making rigs

[eastcoastsurfer]

how many people make there own rigs? I started doing this, for the simple reason of paying 3-5 bucks for a modified fish finder rig. I have bought everything needed and started making them. My thing is where do you buy your stuff to make them from? I have bought from the local fish shops but thats just as bad price wise depending on where you go. Also does anyone have any tips on different ways and what not. I have some what got the snelled knot down for the hooks, but it still kicks my butt! :fishing:

[basstardo]

Try the Bait Shack. Greg will take care of you and he's got everything you need, and his sponsorship helps keep this place running. Check under the sponsor forums.

[eastcoastsurfer]

I am on the eastern shore, thats the problem!

[RuddeDogg]

I used to get my stuff from Terminal Tackle but found that they can be petty expensive, just do a google search for tackle distributors in bulk orders.

[inshoreangler95]

Yup like RuddeDogg said buying in bulk is best, you save money and you never run out! I almost never buy online but would if i were in your case; try and see if theres a bass pro or anything like that, those stores always have what your looking for and they surely will have the packs with like 100 hooks! It might look like your spending alot but in the long run you will save quite a bit!

[AtlantaKing]

Whatever you do, just don't be like me and order 400 hooks, "lose" them in the house move, and have to order 400 more just to find the original 400 right after UPS has delivered the new hooks. :p:eek::D

Learn to tie a couple or three good knots, stick to the basics and it'll work out. Good swivels, snaps, quality hooks and decent line will get it done.

[kingfisherman23]

I make my own bottom, fish finder and king rigs.Most of my rig components are free. I made a retriever (like a king anchor, but with 10 wire arms instead of 4) that I take out on the pier with me. Walking up and down the pier I find where tourons have wrapped their rigs around the cross-beams. I then simply lower the retriever, snag the rigs and yank. Most of the time I get a big ball consisting of 3-6 rigs tangled together, and most of the time the hooks are too rusted to use so I just cut off any weights, snaps, swivels or beads and recycle the rest.

In April on CG pier I managed to pull in 65 oz of lead in one day, enough to make all my anchors for the next trip. Everything from 2 oz pyramids to 8 oz egg weights to 1/2 oz frog tongues. I also filled a small plano storage box with sliders, snaps, swivels and red plastic beads.

Other than that, all I buy is Berkley Big Game in 30# and hooks.

Also, learn to tie the Perfection loop. If you don't know what that is, take a look at any store-bought bottom rig. Perfection loops are what makes the swivel loop at the top that connects to the weight and the dropper line. I'll try and post some pics later.

Tight lines!

Evan

[Hannibal]

After seeing how expensive "store made" rigs were in comparison to making your own - I quickly made the switch.

If buying things in bulk, I usually deal with various internet retailers to eliminate the middle man - usually hooks, swivels, etc.

For my "lighter" surf rigs (drum, cannonball rigs, top/bottom), I just buy a spool of 50# (for most) from wherever I am. I also just grab a few hooks, etc or whatever else I may need. I make rigs just for the fun of it most times. It helps build the anticipation of an upcoming trip. Quite frankly, I have probably far more then I can use in the foreseeable future.

I finally bought a rig bag/binder and it was the best fishing related purchase I've made in quite some time. Things are much more organized.

I more or less just sit in front of the TV and tie a bunch of a certain type of rig.

For the heavier stuff (shark rigs), I buy all my stuff from Leadertech (sp) in England I believe. Their prices are great and I can really specificy what items I want and how much. They also get stuff to me in less then a week. I usually buy my cable, heavy mono and big boy terminal tackle from them (14/0, 16/0 hooks, 400lb swivels and clasps, crimps, etc).

Building shark rigs is a blast but beats the hell out of your hands when you keep having to work that crimping tool over and over.

I enjoy it though. I've even thought about building them and selling them via Ebay, etc but not quite sure how much of a market there would be for them.

[kingfisherman23]

I sell rigs on the pier for $0.50, or goldhook spanish rigs. I also offer customed rigs for $0.60, which are really popular when pomps and spots won't hit the store rigs.

You can get a lot of good stuff at the end of the season when stores put out bargain bins. Last year I got a 100-pk of 150# Billfisher swivels, 5 packs of 12/0 hooks and a wire straightener out of a bargain bin for a total of less than $7.

Evan

[Sandcrab]

how many people make there own rigs? I started doing this, for the simple reason of paying 3-5 bucks for a modified fish finder rig. I have bought everything needed and started making them. My thing is where do you buy your stuff to make them from? I have bought from the local fish shops but thats just as bad price wise depending on where you go. Also does anyone have any tips on different ways and what not. I have some what got the snelled knot down for the hooks, but it still kicks my butt! :fishing:

I use 50 or 60 lb mono leader material for tying my double hook rigs. Besides snelling the hooks, the only other thing I do is use a double surgeon knot - one on the bottom for the sinker, another on top to connect to a snap swivel on my line. No metal or any other special knots is used.

Single hook snell - The larger hooks are tied on 100 lb test mono leader material.

Sandcrab

[Cerberus]

I hunt the bargain bins at places like Sports Authority or Bass Pro and buy whatever I know I will use, whether I need it right then or not.

SA has been running their "green dot" 30% clearance on fishing stuff for a while, and some of that has already been marked down before.

I was in one today and asked the manager where the green dot bin was and she said that she would give 50% off anything with a green dot. Sweet.

I once cleaned out a KMart that was being renovated, nearly every department in the store had something at 90% off. I now have five years worth of soft plastics, rigs, leaders, hooks, swivels, lures and all kinds of other stuff. Even Sweeter.

It is always good to patronize the sponsors of this board whenever you can,they make this great site possible, but sometimes the local deal just cannot be passed up.

[AtlantaKing]

Oh yeah, don't forget the sinkers: buy it cheap, stack it deep. I had to crawl into the crawlspace of my house to make sure that the floor joists were strong enough to support my lead stash...200lbs of sinkers is sure a #$%@$ to move! :eek::D

[basstardo]

I had to crawl into the crawlspace of my house to make sure that the floor joists were strong enough to support my lead stash...200lbs of sinkers is sure a #$%@$ to move! :eek::D

Holy crap!!! :eek::p:D

[eastcoastsurfer]

another question I have about making rigs, I have been using 80lb leader for the modified fish finder rigs, this gets a little hard tying knots due to the fact of inabiloity of flex in the line, now can I use a lighter lb like 50 and still be just as good? Also what does everyone use for there leader material?

[inshoreangler95]

you were using 80 pound test for shock leader or for bite leader? if its for shock leader that is an overkill man! if for bite leader it all depends on what your going for, what are you going for? couse 80 lb test is alot man!

[Cdog]

Bite leader, I use 130# suffix, tie a nail on both sides.

[rattler]

jannsnetcraft.com go to #40 on the steelon...go fish.

[Cerberus]

another question I have about making rigs, I have been using 80lb leader for the modified fish finder rigs, this gets a little hard tying knots due to the fact of inabiloity of flex in the line, now can I use a lighter lb like 50 and still be just as good? Also what does everyone use for there leader material?

I use regular mono for leaders in heavier tests, I think it is less stiff and ties better. With that said, I only occasionally use 80lb, usually 40 or 60 is enough.

There is a knot called the "Erwin Knot" that ties heavy mono pretty well. I have used it a few times and it works as advertised on 80-100lb mono. It's not the kind of knot you want to tie on the beach, but if you are making rigs in advance it would be OK.

[eastcoastsurfer]

I think I figured out why I was having such problems, I was using Triple Fish 80lb Fluorocarbon! Since I paid the money I might as well use it now, the problem is I bought 2 rolls of 25 yards!