How to make a Wishbone Rig

The Wishbone rig is a firm favourite amongst anglers targeting flat fish, especially Plaice, Flounder and Dabs. The main advantage of the wishbone rig, is it allows two hooks to be fished on the sea bed. It is normally used with small to medium sized baits, otherwise everything become too bulky, making casting difficult. When I make a wishbone rig, I like to design it to be clipped down to get extra distance when using it.

If crabs are a nuisance the wishbone section of the rig can be tied with micro swivels in place of the top stop knots and beads. This allows you to replace a single hook and snood, should a crab snip it off. I have recommended the use of 15lb snood line. This is only a guideline to what I normally use on Chesil. Increase or decrease the line strength depending on the species and ground over which you are fishing.

There is very little explanation needed to go with the diagrams below. However you should note that if you use beads with it, you will reduce your casting distance with each set if beads you add. If distance is essential then remove the beads all together.

Wishbone Rig

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Overview

Overview

Main Swivel & Knot

80lb Main swivel attached to mainline with half tucked blood knot. Note the five turns round before the tuck. All knots on this rig are the same as this.

Main Swivel & Knot

Spring Assembly Details

The spring assembly keeps the hooks in tension on the bait clip ensuring they stay out of the way during casting until the weight hits the water.

Spring Assembly Details

Wishbone Details

The wishbone is attached to the snood swivel and runs freely back and forth between the silicon stop knots. 15lb Amnesia line has, as the name suggests, no memory so it stays straight and supple during use.

Wishbone Details

Silicon Stop Knot

To Make a Silicon Stop Knot. Cut a small 2-3 mm piece of silicon rig tubing. Pass the line through the tubing. Loop the line round and pass it through the tubing in the same direction as the first. Pull from both ends and the tube turns in on itself and makes a moveable stop knot. In this case the knot stops the wishbone traveling too far.

Silicon Stop Knot

Silicon Stop Knot

To Make a Silicon Stop Knot. Cut a small 2-3 mm piece of silicon rig tubing. Pass the line through the tubing. Loop the line round and pass it through the tubing in the same direction as the first. Pull from both ends and the tube turns in on itself and makes a moveable stop knot. In this instance the knots keep the bait and beads in place.

Silicon Stop Knot

Aberdeen Hook and Beads

The stop knot keeps the bait and the beads in place.

Hooks & Beads

Gripper Weight & Bait Clip

Clip the aberdeen hooks onto the bait clip to hold them in place during casting. It's important that that the snood length plus half the wishbone length is just a bit shorter than the distance from the bait clip to the stop bead in the spring assembly. This puts the spring in compression and holds everything in place during casting, The best way to do this is to make the entire rig but do not crimp the crimp to the mainline until the very end. This allows you to attach the hooks to the bait clip making sure the spring is in compression before fixing the crimp in the correct place!

Gripper Weight & Bait Clip

What do I need?

Your local tackle shop should have most of the components you need or you can purchase them online here

Amnesia Line

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What Do I Need?

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