Shakespeare SALT Smoothhound Rig – 4/0

Overview

The Shakespeare SALT Smoothhound Rig – 4/0 is a ready-tied single-hook sea fishing rig built as a dedicated smoothhound option within Shakespeare's SALT Sea Rigs range. It pairs a 60lb main rig line with a 40lb hooklength and a single size 4/0 hook, giving the rig body a noticeably heavier breaking strain than the hooklength itself.

A free-running lead clip is incorporated into the design, allowing the lead connection to travel along the rig body rather than sitting fixed in position. This creates a running-ledger presentation rather than a clipped-down distance rig.

Shakespeare's SALT rig range was developed in cooperation with experienced sea anglers to cover European shore and boat fishing. Supplied complete and ready tied, this Smoothhound Rig arrives with one rig per packet, manufacturer part number 1550464 and barcode 043388130952.

Perfect For

This rig is designed specifically for targeting smoothhound, with crab explicitly recommended as the bait to use with it. Its running-ledger presentation and single large hook make it well suited to presenting sizeable crab baits without the extra hardware of a multi-hook or pennel rig.

Angling Active specifically describes this rig as suitable for ledger-style fishing from a boat, and notes it can also account for other species such as cod when fished this way. It's best marketed and used as a dedicated boat smoothhound rig rather than a generic big-fish setup.

Technical Insight

The free-running lead clip is the key functional feature of this rig. Rather than fixing the lead permanently to the rig, the clip lets the lead attachment move along the rig body, which produces the running-ledger action anglers want when smoothhound fishing at anchor or at range.

The heavier 60lb main rig line protects the main structure of the rig under load, while the lighter 40lb hooklength gives a degree of separation at the terminal end. Combined with the single 4/0 hook, this creates a straightforward, robust presentation that's ready to attach to your own lead and mainline straight from the packet.