[Fishing Tips] Free rig. A new trend came from the East - FISHING JAPANESE STYLE
Free rig. These days, this rig may be popular than other classic rigs like the Carolina rig and the Texas rig.
I believe the rig was invented in South Korea by Korean Bass anglers. Then it quickly spread around the Asian countries including Japan. Now, this rig is one of the standard rigs for Bass fishing in Japan.
Rigging.
A Free rig looks like this.
It looks just like a Texas rig but the difference is weight. The free rig is using a teardrop/stick-shaped weight with an open eye we generally use for the drop shot rig.
Using this type of weight, we can make a weight faster and vertically fall compared to a bullet weight we use for the Texas rig because of less friction. This could mean when it falls, the distance between a lure and weight can be bigger than the case of a non-pegged Texas rig. The lure would naturally slow fall or drift in the current like a weightless rig does.
A very interesting point here is as the weight falls faster, we can have longer Free moments. I mean the weight and the lure can have more distance when we use a heavier weight that falls faster than a lightweight one. So.. this system could also be an alternative to a Carolina rig.
This is all the reason why we use Free rig. Simple difference makes a very interesting difference.
Tackles.
As well as Texas rig, I prefer using Baitcaster but Spinning Tackle is also fine especially using less than 7g weights. Using 1/32, 1/16 oz lightweight sinkers, Free rig can be a great option for a finesse approach. BFS setups also can be fine for those light setups.
Action.
Basically, we can use this as a Texas rig. But as I explained in the Rigging section, this rig's point is "how to make a weightless moment to the lure". So, I generally use Lifting and Falling or Bottom Bumping techniques with a slightly longer pause.
Free rig for Bass Fishing
Free rig / Saltwater. Spotted Bay Bass.
Lures to use.
Like Texas rig, we can use whatever we want. Any type of soft lures can be productive with this rig. Try many lures to find out the best for your style!
Enjoy fishing!
Thank you!
Angler Waki.
