Zig Rig Explenation

[zebs]

Can someone please explain what a Zig Rig is and what is it used for..is it for fishing off the bottom over Weed and is it constructed like a Chod Rig but half way up a leader or similar Please can someone explain the rig i'm confused...zebs

[Tom]

A zig rig can be used for fishing over deep weed but mainly for situations where the carp are cruising at mid depth where a floating bait will be too high up and a bottom bait too low, basically it consists of a pop-up on a long hooklength finished in a swivel and an inline lead. You could have the popup several feet off the bottom of the lakebed using this rig. One practise i've found that works quite well for casting a zig rig and avoiding tangles is to use my cooking saucepan and coil the hooklength up in it before casting out, that way it unwinds as you swing the rod forward for the cast.

The only real disadvantage i can think of it that it can sometimes be problematic if the bait used isnt buoyant enough to come through when fished over some thick weed.

[zebs]

Couldn't you have a running chod rig, How can i explain this instead of having the chod on the bottom make it the same stiff same length about 6 inches or less on a swivell , baited to an pop up or double so it was extra bouyant then it could rest on a stopper bead and When cast in it would slide up the leader to whatever depth you liked, It would be a running chod, would that work or have i baffled you..L.O.L ....zebs...

[Tom]

I think i get where you're going with that

The only problem i can think of is that due to the design of the chod rig having the lead directly coupled to the leader and the popup able to slide up you'd end up lifting a large section of your main line in the water which might spook a few off, with the zig rig it's a bit like a semi running rig with an inline so your main line is (hopefully) pinned down with just the hooklength raising up. I can definately see some potential from that idea of yours though. Although its kind of doing the oposite i could see with some modification it could make a great surface fishing rig by having the chod rig but a swivel higher up like you suggested a controller float could be attached and a semi-fixed running clip used to attach the hooklength with either the popup or some bread idea being in the event of a main line breakage, the semi fixed clip would give an allow the fish to leave just attached to the hooklength rather than the controller and the lead, also having the lead there would prevent the bait from drifting about too much as is quite often the case with surface fishing rigs

[zebs]

I read in a magazine (again), some guy was using a controller float mid depth with a fixed lead on the bottom and he had some big Carp, i've got the article if you like...zebs

[Tom]

that'd be great, post some info about the rig they were using and i'll have a go at making it

[zebs]

I'll look it up and post it a.s.a.p......zebs

[CARPCRUNCHER]

i use an "adjustable" zig. running lead on the main line to a fox predator sub float, then a swivel with (X) amount of drennan double strength as a long hooklength and a light but strong and very sharp hook, an play the fish very lightly.

hope this helps.

[MarkeR]

i had a couple on the zig yesterday afternoon, its a cracking rig in the right circumstances, i had them going on top yesterday but the birdlife was a pain, the zig with a bait fished 1ft under the surface in 4ft of water was the answer, i just kept feeding biscuits and waited for the rod to rip off