fishing rig #2: the bottom rig

This is probably my least favorite rig to fish with. Others may disagree with me severely but I think that this has too many flaws associated with it. One issue I have is that it puts the bait on the bottom of the lake. Typical lake bottoms are either mossy or muddy. If your bait is heavy enough when it hits bottom it creates a little crater and the mudd/moss settles back on top of the bait thus covering it and its scent. Also, this type of presentation puts the bait at best at eye level of the fish at worst it puts it below the fish. Unless your fortunate enough that you cast your bait right in front of a fish and the splash from it entering the water didn't spook it AND the bait drops in front of the fish as it falls this setup is flawed.

The only situation this works for me is when I'm using live bait. With this setup you can put an injured baitfish out in the open thrashing around and causing a larger fish to investigate. Also, this will help you be a bit more successful in the daytime hours since most fish are at the bottom and are slowly roaming the depths.

Setup #1: This is the simplest setup you need a hook, slip sinker, and swivel. Cut a small lead off of your line before you start. Thread your sinker on and tie off the swivel (optionally put a bead between your sinker and the swivel to deter line damage). Next take your leader and tie it on the swivel and then tie on your hook. Now your all set!

Setup #2: This is a little improved. You'll need a hook, Egg/Bell sinker (tie on), three way swivel. Cut off 2 leaders from your line. Tie on the 3-way swivel to your main line. Next tie on the first leader to the bottom eye on the swivel. Tie on the sinker to this line. Tie the second leader on the remaining eye on the swivel and tie your hook to this leader. This can give you a bottom rig but it keeps it out of the mud. The only draw back is if you use live bait you run the risk of the little guy tying himself up on the main line.

Hopefully these 2 setups help you out and you catch that monster fish!