COMMUNITY
The Hitchhiker Rig
TOP TIP
This Months Bass Digest Top Tip is shared by Tristan Wood.
Pitching T-rigged plastics or jigs into holes can dislodge a few fish, but punching where few dare to punch can generate some extreme rewards if done correctly.
It is for that reason that Tristan Wood is continuously on the lookout for new presentations for this intense and nerve wrecking technique that up roots some good fish from their local hideouts.
One day while going through his tackle he came across his tube baits and thought "What if I stuffed a craw inside this thing", and this is how the "Hitchhiker Rig" came to be.
This rig can also be assembled with a dead-ringer or grub. Once the rig enters through the cover it drops down very compact and aerodynamically. When it hits the bottom the tubebait skirt flares out and reveals the underlying taunter that aggravates the bass. Craws stand up in a defensive positionand and dead-ringers or grubs tails wave with the current.
To put this rig together you will need the following:
- Tube Bait of your choice
- Offending hitchhiker of your choice
- Heavy Gauge Hook
- Bead to protect your knot from your punching weight
- Punching weight of your choice
Now punching requires some serious equipment for hauling lunkers out of extreme cover, so be sure to make use of braided line and a rod with some serious backbone.
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Bass Digest/August, 2014