# The Mortician's Rig- A How To



## FishinMortician (Jun 19, 2007)

This rig is designed for catching table fish such as whiting, drum and pompanyo. It is easy to tie up, casts for distance, presents your baits in a stealthy fashion that attracts a bite, snags fish that nibble, and is strong enough to bring them onto the sand. 

The Main Rig Body is reusable and the leaders can be swapped out quickly if they get fouled. The leaders are free to spin around the main rig body and this reduces fouling by a considerable amount. However, every so often you will have one foul on you and a quick swap keeps you on a hot bite.
Start by making your Main Rig Body using a suitable material. Regular mono leader material works well, but you may prefer flouro leader material. It can be as small as 30lb test, or as high as 100lb. Choose according to what you need to withstand the force of your best cast. The stiffer it is the easier it is to manage your rig.
The length should be figured according to what you can comfortably cast. The average length of rigs seems to be about 3 1/2 feet, and that is a good place to start. Later you can make them longer if you wish.



Add a swivel to one end and a swivel clip for your sinker to the other end. Of course you should use what you prefer for these connections.
Next you will be tying some stopper knots along the length. Use a Figure 8 knot and form these in pairs where ever you feel they should be placed along the rig. I generally come up about a foot from the bottom and space that first pair of knots at about an inch apart. Then I come up about a foot and a half and tie another pair of stoppers knots, again spaced about an inch apart.
The Main Rig Body is now complete. If you used a stiff material this rig body will last for some time. Keep in mind that you do NOT have to over tighten the stopper knots. Just bring them in tight and done. The forces generated during your cast will tighten them further and to where they need to be. It is OK if they are a little loose, but you do want them well formed.





Now to tie up the other half of the rig. You will be making some leaders that will attach to the Main Rig Body. I suggest that the leaders be made from a light weight material. I use 15lb test flouro fishing LINE, not leader material. Some materials will lend themselves nicely while others will tend to snarl and kink up. Start with whatever you may have on hand, but don't be nervous about using a light weight material. I have landed some very large fish on 15lb test line.

These leaders should be about 6 *to 8 inches in length overall. At one end you will attach your favorite hook. Many use a 2/0 hook but I find the smaller hooks work better for me. I can recommend a Mustad Ultra Point Demon Perfect Circle size #1. 

You can use whatever knot you prefer for attaching your hook. I like a Davy Knot, but use the No Slip Loop Knot sometimes. Test the knot you choose but do not over stress it. Add a bead if you want one. Examine it when you are done. You do not want to see any kinks or sqiggles in the line. It should appear the same right next to the hook as it does midway up.
At the other end form up a loop knot a little smaller than a golf ball, but bigger than a quarter. Use whatever knot you tie well, but I recommend the King Sling Loop Knot. Very strong and with a tool I invented you can tie them up quickly and perfectly everytime. This knot does not have to be super strong because of how it is being used.



To complete the rig, simply lay the loop along the Main Rig Body, positioned between a set of stopper knots. Bring the hook around the rig body and slip through the loop. Draw down to complete the cats paw connection. Very easy. Now pull the connection down against one of the stopper knots and pull hard. This trains the connection. Now grab the leader and push a little to loosen this connection a little. 















Your leaders should spin around the rig body easily, but remain small enough not to slip past the pair of stopper knots containing them. This will provide you with a foul resistant connection.
You now have a Double Dropper rig, but you could always add an extra stopper knot just above your sinker swivel clip and add a third leader between. 

Variations of the rig:

If you are using long tail sputnik sinkers, just cats paw one of your leaders right onto the tail wire for an extra hook, a teaser hook if you will. I sometimes do this with no rig at all when I want to throw as far as possible. Leader right to the sinker's tail wire. Works just fine and would work well for redfish if you upped the leader material a little. You guys could skip the CannonBall rig altogether and just attach your leaders to the sinker's tail wire using a UNI knot.




Swap out the loop knot for a UNI knot and attach that between your stopper knots. Works well, but you will sacrifice some of the stand off the two strands of the loop knot provides. Eaither way you need to loosen your connections from time to time to keep them spinning easily around the rig body.

If you need more distance, shorten the overall length of the leader some. A two foot leader will throw further than a long one. To throw even further, shorten it more and use just one leader. 
The hooks lay right along side the main rig body during flight so you will get distances comporable to a Cascade Rig without the extra hardware and hassle.

You can make my Extreme Distance rig by swapping out your swivel clip for a Breakaway IMP. Make your leader about a foot and a half long, attach it the same way and clip the hook down for the cast. The currents that are at distance are much less than those that exist near shore, so a longer leader can work very well. The trick is to tie your leaders just the right length to work with the clip, and that is a huge hassle. So I use a clear vinyl string that they sell in Hobby Lobby. It is called Stretch Magic and it works beautifully. You simply tie it right onto the main rig body, using a Power Gum Knot. Do this instead of tying Figure 8 knots, and the knots will slide up and down to adjust to exactly what you need. I really like this rig and have caught some fine fish with it.

There are some other variations and you may come up with a few yourself. The idea is that the rig can be powercast, and yet your baits are presented in a stealthy fashion. The leaders will flow in the current better than a Dropper Loop style leader where there are two strands being presented. Nice and stealthy.

If you have fish nibbling but not hooking themselves, this rig will up your catch easily. Follow the instructions excatly, use my recommendations and you will catch those stupid fish. This rig is becoming very popular down here in NE Florida and for good reasons.

This year I have left my very nice baitcasting combos at home and have used all spinners. Part of being able to cast for distance is creating a rig that will carry without slowing the sinker. 150 yards is a long long cast and I enjoy cranking in all that line using a spinning reel vs a baitcaster.

If you have difficulties tying up rigs, at least try this one. Pick knots that you can manage and just do it. You will catch more fish on a rig you tied vs one you bought at a store.
I also use FishBites almost exclusively for bait. I like to cut them about an inch or inch and a half long and pierce them near one end. This allows the small baited hook to flap in the current and you don't even need any beads. The Fishbite can be your bead.

Let me know if you have difficulties tying up the rig or if something is unclear. I have taught quite a few people how to make it up, and have heard zero complaints. I think you will really enjoy it and I am glad to share it with you guys.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

Spinning reel farther than a bait caster.........over hand knots.........swivels & weight clips. I'll pass on this one


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## FishinMortician (Jun 19, 2007)

Didn't say spinners cast further than a bait caster. There are no overhand knots. I happen to like swivels.


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## marv1234 (Nov 10, 2014)

FishinMortician said:


> Didn't say spinners cast further than a bait caster. There are no overhand knots. I happen to like swivels.


 A lot of folks here hate swivels. Anyways the rig looks ok I've made something similar with just one piece line and a swivel, and that clip. You could just tie a surgeons loop thing in the middle and you wouldn't need another line.


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

marv you are missing the whole point of the rig...


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## stripperonmypole (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks for posting. I'm going to give this a shot.


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## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

Look up River's rig....


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## AtTheBar (Jan 17, 2013)

Looks like a few folks are getting a little bent out of shape for a rig that is more than viable in certain situations. For me the rig is just that: situation/species specific. 

It solves a specific problem for me and has an added bonus. This rig allows for a mainline that can shoulder considerable casting weight while using a smaller diameter/lower lb test leader for bait hooks. I use 1/0 mutu lite and #1 Demon Circles for bait setups. Using a more traditional hi/lo, such as dropper loops, you end up clipping the loop or trying to force a "camel through the eye of a needle". Clipping the loop is an option but there is a greater risk of a compromised line (I realize everyone ties a perfect dropper). The bonus is that you can change your leaders as situations dictate (short, long, bead, no bead, pill float and so on). 

For larger hooks targeting pups up to migratory Stripers I prefer a traditional Hi/lo but for bait this is an easy tie on the go or pre-tie rig. If you are against swivels then the fix is as simple as a surgeon or spider hitch at the bottom for the weight (or Palomar to clip) and the line to line connection of your choosing to attach to your main or shock leader. 

To each his own. As for the modification with a Sputnik I would rather raise a cold one then a Rod tip with one of them on the end of my drop. :beer:


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

for all the river rig fanatics...what happens when u want to throw far with more than 3oz? go up to 40lb fluoro? just lob it? obviously the RR is not a distance rig but is everyone just lobbing it? i guess many like their sinker to be light and move with current so they dont need to throw a lot if weight. 

i tie my RR out of 30lb fluoro, if i need more holding power (i like my baits to stay put for bite detection purposes) i used to do earl brinn but switched to FM 2 yrs ago or so whenever paul came up with it


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

The only difference between my rigs and the river rig is I use a 30# swivel at the top. I only use 30# fluoro for #4 and #2 hooks...........move up to 40# for sizes #1 through 4/0.Fishing for stripers with 6/0 and 7/0 I move up to 50#. Never had a problem throwing'em hard as I can, using 11' rods,6500s and 7000s.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

greg12345 said:


> for all the river rig fanatics...what happens when u want to throw far with more than 3oz? go up to 40lb fluoro? just lob it? obviously the RR is not a distance rig but is everyone just lobbing it? i guess many like their sinker to be light and move with current so they dont need to throw a lot if weight.
> 
> i tie my RR out of 30lb fluoro, if i need more holding power (i like my baits to stay put for bite detection purposes) i used to do earl brinn but switched to FM 2 yrs ago or so whenever paul came up with it


I trow a river rig with 5 oz to the bar or the second bar if better with a 13 CCP 3-6, Akios tourno 555 mm3. No problem I only use them right out of the package. I don't tie my own.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

greg12345 said:


> for all the river rig fanatics...what happens when u want to throw far with more than 3oz? go up to 40lb fluoro? just lob it? obviously the RR is not a distance rig but is everyone just lobbing it? i guess many like their sinker to be light and move with current so they dont need to throw a lot if weight.
> 
> i tie my RR out of 30lb fluoro, if i need more holding power (i like my baits to stay put for bite detection purposes) i used to do earl brinn but switched to FM 2 yrs ago or so whenever paul came up with it


I tie my own and throw them hard if needed no problem..


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