Every rig, drawn the way it hangs in the water.
A library of labelled rig diagrams, each with the exact tackle and the knots that hold it together. It starts with six rigs for Lac du Bourget that share one box of kit, and grows with the atlas.
One kit builds the core six
The six rigs for Lac du Bourget were chosen on purpose to share tackle. One light spinning rod, a 2500-size reel, a spool of braid, a fluorocarbon leader and a small box of hooks, weights, swivels, a couple of floats and a few soft plastics will build almost all of them. Pike adds one non-negotiable item, a wire or heavy fluorocarbon trace, and lavaret adds an optional string of small nymphs. You are not buying six sets of gear. You are buying one box and rigging it six ways.
Core rigs: one box, six rigs
Start here if you are heading to Lac du Bourget, or want one set of rigs that covers perch, zander, pike and lavaret.
How to read a rig diagram
Every rig is drawn the way it hangs in the water: the top is your main line coming down from the rod, the bottom is the weight or the lure. Each part is labelled on a thin line out to the side with its size. The single coloured part is the live bit, usually the hook, so your eye lands on the thing that does the catching. Read it top to bottom and you have the build order.
The whole box, one list
Each item tagged with the rigs it serves. No prices, no brands, sizes and types only. The full shopping list and the kit builder live on the Lac du Bourget guide.
| Item | Spec | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| Spinning rod | 2.10–2.30 m, light/medium, casting ~5–21 g | all lure & float rigs |
| Reel | 2500 size, smooth drag (e.g. Shimano Sienna 2500) | all rigs |
| Light second outfit (optional) | a cheap light rod and small reel | lavaret on the gambe only |
| Main line | PE 0.8 braid (≈0.14 mm, ≈12–16 lb) | all rigs |
| Leader | 0.22 mm fluorocarbon (≈10 lb) | all rigs; matters most for zander |
| Pike trace | wire or 0.50–0.90 mm heavy fluorocarbon | pike only |
| Sliding floats | 2 × ~11.5 g buoyancy | sliding float, paternoster |
| Bobber stoppers | a pack of ~50 (no stopper knot needed) | both float rigs |
| Beads | small | both float rigs |
| Split shot | small assortment | sliding float |
| Hooks | #1 to #6 (drop-shot / wide-gape) | drop shot, float rigs, paternoster |
| Jigheads | 15 g with 2/0 hook | vertical jig, pike on lures |
| Weights | 3–14 g | drop shot, paternoster |
| Swivels | small, plus a couple larger for the pike trace | drop shot, vertical jig, pike, leader join |
| Sabiki rig | ready-made (shop version of the gambe) | lavaret (optional) |
| Pike single hooks / stinger | a few singles or a light stinger | pike only |
| Small shads | 2–3", natural tones | perch (drop shot, jig) |
| Paddletails | 4", yellow or blue for zander, naturals for perch | zander, perch |
| Big shads / swimbaits | 15–30 cm, natural and flashy | pike (lures) |
| Bait (optional) | maggots or worm; a small roach for pike | perch float, pike |
| Vest, tackle box, landing net, bucket | a fine-mesh net helps for lavaret | everything |
The wider library
Grouped by the kind of fishing each rig belongs to. These arrive as the atlas grows to the waters that need them.
Bass soft plastics
Coming soonTexas rig
The weedless cover staple, a soft plastic on an offset hook with a sliding bullet weight.
Carolina rig
The searching rig: a sliding weight and bead above a swivel, a long leader to the hook.
Ned rig
The finesse answer for pressured, clear water: a small mushroom jighead and a stubby stick.
Weightless wacky rig
A weightless stickbait hooked through the middle, both ends quivering on the fall.
Jika rig
A weight and offset hook joined below the bait with a split ring, so the weight hangs free.
Neko rig
A nail weight in the head of a stick worm, wacky-hooked, standing nose-down with a waving tail.
Fly
Coming soonDry fly rig
Fly line to tapered leader to tippet to a dry fly, with the drag-free drift.
Nymph rig
The weighted nymph below the surface, indicator or Euro tight-line, with the dropper option.
Streamer rig
A larger fly on a short, stout leader or sink tip, on a non-slip loop so it swings.
Saltwater
Coming soonJigging rig
A metal jig dropped straight down and worked off the bottom on heavy braid, assist hooks.
Popper and stickbait rig
Surface lures on heavy braid and leader, the braid joined with an FG knot.
Surf rig
Two shore bottom rigs for bait off a beach: a pulley rig and a clipped-down paternoster.
Inshore bait rig
Two bait rigs for sheltered water: a running-sinker rig and a light paternoster.
Specialist freshwater
Coming soonCarp hair rig
A boilie or corn on a short hair off the bend of the hook, behind a feeder or lead.
Catfish rig
Two versions for wels catfish: a heavy running leger and a float paternoster, on a trace.
Sturgeon rig
A heavy bottom rig, a sliding sinker above a strong leader and a single barbless hook.
Trolling rig
A lure at a set depth behind a moving boat: downrigger, leadcore or flatline.
Walleye jig rig
The two walleye staples: a jig-and-plastic worked vertically, and a bottom-bouncer.
Wakasagi rig
The fine multi-hook smelt rig, a string of tiny hooks under a small weight.
Cod spinnerbait rig
Big spinnerbaits and swimbaits on heavy braid and leader, for Murray cod.
Barramundi lure rig
Weedless soft plastics and hardbody lures on a heavy leader, for barramundi.
Ice fishing rig
A small jigging spoon worked by hand, and a tip-up or dead-stick with bait.
Three knots build the core six
The Palomar is the one to learn first; it ties almost everything. A knot tied wrong loses the fish, so the diagrams are drawn carefully.