# King rig advice



## TScott (Jun 25, 2004)

Greetings all,

I've been going down to the outer banks several years now.... it's kind of a tradition for my new wife and her sister, our friends, etc. love it... anyway, I always see the king rigs at the end of the pier and want to set one or two up this year... how is it done? I get the snag a menhaden, catch a blue, spannie, spot, etc. and put him in a 5 gallon bucket with holes to keep him alive... next step... rig him... i get the wire rig with stinger, can handle that... i get the spider weight on the trolly line--throw it out there as far as it can go part, What I don't know is how to rig the bait line so that the blue/spannie is skipping enticingly on top of the water... what do you use to attach the bait rod/line to the spider weight line? Use a release clip of some sort? Any suggestions would be helpful as I want to put out a heavy rod or two when I'm on pier during the first week of Augsust this year. Thanks a million in advance for all the advice and tight lines to you.... -T 

BTW - I have two Shimao Saragosa 7' 15-40 lb live bait rods and two Avet SX (mono topshot/PowerPro underneath) and 8/9 ft surf rods with Penn SS 5500 reels for trolly lines for this setup...) thoughts??? Thanks again...


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## Bassboy (Dec 21, 2003)

yup sounds like you need a release to me man. theres a few different types that ive seen most common being pretty simple to make but hard to explain. Ill see if i can find a good picture of a release but im sure that is i cant someone else can.


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## TScott (Jun 25, 2004)

Bassboy said:


> yup sounds like you need a release to me man. theres a few different types that ive seen most common being pretty simple to make but hard to explain. Ill see if i can find a good picture of a release but im sure that is i cant someone else can.


thanks brother, I'm looking forward to it. I need a "release" in a some kind of aweful way... can't wait to be fishing the beach in August...

Any advice on my rigs would be appreciated too... Should I use the Penn 5500SS spinners with 20 lb powerpro in place of the avets? I can do a light drag on the avets with the PP but should I do all PP on the spinners do avoid line dig-in?.... thanks to anyone who cares to comment... see you down there in August!!!


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## Darkness (May 3, 2004)

Go here --> http://avalonpier.com/tips/kingrig.html

Here's the release:









I used to make them when I worked at a tackle dealer on the Carolina coast. Easy-peasy. You can buy one for under $2 and save yourself a lot of hassle though, not to mention the burden of hauling around a box of wire, egg sinkers, swivels, beads, wirecutters, etc.


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

I've been experimenting with those, and they are much more wind resistant than the other kind with clothespins, but I seem to be using too light a wire. What size do you use?



Darkness said:


> Go here --> http://avalonpier.com/tips/kingrig.html
> 
> Here's the release:
> 
> ...


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## mistwist (Mar 29, 2004)

Too slow again.....LOL


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## TScott (Jun 25, 2004)

mistwist said:


> Too slow again.....LOL


Ya'll are awesome... thanks a million for the tips and keep them coming...!


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## Darkness (May 3, 2004)

err..... whatever wire ya go laying around.

If it's releasing too easy, just flare the Y more. It's infinitely adjustable.


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## rebel100percent (Aug 20, 2007)

*Easier Kingrig Release:*

You can make an easier kingrig release out of a clothes pin a short piece of mono and a snap swivel.
Drill a small hole in both side of the clothes pins arms above the coiled spring, run the mono throu the holes tie a loose knot in the line (at this point i add a small bead and a 3/4 oz egg weight) then tie on the snap swivel. Now just cast your guide pole as far as you can, attach the snap swivel to the line of your casted out guide pole. I double my line on my fighting rod while tying a simple fishermans sinch knot which leaves a loop above my snap swivel on my fighting rod now just add your leader, snap the clothes pin on the loop slide your bait in the water and hold on. 
Tight lines and happy fishing !


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

bluerunner said:


> I've been experimenting with those, and they are much more wind resistant than the other kind with clothespins, but I seem to be using too light a wire. What size do you use?


131 i think is the size i use, or something around that.

i do go to 140ish in the fall, when i put big 1-2lb blues on the pinrig for bait..


personally, i like the 131 the best all around.


i really do not like the clothes pin releases, they just seem to tangle up when people are bringin in fish, their pin pops and goes down, but then gets caught on a line again, with the egg weight and wire release, if a line hits it, it just flips over...just IMHO


plus like was stated earlier, the eggweight wire release is much more aerodynamic. :-0
Jesse


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## The Crew (Jul 8, 2007)

*Definitely*

hard to explain...I would recommend just bring the gear they've listed and when you get there the guys will show you how to do it.

Down here in Fl the guys at the end of the pier who fish for Kings frown on braid to the point they exile you to another part of the pier. They are all using Penn 535/545's and stout boat rods.

Talk to BartyB he's got great info on it.


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

bluerunner said:


> I've been experimenting with those, and they are much more wind resistant than the other kind with clothespins, but I seem to be using too light a wire. What size do you use?


I use either 131 or 140lb wire, and I make the piece past the bend only about 2 inches long. For some reason, the longer the wire, the easier they pop free.

They are easy to make. All you need is a 150lb coastlock snap swivel, a shower curtain ring, some 2, 3 and 4 oz egg sinkers, and the wire. Snap the Swivel to the shower curtain ring, then through the ring eye of the swivel, take a 12 inch piece of wire and stick through until it is exactly halfway. Fold the two sides together, so each side is the same length. Slide the two folds through a 3 oz or 2 2oz egg sinkers up about to the 3 inch mark, then bend both sides straight out at 90 degree angles. If there is more than 2-3 inches sticking out, take your wire cutters and clip them. If you need to adjust the weight, you can straighten the wire and slide more weight on. Easy!

AND defintely DON'T USE BRAID!!! The braid cuts through mono line and can easily cause people to lose a big fish.


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## MCS (Aug 15, 2006)

Here's a pic I made up when this question was asked awhile ago.


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

not as pretty as MCS, but here is how I make my release clips

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/frenjr/Homemadekingrig.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>


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## Jbare0001 (Apr 24, 2006)

I want to chime in here real quick. I used clothes pins this may off of the pier cause thats what i was used to. At the end of the day after lots of strikes that clothes pin with the weights plus your anchor can be tough to bring in. I was using a 4-5 oz anchor and 2 oz weights on clothes pin and averaged bringing back 5 clothes pins back with the anchor thats almost a pound of lead to drag back. The egg sinker rig, all you have to do is bring in the swivels you attach to your anchor line with the anchor at the end of the day. Yes I maybe lazy but but I switched to egg sinker rig cause it is cheaper too if your anchor line breaks for any reason.


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

Jbare0001 said:


> I want to chime in here real quick. I used clothes pins this may off of the pier cause thats what i was used to. At the end of the day after lots of strikes that clothes pin with the weights plus your anchor can be tough to bring in. I was using a 4-5 oz anchor and 2 oz weights on clothes pin and averaged bringing back 5 clothes pins back with the anchor thats almost a pound of lead to drag back. The egg sinker rig, all you have to do is bring in the swivels you attach to your anchor line with the anchor at the end of the day. Yes I maybe lazy but but I switched to egg sinker rig cause it is cheaper too if your anchor line breaks for any reason.




ive seen a few people do the eggweight wire release like this and i personally dont like it.

because if/when you hook a fish, that weight stays 6' up from the fish the whole way out, and when comeing back through the rigs, its something u have hanging 6" below ur line to catch other lines..

iuno, a few people on bogue do it that used to fish at sportsmans and they have caught 5 kings this year, so chalk it up to whatever you want.


IF/when i ever had that many strikes in a day, where i had 5 releases down, id be one happy person hehe, i usually pull in after i have 2-3 down. man id be happy gettin 5 strikes a day  sure would be schweet



Jesse


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## t58martin (Jul 18, 2005)

I've met some folks down on OC pier that use only a snap swivel on the anchor line and attach the egg sinker release onto the fighting line swivel, so when you get a hit the release stays on the fighting line with the fish, seems like it could cause trouble. These guys swore by it, others cringe....but yeah at the end of the day when u pull the anchor you only have snap swivels on that line...


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

Jesse Lockowitz said:


> ive seen a few people do the eggweight wire release like this and i personally dont like it.
> 
> because if/when you hook a fish, that weight stays 6' up from the fish the whole way out, and when comeing back through the rigs, its something u have hanging 6" below ur line to catch other lines..
> 
> ...


what about that weekend back in May where we had big blues all over the baits? I popped 11 pins in one day. Boo!


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

French said:


> what about that weekend back in May where we had big blues all over the baits? I popped 11 pins in one day. Boo!


lol..i dont leave that many pins down lol.

u r crzy though. you should come down to Seagull this weekend loser.



Jesse


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

I am heading back to Abingdon to visit family and old buddies from Wed-next Tuesday. Have fun at the Seagull Cesspool, and call the cops if anyone snags a black drum.


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## Reelturner (Dec 24, 2003)

*connectors...*



Jesse Lockowitz said:


> ive seen a few people do the eggweight wire release like this and i personally dont like it.
> 
> because if/when you hook a fish, that weight stays 6' up from the fish the whole way out, and when comeing back through the rigs, its something u have hanging 6" below ur line to catch other lines..
> 
> ...


Tell it like it is Jessie, that many releases down at the anchor is a very, very, good day or at least maybe there would be some fish to show for it.

I use the clothespin method and have used the bending wire method. I prefer the clothspin method. In my experience, I have had many more tangles using the bent wire vs. clothespins. Maybe I am doing something different that I haven't quite got figured out....I don't know. opcorn: The way I rig up is after a strike and I am fighting the fish, there is nothing on my fighting line but one rubber band. No clothespin, no egg weight, no (connector) swivel, nothing but a rubber band. All my connector "stuff" is fastened on to the anchor line except the rubber band which is "looped through" the eye of my swivel on my fighting line.

Like Jessie mentioned earlier and I hate it, is that yes a clothespin I think does "catch" the wind a little more than just a bent wire, swivel, weight does. IMO, not much.

Talking about at the end of the day when trying to bring in all the weight it doesn't matter if you have clothespins or bent wire connectors. (Not trying to be a sarcastic either) but a weight is weight, clothespins don't weigh much. I see regulars and people who fish all the time using wire connectors and that is just the way it is bringing in a anchor line. Most use 20# mono running line with a shock leader on the end of 40-50# mono. Most of the time if you have a good preminum (sp) line and have tied good knots you will get your anchor weight and connectors back, unless of course you happen to drag your anchor through some more snags that was previously broken off by others. 

I make my connectors up using a minumum of 3 ozs and have some 4ozs. Earlier this month, while there was a 15-20+ NNE wind I used 7 ozs on my connector to try and keep my bait down under the waves from all the beating of the current. It did OK, not as good as I would have liked too. :beer: 

Some comparision is while I was out there in this wind, a guy king fishing near me was using the bent wire connectors and could not keep his bait satisfactory in the water either and he was using 3ozs of weight and talking of going up to 4ozs. I don't know what he ended up using later in the afternoon. opcorn: 

Reelturner


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

i use a 3-5 ounce egg..up to 8 on rough days i prolly shouldnt be fishing anyway ..newb fishfinder style seastriker clip in place of the swivel..131 malin wire..180 for big baits

i use longer overall bait leaders than most, and shorter lengths of thinner wire wire than most, keeps baits alive better by keeping em deeper, and in theory should get more strikes with the thin wire

i use braid if or when i want, on the piers i fish...with the desperately low # of strikes,if all youve got is small reels , use braid , jmo...if soemone gets broken off for whatver reason theyll get over it..if you get spooled by a 50 lb king on ur avet sx with 20 lb mono because you were afraid of what others would think of u using braid you wont..who knows how much longer pier kingin will last anyway

my opinion...


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Chris...*

Ya may want to try Frisco if you're coming down... Heard a few rumors of some kings getttin landed..


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

i wish i was headed down, had intentions of making 2-3 trips in august king fishing, but vehicle problems have shut that out as well as most of my drum season plans...next time i get a shot at a king will probably be june of next year, unless i decide to switch from drummin to livebaiting one day in the fall, which i just may have to do

for now i got cobes on my mind...


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