loop, passed through the loop and looped back over itself.
  5. 5SinkerAt the very bottom, on a loop or clip so it can be changed.

Tip: Bait the two hooks differently on the first cast. Whichever gets hit tells you both the depth and the bait to switch the other hook to.

Knots for this rig: uni, improved clinch

Frequently asked questions

What order do you put a bobber, weight and hook on the line?

For a slip bobber rig the order from the main line down is: bobber stop, bead, slip float, split shot, then the hook or jig. Thread the stop, bead and float onto the line before you tie the hook on — if you tie the hook first you have to cut it off and start again.

Why does a Carolina rig need a bead?

The bead sits between the sliding sinker and the swivel and stops the weight hammering directly against the knot. Without it, repeated impact from the sinker weakens the knot and the rig eventually fails at the swivel — usually on a fish.

What is the difference between a Carolina rig and a fish finder rig?

They work the same way: a sliding weight ahead of a swivel and leader, so a fish can move off with the bait without feeling the weight. The difference is hardware. A Carolina rig uses an in-line sinker threaded on the line; a fish finder rig uses a sinker slide with a clip, which takes a pyramid weight that holds in surf and lets you change sinker size without retying.

Which rig should a beginner start with?

A slip bobber rig for bait, or a wacky rig for lures. Both are forgiving: the slip bobber shows you the bite visually and holds bait at a set depth, and a wacky-rigged stick worm catches fish on the fall with almost no technique required.

What is a Texas rig used for?

Fishing soft plastics in heavy cover. A bullet weight rides on the line above an offset worm hook with the point buried back in the plastic, so the whole rig is weedless and can be pulled through pads, brush and timber where an exposed hook would snag on every cast.

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