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. The core six for Lac du Bourget share one box of kit; the wider library covers bass soft plastics, fly, saltwater and specialist freshwater rigs, each one used by the waters that need it.
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. No single water uses all of them; each place in the atlas links straight to the rigs that suit its fish.
Bass soft plastics
6 rigsFly
3 rigsSaltwater
4 rigsSpecialist freshwater
10 rigsBarramundi lure rig
Carp hair rig
Catfish rig
Cod spinnerbait rig
Feeder and ledger rig
Ice fishing rig
Sturgeon rig
Trolling rig
Wakasagi rig
Walleye jig rig
Three knots build the core six
The Palomar is the one to learn first; it ties almost everything on the lake rigs. The line joins and the fly and bait knots carry the wider library. A knot tied wrong loses the fish, so the diagrams are drawn carefully.