Common rigs · Pulley dropper · Pennell pulley

Pulley rig

One big bait on a strong snood. When a fish is hooked, the pull lifts the lead up the rig body and off the snags.

Shock leadertied to the pulley swivelPulley swivelslides on the rig body5mm beadstops the swivel jammingSize 4 swivelsnood ties on hereRig body80lb mono, about 1mSnood 30lb fluoro60–75cmHook 2/0–4/0or a Pennell pairLead link + bait cliphook clips here to cast5–6oz plain leadfor rough or mixed ground
Targets
Bass, cod, rays, smoothhound, bull huss
Where
Rough and mixed ground, rock gullies, surf beaches

What you need

Rig body
1m of 80lb mono
Pulley
Pulley swivel or pulley bead
Beads
2 × 5mm
Snood swivel
Size 4 rolling swivel
Snood
30–40lb fluoro, 60–75cm
Hook
2/0–4/0, or a Pennell pair (3/0 + 2/0)
Bottom
Lead link with built-in bait clip, 5–6oz lead

Build it

  1. Tie the lead link to one end of the rig body.
  2. Thread on a bead, then the pulley swivel (rig body through one eye only), then a second bead.
  3. Tie the size 4 swivel to the free end of the body.
  4. Tie your shock leader to the spare eye of the pulley swivel.
  5. Pull the rig straight. Tie the snood to the end swivel so the hook reaches the bait clip on the lead link.
  6. Bait up and clip the hook to the lead link for the cast.
On the beach

For a Pennell, slide a second hook onto the snood before tying the main hook, and lock it 4–5cm above with a twist of silicone tubing. Over kelp use a plain lead; on rock with tide, a grip lead with bent wires often snags less. Always fish a rotten bottom (see Rig tips).

Knots for this rig are in Knots. Line strengths, hook sizes and weights are starting points: scale them to your tackle, the ground and the tide. Diagrams are schematic and not to scale.