5 Ways to Rig and Catch When Traveling Light by John Liechty

Less gear to catch more bass

®

Fall 2020

page

8

WITH WEIGHT

This is where the versatility of this system really shines. With one round split-shot this same hook can be transformed into many other techniques to cover all depths with a few different actions and appearances.

SHAKEY HEAD/SWINGHEAD

It’s not a perfect shakeyhead; but it will come close to the same performance. Simply pinch the shot on just above the knot and the head of the hook. It acts as a shakey head/swinghead and proved to be a great way to work the bottom. Bring just a bag of trick worms and you have another offering to present the fish in the area you have accessed.

SPLIT-SHOT/CAROLINA

Now this would be more of a split-shot rig than a Carolina-rig, but with the adjustable leader length, both techniques are represented. Pinch the shot 12-inches above the hook for a quick shallow water approach or at 24-inches above the hook for a slow, lifeless, deep approach. Any soft plastic will work, I chose a 6-inch Roboworm.

DROPSHOT

If you leave the tag on your original knot you can thread it back through the top of the hook and attach your split-shot to the tag. A simple overhand knot below the weight will keep it from slipping off. A short leader with a baby brush hog is a great crawdad imitator. GEAR NEEDED TO HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF OPTIONS:

Terminal Tackle: Hook: 3/0 EWG, Weight: 735-3 split shot

Soft Plastics: Zoom Super Fluke, Senko, Trick worm, Roboworm and Baby Brush Hog

Note: All these baits are interchangeable on each rigging method. And, you can always start with a 6-inch soft plastic, if you need smaller a set of scissors will do the trick.

CONCLUSION

From reaction to

finesse, we were able to

dissect all water columns

from top, middle to bottom,

and, we are able to mimic

many forage types, including

crawdads, shad, bluegill and

baby bass.

Now obviously some

of these methods aren’t

exactly perfect and

there are more refined

rigging methods for each.

But, remember we are

approaching this with a

“make do with what you

have” mentality, not a “I have every tool I need” aspect.

Hopefully this inspires creativity, experimentation and some outside of the box thinking. It’s great a great system for all anglers and I have implemented it on my boat since. With the flexibility to change in seconds, minimal cost, minimal gear, with maximum efficiency, the possibilities are endless. •

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