Ask Bailiff

Which rig is best for fishing pop-ups?

Bailiff's answer, from the Carp Army rig library and what members have caught on.

Bailiff says: Ronnie rig

The Ronnie is the modern pop-up standard, with the hook mounted on a spinner swivel so it can rotate 360 degrees and find a hold every time. It presents beautifully over light debris or silt and resets itself if a fish nudges it, making it the go-to choice for pop-ups on most waters.

Tweaks

  • Use a size 6 curve shank hook
  • Fish a short hooklink of 4-6 inches
  • Balance the pop-up so it just sinks the hook with putty

Ronnie rig

A pop-up on a spinner swivel with a curve shank hook, so the hook can turn 360 degrees. The modern pop-up standard.

Mainline3oz leadStiff coated hooklinkPuttyCurve shank hookPop-upLake bed

Parts

Curve shank hook, size 4 to 6
Spinner swivel or hook ring swivel
Hook kicker, medium
Bait screw with ring
Tungsten putty
Stiff coated hooklink, 20lb, or boom section
Anti-tangle sleeve
Lead clip and tail rubber
3oz lead
Pop-up, 12 to 15mm

How to tie it

  1. Push the kicker onto the hook and the spinner swivel into the eye; add the hook ring swivel with the bait screw.
  2. Tie the hooklink to the spinner with a figure-of-eight loop.
  3. Mould putty on the hooklink an inch below the swivel until the pop-up sinks slowly.
  4. Screw on the pop-up.

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