Technical Series - The Low Down Pop-Up Rig

This entry was posted on 12th September, 2013

Components

1.) Anti Tangle Sleeves 2.) Gardner Baiting Needle 3.) Fox Arma Point Hooks   4.) Atomic Jelewyre 5.) Dynamite Baits Crave Pop Ups 6.) Kryston Heavy Metal Putty    7.) Fox Tension Bar 8.) Knot Puller 9.) Nash Coated Braid Stripper 10.) Korda Razor Blades

Part 1 - The Low Down Pop-Up Rig Part 2 - The Hinged Stiff Link Part 3 - The Semi-Stiff Snowman Rig

The Low Down Pop-Up Rig - Michael Stewart

First of all I'm no rig expert and don’t claim to be! I am not one to play about with the latest rig and I prefer to stick with what I know and trust. I hardly ever fish with a bog standard, out the bag bottom bait and nearly all my fishing is done with some sort or buoyant hookbait .

So here goes, here's an insight into the rigs I like to use, starting with what I call the Low Down Pop-Up Rig...

This rig is perfect when you want to present a pop-up bait closer to the bottom than what you can achieve on a ‘hinge’ rig. Any coated braid is good for this but I prefer a softer version like Atomic Tackles, Jel-e-wyre, I like to fish this presentation around 10-12 inches long.

Hooks are curve shank patterns with the Fox Arma Point SSC in a size 7 or 8 depending on the hookbait size I’m using; these are sharp and strong and are well up to the job! The hook is tied knot-less knot style, but rather than tying a hair, I thread on a small rig ring and fold the supple braided part back on itself and back through the eye before tying the knot. The tag end of the knot is then gently burnt to stop the ring from pulling out.

An anti-tangle sleeve is added and the rig is finished off with figure of eight knot, for attachment.

Finally before the rig is ready to fish with, you need to add the putty. Firstly a small coil of leadwire is added to the break between the coated and uncoated parts, the tungsten putty is then added to this. The small coil of leadwire simply acts as an anchor point and allows the putty to grip better. A couple more ‘mouse droppings’ of putty are added to the length of the hooklength, making sure the whole rig will sit flush on the lake bed.

I tend to have around 5-10mm of exposed braid between the hook eye and the putty.

The hookbait choice is normally a glugged pop-up which is tied on with baitfloss and balanced so it slowly sinks and gently rests on the bottom.