POPPING IT UP

Pop-up rigs are always going to be a little more involved, as there is the necessity to use a counterbalance to hold the buoyant hookbait down.

Because the hook sits suspended under the pop-up it’s already in the prone position, point down, so we aren’t reliant on hook turning mechanics. Many modern pop-up rigs use a combination of hooklink materials, the Hinged Stiff Rig being one of the most successful. Using a stiff coated braid simplifies the rig, but keeps its anti-eject qualities.

Movement of the bait is provided by a ‘D’, formed by tucking the knotless knot’s tag end back through the eye of the hook and blobbing the end. A hook with an out-turned eye is desirable, to prevent the gape being closed by the stiff material and, as the hooklink’s coating remains intact, the eye must be large enough to pass it through three times. The pop-up is mounted on a bait screw or rig ring running along the ‘D’.

You can now determine how high you wish your pop-up to sit by breaking the coating accordingly, peeling it back by 5mm for flexibility. About 0.75ins is a good starting point but you can go 0.5ins either way. A blob of rig putty over the scrunched-up coating provides the counterbalance. This can be placed either above or below the short, stripped section. Use a figure-of-eight loop to the swivel around 6ins-7ins from the hinge and steam it straight.

Using a helicopter arrangement with the stiff hooklink ensures good presentation, but you can also use a lead clip on clean gravel and sand, or you can even utilise a softer coated braid on ‘choddy’ lakebeds. Simple, neat and versatile, yet still effective.