Most of the time when I get a chance to fish, I’ve got one of the big 3 (YT, WSB, Hali) on my mind. I’ll admit that there are often times when I’m fishing, its getting a little late in the day, and I don’t have much to show for my effort. It’s usually about this time that I’ll switch gears, and look around for some bottom structure that might hold rockfish, so I can at least take home a few fish for some tacos.
A couple years back I made my own rockfish rigs to keep with me on the yak for the taco trips. I made them out of boredom, and mostly as a joke, but no one was as surprised as me when I found out they actually worked pretty well, and actually caught fish.
It seems like there has been a recent renewed BWE interest in rockfishing, and with the upcoming rockfish tournament on April 5th, someone out there might want to take a stab at making their own rockfish rigs.
Disclaimers:
-I know I’m not showing anything revolutionary or ground breaking. I basically copied store bought rig that costs $9. I’m sure mine cost less that a buck to make though.
- Yes, they are gaudy and flamboyant. If you are going to dabble with rigs that have glow beads and mylar, you might as well jump in with both feet and be proud. You are about 1 step away from making rainbow loom bracelets with this project. They do catch fish though.
- Yes, I realize a double dropper loop is easy to tie and effective. I’m lazy. I keep one of these on the yak with me, tie 1 knot directly to the spectra, and am in business. I also don’t want to waste my good flouro on 8’ of dropper loop for RF. These rigs are also good to give out to newbie friends that you take fishing, where you don’t need to spend double the amount of time dealing with their cluster of tangles.
Here are the materials I used. Your materials may vary. I don’t use high-end components. Keep the cost down, they are only rockfish rigs.
- 80 lb main line
- 50 lb tag lines
- Double barrel crimp
- Single sleeve crimps
- Barrel Swivels (150 lb, $1.79 for a 10 pack)
- Red Plastic Beads
- Danielson 7/0 shrimp fly hooks. I like to use the bigger hooks because it keeps the dinks off. When a fish bites the 7/0, they are usually a decent size. They also have enough give in them that they will bend open if you really need them to, so you can usually get your whole rig back if you get hung up.
- Soft Glow beads. I don’t have a clue where I got them, but they were in my pile of fishing tackle in the garage. Made by Owner. People laugh at the glow beads, but I swear these are the ticket to why these rigs get bit so well. Embrace your flamboyancy.
If you want to try to take a crack at making them, here are some tips that will make things easier on you.
- If you are going to make 1, you might as well make 10. Half the work is getting the materials out and organized. Making more at a time also brings the individual cost down.
- When using the double barrel crimp, use a lighter to melt the tag end so is cant pass back through the barrel
-Have your 4 year old thread the stuff onto the line. They think it is a game, it is easier on your eyes. Double check their work if you want.
- Spacing is a little important. You want to space your “arms”, or the 2 ganions apart so 1) the bottom ganion wont snag the rocks 2) They cant reach each other and get tangled.
Here are some pics for reference on how mine are spaced.
- Store them separate from each other. I use ziplocks. By themselves, these rigs are tangle-free. Tangle 3 or 4 of them together and you will curse the day you were born.
Make a few of these, and keep one of these on the yak with you. You might catch a fish or two, or you might chuckle and provide yourself some comic relief as you try to figure out how you got duped into fishing with flashy mylar and glow beads
See you guys at the rockfish derby
