What this rig is all about:
This rig is perfect for winter time fishing in Florida and will catch redfish, trout, and flounder with a high success rate. Winter time is ideal for using soft plastics in order to target these species of fish. Read on to learn how to use it and how to rig it up.
Here is a list of materials/items that you will need to make this rig:
Links include pricing info on Amazon.
– 15-20 pound fluorocarbon line
– 1 quarter oz jig head (This one works great!
– 1 3 inch Berkley Gulp New Penny Mantis Shrimp
– scissors/nail clipper
Optional Recommended Equipment:
– Penn Battle II Spinning Reel
– 7 feet medium action rod for best results (This one is recommended.
How to use this rig:
The important tip when fishing in winter is to work the bait using a slow retrieve. Work the bait around deep water docks, canals, or banks by reeling periodically allowing the bait to travel up the water column and then let it sink back down to the bottom. Repeating this technique should get you some bites when targeting these species of fish.
Once you feel a few nibbles on the bait, time the next nibble and set the hook. Obviously, this a rig used for catching fish that are feeding on the bottom. Practice feeling the bottom of the water to get the best results.
It’s important that the color of the jig head is similar to the new penny mantis shrimp. If you cannot find one that is similar, then get the next closest thing for the best results.
Sometimes fish are easily spooked in the winter. In that case, you can use a lower rated line like a 10 pound test fluorocarbon line instead of the suggested 15-20 pound line to be even more stealthy.
Setup guide:
- The first step is to attach the fluorocarbon line to the barrel swivel. This allows your rig to be modular. You can use a simple clinch knot to attach the line to the barrel swivel hole. Check out this tutorial for help:
- Attach some leader line to your jig setup. The line for the leader can be the same as your main line. You can attach the leader line/jig setup to the swivel whatever way you like. I just use another clinch knot.
- The last step is to insert the Berkley gulp shrimp fake bait into the hook. Take the bait at the head and pierce it with the hook. Continue pushing the bait into the hook, all the while aligned with the hook, until you can’t anymore. Then, simply push the hook out of the shrimp where it’s at. Having trouble rigging the soft plastic shrimp onto the jig head? Check on this tutorial for some help:
The finished product looks like the image shown below:
This simple setup will help you maximize your winter catches. Try it out and let us know how it worked out for you. Don’t forget to rate this rig at the top of this article!