Running rigs: how to tie plus when and where to use one!

Today I’m going to talk about the humble old running rig. But before you switch off and think “I know how to tie that”; using this rig has a time and place and I regularly see people getting it wrong! So not only am I going to show you how to tie a running rig, but more importantly I’ll explain when and how you should be using it! Because the best knot tier in the world is not going to catch more fish. The key to catching your target species consistently is getting three components right. You need to be in the right territory, at the right time with the right tools. Using your running rig correctly ties in all three!

A running rig, for those that may not know, is where your sinker runs up and down your main line, then a swivel then some leader and your hook.

Now there are a few key considerations when using a running rig.

1. It’s best when used for bottom dwelling foraging species because your bait will be nice and close to the bottom. Not for barramundi whose eyes are on the top of the head and like to look up. Or a tuna swimming about in the water column. This rig is more for foragers that like to eat crabs and coral and worms and stuff.
2. You can use a running rig for strip baits or live baits, but you’ll need to have shallow water with a bit of current. This is where many people go wrong. Up to 15 metres deep at the most.

Why? It has to do with staying tight to your fish, reducing tangles and stopping your bait from spinning. You never want your livies or strip baits to spin. It looks unnatural and will reduce your chances of a bite from a good fish. Fish don’t get big by being stupid and a spinning bait is alarm bells for a big fish. All you’ll catch is a bunch of little tiddlers.

A running rig is a versatile fishing rig best used in shallow water with a bit of current.

Get this right and you will catch more (and bigger) fish. Watch our video on where and when to use a running rig (and why!), best angles to cast it, plus an easy way to tie the knots.

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FREE RUNNING RIG APPLICATIONS.

Righto, there you have it. A running rig with the swivel above the hook is best for bottom dwelling foragers like bream, whiting, grunter, fingermark in foraging mode and many species around the world. But remember, as far as fishing rigs go, a running rig is best in shallow water with a bit of run. Be sure and cast out to the side (as shown in the video above) to cover the most ground and increase your bite chances. But when do you use a free running rig – namely one that has the sinker free to run up and down the line with no swivel. Typically for fish that get into super heavy cover like coral trout and other reef dwellers. We discuss the free running rig in this post on rigs for coral trout/grouper/ 

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