The multi-rig is nothing new or revolutionary. As carp fishing fads come and go, however, it’s fallen out of fashion somewhat and been superseded by the popularity of the Ronnie rig. Yet it is still highly effective for many reasons.
First of all is its versatility. There isn’t a situation that you can’t tailor the rig to work in, either by varying the length of the boom or hook section, altering the hook size, or switching up hookbaits. It’s equally as effective whether lowering a rig in the edge, dropping it from a boat or chucking it 100 yards. It’s also easy to tie, requires very few components, and can be constructed on the bank without steaming.
One of the most important qualities is the guaranteed presentation that it offers, settling and sitting pretty over a variety of lakebeds from gravel to silt to low-lying weed. It very rarely tangles when used in conjunction with a streamlined inline lead set-up, giving me confidence that my rig is properly presented. It is also an extremely effective hooker giving solid, reliable hookholds.
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A mechanical masterpiece
The presentation was originally designed to be a pop-up rig, and the mechanics of it when
used with a buoyant hookbaitare really effective. Doubling-over the hook section makes it stiff, extending the shank of the hook and opening the gape. To give free movement you just need to strip a small section of the coated braid beneath the knot.
If you place the weight to counterbalance the hookbait below the break in the coating, rather than the base of the hook section, the hook is able to move and spin freely until the point finds purchase. It can, however, also be used with bottom baits like boilies by simply switching the pop-up for a boilie or tiger nut when you feel a bait on the deck is the better option.
One important mechanical consideration when swapping hookbaits is to leave the counterbalance weight in place, as it helps the hook to turn. To maintain the ‘D’, I use a 3mm bead positioned at the top of the shank. The top of the loop sits over this, and it stops the bait pulling the D tight.
You could also use shrink tube over the eye of the hook to do the same job, but for me the bead is the simplest solution.
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Quick-change benefits
One of the major advantages of using a multi-rig is that it allows you to change the hook without needing to tie a whole new rig. This task can be accomplished in a matter of seconds, meaning you can get the rig back out quickly. My hook choice is the Chod Twister. It’s a pattern with a straight point and out turned eye designed for stiff rigs and chod rig fishing, but it works perfectly on a multi-rig.
The enlarged eye means you can easily push through the doubled-over coated hooklink material. Most of the time I will opt for a size 5, but I will up that to a size 4 in weedy situations or when fishing for giant carp.
If the coating of the braid is damaged it is easy to replace, as it is tied with just two overhand loops. However, the Skinlink that I use is extremely robust and I can usually land multiple fish over multiple sessions using the same piece of hooklink!
Bait options
Just like changing the hook, it’s also very easy to change the bait screw to a different one. You can use either a metal or plastic version. The extra weight of the metal screw can be used to fine tune the buoyancy of the rig.
With smaller baits, or wafters, I use a plastic bait screw which has no effect on the buoyancy of the hookbait. When fishing in the edge over particles, pellets or flake, I will use a small pop-up, either Citruz or Scopex Squid. If I see the fish spooking off the popped-up hookbait I will swap it for a 15mm bottom bait, a Cultured hookbait or a tiger nut.
On numerous occasions I have lifted the rig out, swapped baits and lowered it back in, only to receive a very quick take, showing that a change of hookbait is often the difference between a bite and a blank!
Of course, if you wish you can still tie the bait on or mount it on a swivel but, for me, the beauty of using this rig in conjunction with a bait screw is in the ease of mounting and changing hookbaits.
Short or long
By lengthening the boom section or tying a bigger loop in the hook section you can tailor the rig to many different situations. In the edge, on hard lakebeds and over particle baits, a short hooklink with a low- lying pop-up will allow the lead to come into play quickly and help set the hook before the fish has the chance to eject the rig.
You can go as short as three inches to nail shy-feeding fish. However, that short a hooklink won’t guarantee presentation over rough ground and silt, particularly with the inline lead arrangement. If you are casting out in the lake and just looking for a reasonable drop, you could be fishing over all sorts of different bottom debris. A longer boom section, in the region of 10 inches, guarantees that the hook and bait will be sitting proud of any silt, leaves or low-lying weed.
In spring, when fishing bright hookbaits out in the lake, you can make the hook section taller too, so the rig behaves much more like a hinged stiff rig. This is better suited mechanically to a more boilie-oriented approach, and for bigger carp.
STRUGGLING TO DECIDE WHAT BOILIES TO USE? HERE'S SOME ADVICE ON PICKING THE RIGHT BAIT.
How to construct a multi-rig
STEP ONE:
Tie an overhand loop section and pass this through the eye of the hook before threading on a bait screw and a hook bead.
STEP TWO:
Pass the large loop over the point of the hook and then pull it down gently to sit against the bead.
STEP THREE:
Attach your chosen hookbait to the bait screw and mould putty just beneath the break in the braid’s coating to balance the rig.
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