The free rig is a cross between the ever-popular Texas rig and the seemingly forgotten Carolina rig. So far as bass fishing methods go, it doesn’t get a lot hype, however often sees some limelight when an angler wins a event utilizing it. It rides within the center between energy fishing and finesse fishing, which makes it such a great tool so as to add to your arsenal.
The free rig is deceptively easy. It’s only a bell weight, a hook, and a delicate plastic of your selecting. Right here’s all the pieces it is advisable to learn about fishing a free rig.
The Free Rig
The usual free rig is often a ⅛- to ⅜-ounce bell weight and a 3/0 EWG hook with a delicate plastic, often a worm. However the free rig isn’t all that normal. Because it lives someplace between energy fishing and finesse fishing, you should utilize it to do each.
The free rig lets you select your weight and bait to suit your wants, virtually any wants. Wish to drag a crawfish-style bait with a heavy baitcasting setup alongside the underside? A free rig can try this. Wish to fish beneath sailboats with a light-weight spinning combo when bass are excessive within the water column? A free rig can try this too. Irrespective of the situation, you can also make a free rig work. Merely match your situation with the dimensions of bell weight you want and also you’re off to the races.
The right way to Rig a Free Rig
Scott Einsmann
A free rig ought to take a minute to rig up and be able to fish with these 4 steps.
Step 1: Choose your bell weight measurement to match the autumn price you’re in search of. Lighter choices will produce slower fall charges, permitting you to catch fish staging increased within the water column.
Step 2: Choose your hook of alternative. You’ll be able to actually decide any fashion of hook starting from EWG’s to offset hooks, or perhaps a straight shank hook if you happen to’ll be flipping the free rig greater than casting it.
Step 3: Thread your line by means of the bell weight and tie in your hook utilizing a Palomar knot.
Step 4: Thread in your delicate plastic of alternative.
What Makes the Free Rig so Efficient?
The free rig fills the hole of a slow-falling, almost-vertical presentation the place the bait is separated from the burden. A Texas rig usually doesn’t separate from the burden till it hits the underside, and a Carolina rig is all the time separated, however is fished horizontally alongside the underside. Nevertheless, the free rig separates from the burden on the best way down and permits the bait to have a singular vertical falling motion by means of the water column.
As the burden is ready to transfer freely up and down the road, the bait can be in a position to transfer freely, therefore the title.
The flexibility of this method permits it to trick closely pressured bass as a result of it’s a presentation they not often, if ever, see. When a method features widespread recognition, success dwindles, however the free rig has been in a position to keep within the shadows. It’s quietly catching bass for a choose few anglers who received’t let the cat out of the bag. These anglers might even ship me a nastygram or two for writing in regards to the free rig, but when it helps you catch extra fish, then that’s a burden I’ll bear.
To fish the free rig efficiently, all you really want to do is locate areas that maintain bass. Whether or not that’s a grass line, an offshore hump with rock piles, or a present break behind a bridge piling, bass will maintain on or close to these areas to ambush baitfish. Within the case of the free rig, in the event that they’re staging above the quilt or excessive on the construction, they’re ripe for the choosing.
As your weight plummets by them, it might even seize their consideration. Then your unsuspecting delicate plastic will become visible, slowly sinking to the underside in pursuit of your weight, offering the bass with a straightforward meal that’s too arduous to go up.
For a deep dive video on the free rig, take a look at this nice video from my buddy TylersReelFishing.
When to Throw a Free Rig
Choosing the right time to throw a free rig is easy. Because you’ll be fishing it in related places to the place you’d fish a Texas Rig or a Carolina rig, you’re ready for a similar time of 12 months as effectively. The early summer time is primetime for the free rig, however it can work by means of the canine days of summer time and into the autumn.
I prefer to throw a free rig when a lightweight wind breaks up the floor, however not a lot wind that I can’t keep contact with the bait to really feel the bites. Since I usually fish it extra as a finesse method, I favor lighter strains and smaller weights, which aren’t superb in heavy wind.
Derek Horner
When the situations are proper within the early summer time, you’ll need to throw your free rig anyplace bass are staging to ambush their prey. Since many of the bass have entered their summer time patterns by now, you’ll possible discover the bulk on offshore construction and canopy with deep water entry close by. Whether or not that’s a rocky hump with some stumps on it, or only a deep grassline, the bass will favor these areas.
When you find these offshore honey holes, merely rig up your free rig and let it fly. If you happen to discover that you simply’re not getting sufficient bites, experiment together with your bait choice or coloration choice. Bass can get fairly finicky in the summertime, so a purple or orange fleck could make all of the distinction.
The Gear You Must Rig and Fish a Free Rig
Choosing the Proper Free Rig Rod
Any time you’re confronted with choosing the fitting rod for a brilliant versatile method, there’s not only one good decide. That stated, I’ll suggest the rod and different gear that I favor for throwing a free rig as a extra finesse tactic. However if you happen to’re extra into energy fishing, beef up the gear I like to recommend.
I largely throw gentle free rig weights, so I exploit a lighter motion casting rod. My go-to casting rod for a free rig is the Shimano Zodias. I like to make use of a 7-foot 2-inch, medium-power rod with a reasonable quick tip. That rod permits me to get extra casting distance out of the free rig, and the reasonable quick tip lets me really feel the distinction between the burden hitting the underside and a bass biting the lure.
Choosing the Proper Free Rig Reel
When choosing the fitting reel for a free rig, you’re going to need one thing with a high-quality drag. As you battle a fish on a free rig, the burden can really be a hindrance, permitting the fish to achieve leverage as the burden strikes on the road through the battle. Ideally, it stays pegged close to the hook, however issues not often go to plan. With that in thoughts, I lean on the Shimano Curado DC in a 7.4:1 gear ratio. The reel provides an superior drag system that helps hold the bass pegged, and the digital management braking expertise makes it simple to throw light-weight free rigs with ease.
The Greatest Free Rig Baits
Virtually any delicate plastic can work with a free rig. Much like a Texas rig, you should utilize stick baits, creature baits, or worms. The largest factor I’ve discovered useful is choosing delicate plastic lures that displace extra water whereas they sink. This may assist gradual the delicate plastic because it falls, permitting the burden to hit the underside and the delicate plastic to actually slowly shimmy by means of the water column. My go-to bait for it is a paddle tail worm from Lake Fork Trophy Lures known as the Hyper Worm. The Hyper Worm has some superior motion because it falls, and the paddle tail displaces numerous water because it sinks. One other nice choice is the X Zone Lures Professional Collection Adrenaline Craw. The Adrenaline Craw options floating claws that gradual the bait’s descent by means of the water column, triggering any bass close by into biting.
The Greatest Free Rig Hooks and Weights
The hook you determine to make use of to your free rig will come down to non-public choice. As I discussed earlier than, you should utilize EWG’s, offset hooks, and even straight shank hooks. For my very own private use, I usually use 2/0 Eagle Claw TroKar EWG worm hooks.
As for the weights, any bell weight will do, however I prefer to throw the Bass Professional Outlets Bass Casting Sinkers. They arrive in all kinds of weights from ⅛ ounce as much as 4 ounces. Nevertheless, if you end up missing in bell weights, don’t fret. You’ll be able to very simply modify any drop shot weight it’s important to serve your free rig wants. Merely open up the road tie with a pair of split-ring pliers so the burden can freely transfer up and down your line.
Line for Free Rigs
When it comes time to spool up your free rigging baitcasting reel, look no additional than 12-pound Sunline Tremendous FC Sniper Fluorocarbon Line. The fluorocarbon line would be the most suitable choice to your free rig as a result of it slowly sinks, serving to the motion of your bait because it falls by means of the water column.
Closing Ideas and Recommendations on The right way to Fish a Free Rig
It by no means hurts to study a brand new method, not to mention a method that many anglers don’t tie up for one motive or one other. The much less bass see a sure presentation, the extra possible they’re to eat your lure. I’ve discovered a variety of current success whereas throwing the free rig, and I don’t suppose that success goes to decelerate anytime quickly.
This versatile method deserves your consideration, and I’d be prepared to guess that you simply received’t be upset within the outcomes after tying it up. Throw your favourite delicate plastic on there, or attempt one thing totally different and see the way it goes.