Pre-Tied Sea Fishing Rigs & Feathers

## Types Pre-tied sea fishing rigs remove the need to construct a complete rig yourself, with hooks, snoods and other required components already assembled. This makes them particularly useful for beginners, anglers who want a quick rig change, or anyone who doesn't want to spend fishing time tying rigs. There isn't one pre-tied rig that covers every situation. Ready-made ranges include everything from general-purpose flapper rigs to clipped rigs, pennel rigs and rigs designed around particular species or methods, such as two-hook flappers, one-hook clipped rigs, pulley pennels and species-specific rigs. Flapper rigs are a popular general-purpose style of bait rig, with multiple hook snoods allowing different baits to be presented, making them useful when searching for fish or targeting a variety of species. Clipped rigs incorporate a means of holding the hook or baited snood in a more controlled position during casting, which is particularly relevant when casting performance and bait presentation during the cast matter. Pennel rigs use two hooks in conjunction with a bait and are commonly associated with presenting larger baits, with ready-tied pulley pennel and uptide pennel rigs commercially available. Mackerel feathers consist of several hooks dressed with feathers, tinsel or other reflective materials intended to imitate prey, and are available in different hook counts and hook sizes, from three- and four-hook rigs through to six- and seven-hook versions. Sabiki rigs are another style of multi-hook lure rig, generally using relatively small dressed hooks to imitate tiny prey, with different sizes available for different targets, from catching sandeels for bait to larger saltwater species. Hokkai and similar lure rigs are another branch of ready-tied multi-hook sea rigs, with larger patterns commonly associated with boat, reef and wreck fishing for predatory species, while smaller versions overlap with baitfish and mackerel fishing. ## What to Look For Don't choose a rig simply because it has more hooks. Consider the size of the fish you're targeting, your tackle, the size of any bait being added and how the rig will be fished, since a light sabiki designed for small baitfish is fundamentally different from a heavier multi-hook rig intended for larger predators. Check that the rig is appropriate for your method, as some feather rigs are specifically suitable for both shore casting and boat use. For example, Tsunami's mackerel feathers are sold for shore or boat fishing, while Seadra specifies both boat use and shore casting for some of its heavier mackerel patterns. The main things to compare are rig type, number of hooks, hook size, line strength, target species, shore/boat suitability and intended bait or lure application. ## Expert Tips Start with what you're trying to achieve. If you're bait fishing from the shore, look at ready-made bait rigs such as flappers, clipped rigs and appropriate single-hook or pennel arrangements. If you're targeting mackerel, start with mackerel feathers or another suitable multi-hook lure rig. If you're catching small baitfish, look towards smaller sabiki-style rigs.