Best Freshwater Fishing Rigs

Best freshwater fishing rigs allow anglers to fish for any type of predatory fish with success. Pursuing freshwater predatory fish is easier to do with the knowledge of the proper rigs that will catch fish time after time. Whether you’re pursuing bass, muskies, walleye, or another type of predatory game fish, using the right rigs for freshwater fish can be the difference between a successful day on the water or another day with an empty gut and nothing to show for your efforts!

1. Quick Strike Rigs One type of rig that’s extremely successful for freshwater fishing is the Quick Strike Rig. Quick Strike Rigs feature an external harness that hooks up to your live bait. Typically, a Quick Strike Rig is built on single-strand wire that’s connected to a single hook that goes through the lip of the live bait. On the end of the wire, treble hooks are tied to the wire and the treble hooks are embedded in the sides of the live bait. Once a fish strikes a Quick Strike Rig, anglers must set the hook immediately to avoid the predatory fish from swallowing the rig. Quick Strike Rigs are typically one of the safest rigs to use for live bait and are the essential choice for catch-and-release fishing.
2. Swim baits with an external harness Swim baits with an external harness imitate the effectiveness of Quick Strike Rigs but feature the durability of soft plastic. While Quick Strike Rigs can only be used once per fish, swim baits with an external harness can be used multiple times without needing to be discarded. Swim baits also have the added option of allowing anglers to use swim baits with different tail variations, weights and styles.
3. Break-away rigs Break-away rigs are an excellent choice for anglers who are fishing for predatory fish such as muskies or bass. A break-away rig is essentially a lure that is fitted with a treble hook on a wire leader that allows the wire rig to break-away from the body when the fish strikes. Essentially, the only part of the bait that will be in the fishes’ mouth will be the treble hook, allowing the angler to fight the fish in an easier fashion. Break-away models are also an excellent choice for anglers fishing rivers, since typically rivers are harder places to fish due to the amount of snags in the water.