...for serious pike and predator anglers!
My anti tangle, anti bite off, 'confidence' rigs.
The 'Confidence' Rig
It's Anti Tangle / Anti Bite Off.
The removable egg weight is less than 1oz and rarely ever puts a pike off as it 'plays' with the bait.
How do I know pike play with the bait I hear you ask. All will be explained further on under 'The Confidence Float Rig'
You can easily change the weight size on the rig, or add weight to the rig, without having to cut the main line.
The following rig is free running. I rarely ever use this rig myself, as I much prefer the semi fixed rig seen below it.
Free Running 'Confidence' Rig
After casting this rig, always wind back a bit of line - i.e. to make sure that the trace swivel it tight to/against the 1/8th dia. rigid rig tube.
The 'thick walled' clear tubing can be purchased from any hobby shop.
As for the 1/8in x 20in 'Rigid Rig Tube', that's made/produced by John Roberts.
Semi Fixed 'Confidence' Rig...
The rig is ideal for dead baits laid tight on the bottom - or popped up off the bottom.
The rig never tangles and the chances of a bite off are nigh on zero.
The semi fixed rig will not allow a popped up dead bait to lift any higher off the bottom than the length of your wire trace.
Note: The wire trace must be 4-5in shorter than the length of rigid rig tube - which is sold in 20in lengths.
If you should snap up when using this rig, the rigid rig tube and weight are easily ejected from the trace swivel at the first bit of resistance the weight encounters.
I use 50lb braided line when fishing this rig.
The beauty about this rigid rig is, the weight does not sink into mud/silt after casting - and is carried with the pike after pick-up of the bait.
Dropped baits are often the result of sudden resistance - i.e. as you make contacts with the weight when winding down to strike the fish,
as the weight kicks in, the pike feels the sudden resistance and drops/ejects/spits/throws the bait!
DO NOT push the tubing any further onto the trace swivel than seen below left - as it would not release as it is designed to do should a snap up occur.
How to hook a leger fished dead/live bait onto the 'Confidence' Rig
Legered live baits are best suited to the semi fixed confidence rig seen above.
The 'Confidence' Float Rig
What makes this rig so SPECIAL?.....!
The float for one is very buoyant and very aerodynamic / hydrodynamic.
Made from 3/4in balsa wood dowel.
Length: 5-7in
The aerodynamic / hydrodynamic shape, allows the float to smoothly glide over the water's surface, causing minimal 'off putting' resistance to the pike beneath it.
When pike start to play about with the bait, which they most definitely do, or brushes the main line,
the 4-5in rigid tube arm starts to lift 2-3in above the water, exposing the bright yellow 'high viz' bead.
The bright yellow 'high viz' bead can be seen from 30-40 odd yards away.
The confidence float rig is so sensitive, you would have to see it in action to believe it.
I have shown (below) what occurs when the line in being gently pulled or 'brushed' by interested pike!
You will note that the float shows no indication of a bite being in progress - or of a pike brushing the line.
Run in progress...
The 4-5in rigid rig tube arm and 'High Viz' yellow bead, will show pike that are rubbing up against your main line - see following illustration
To Sum Up
By using the confidence float rigs shown above, you will get to see bites that you may have missed out on if using a cocked float.
It can be quite hard at times to detect bites when floats are cocked - due to wave action.
The 'Confidence Rig' can also be used for free roving baits - or trolling baits.
Good Luck!!!