What is the Free Rig? - Features, Techniques, and Best-Suited Soft Plastics
- 1. All Eyes on the Free-Rig
- 2. Free-Rig Basics
- 3. Free-Rig Actions
- 4. Switching Between Texas Rig and Free Rig
- 5. When to Use the Free Rig Effectively
- 6. Recommended Soft-plastics for the Free-Rig
- 7.Summary
1. All Eyes on the Free-Rig
The free-rig, which made its way from Korea to Japan around 2017, is still evolving. In the United States, its existence is finally starting to be known, but it has yet to reach the level of popularity of the texas-rig, which everyone uses. However, when Japanese pro angler Masayuki Matsushita, who newly joined the Elite Series in February 2022, skillfully utilized the free-rig and instantly jumped to 3rd place in the St. Johns River tournament, it sparked increased attention among other US pros.
Why is the free-rig so effective? While it's not a one-size-fits-all solution, the three feeding pauses of the free-rig allow you to catch bass in situations where even the texas-rig or carolina-rig fall short.
[The Three Feeding Pauses]
[1]When the weight falls straight down until it hits the bottom
[2]The free fall after the weight hits the bottom
[3]Enticing the bass from the bottom after the soft-plastic hits the bottom
When your go-to rigs aren't working, or when you need more bite-inducing power, the free-rig is sure to help. It's definitely one rig you'll want to master.
In this article, we'll cover everything from the basic usage and actions of the free-rig to its differences from the texas-rig and recommended soft-plastics. By the time you finish reading, you'll have a complete understanding of the free-rig.
2. Free-Rig Basics
Basic Movement
The free-rig involves threading the line through the eye of the weight without using a stopper, then attaching a soft-plastic to the end of the line. The movable weight falls first, and after it hits the bottom, the soft-plastic falls in a free state. The moment when the soft-plastic's trajectory suddenly changes—"the instant the soft-plastic's movement switches before and after the weight hits the bottom"—is when bass often react.
After the soft-plastic reaches the bottom, lift and drop the rod to create a lift and flutter retrieve. Like with a carolina-rig, try to impart action to the soft-plastic by shaking the weight, focusing on creating a bouncing motion rather than simply dragging it. However, after repeating this a few times, the line will sink and become harder to lift, so it's better to recast at that point.
Casting Distance and Weight Size
In general, dropping the rig closer to you will create a greater distance between the weight and the soft-plastic, resulting in a longer free fall time. While the free-rig is easy to cast far, long-distance casting isn't the only way to use it. In an experiment conducted by a well-known bass fishing magazine, when using the same line and weight, casting near the angler's feet resulted in roughly twice the distance between the weight and the soft-plastic compared to casting 33 feet away. In other words, the farther you cast, the shorter the distance between the weight and the soft-plastic, and the shorter the free fall time. Additionally, long casts cause the line to lie flatter, making it more difficult to create a free fall action with the soft-plastic through rod manipulation after the initial cast. Since this rig is primarily used for vertical movements, it's better to cast within a range where you can control the fall rather than trying to cast as far as possible.
So, how heavy should the weight be? In general, if the weight is too light, it won't have enough fall speed, and you won't be able to create much distance between the weight and the soft-plastic. However, heavier isn't always better. In the aforementioned experiment, measurements were also taken to determine the distance between the weight and the soft-plastic when changing the weight size. The results showed that increasing the weight did not change this distance. In other words, once you exceed a certain weight, the fall speed of the weight increases, but the distance between the weight and the soft-plastic remains roughly constant. In conclusion, it's best to use a weight of approximately 1/6 to 1/4 oz as a baseline, adjusting the line accordingly, and using a heavier weight when you want to increase the fall speed.
Choosing a Weight
Weight shapes can be broadly divided into round and stick types. Stick types offer better penetration and, being thinner, can easily reach deeper into cover. Conversely, round types are better when you don't want the rig to penetrate too far into gaps. For stick-type weights, the TG Slim Drop Shot Weight from rains is recommended, while the TX-DAN Sinker from DECOY is a good choice for round types.
3. Free-Rig Actions
Vertical Movement: For the Bass that are slightly suspended or focused on looking upward
The first fall is often the best chance for a bite, so repeat the sequence of "cast → weight hits bottom → soft-plastic hits bottom → pick up."
Drop the rig straight down along vertical structure, such as standing timber or deep depressions, and lift it up while imparting action with your rod. You can roughly repeat the up-and-down movement as the rig navigates branches, or if the bass are less active, you can repeatedly drop it back to the bottom and lift it up again.
Horizontal Movement: For Bottom-Hugging Bass
This is similar to using a carolina-rig. Uphill terrain is recommended because the weight helps the line blend into the bottom, reducing its presence. Trace the bottom contours, and when you hit an obstacle, snap the rod to lift the rig over it. As the soft-plastic floats up when climbing over obstacles, it creates an opportunity for bass to react.
4. Switching Between Texas Rig and Free Rig
(Photo by Vish)
The Texas rig is often compared to the free rig, but what exactly sets them apart?
In terms of structure, the texas-rig has the weight attached to the head of the soft-plastic, while the free-rig has the weight threaded onto the line in a free state with the soft-plastic attached to the end of the line.
Differences in Action During the Fall
Although bullet weights are commonly used for the texas-rig and stick or round weights for the free-rig, the center of gravity of the free-rig weight is lower, resulting in a stronger downward pull during the fall. Therefore, the free-rig is generally considered to have better penetration during the fall. If you're targeting vertical structure, the free-rig has the advantage. It falls straight down from where it's cast, making it easy to target specific spots. However, when fishing around cover or skipping the rig into gaps such as overhanging trees, the texas-rig is the way to go, so it's important to use the right rig for the situation.
Key Differences in Bottom Behavior
There are also differences in bottom movement to keep in mind. With the free-rig, the weight always maintains contact with the bottom, providing better bottom detection even with lighter weights. On the other hand, with the texas-rig, the weight can lift off the bottom when dragged, sometimes making it difficult to feel the bottom through the rod.
Moreover, the free-rig's thin, elongated weight is less likely to snag, giving it a reputation for being less prone to snags, making horizontal bottom movement easier compared to the texas-rig. However, while the texas-rig soft-plastic constantly crawls along the bottom, the free-rig soft-plastic moves slightly off the bottom due to the separation from the weight. It's important to assess the bass's behavior and choose the rig that allows for the most effective action.
Ease of Detecting Bites
One drawback of the free-rig is that the separation between the weight and the soft-plastic can make it more difficult to detect bites. In particular, if a bass takes the soft-plastic and swims toward the angler, the line will slacken even more, potentially causing missed hooksets. Compared to the texas-rig, it's crucial to pay even closer attention to the line.
5. When to Use the Free Rig Effectively
The free-rig is said to be a rig that catches fish year-round.
Spring
In the spring, as winter fades and bass start focusing on upward movements, they will react to objects falling from above. However, when the water temperature is low, bass may not fully commit to the bait, resulting in tentative bites that don't lead to solid hookups. In these situations, the free-rig's separation between the weight and the soft-plastic allows for better suction into the bass's mouth, enabling you to approach bass that wouldn't fully take other rigs. Try lifting and dropping the rig in small increments over flat weed beds that haven't fully grown in yet.
Mid-spawn season to Early Summer
As the spawning period begins, bass start to become aware of the presence of bluegill, so try dropping a bluegill soft-plastic straight into bass nests. As the post-spawn period approaches, bass will cling to vertical structure to recover their strength. Try dropping a free-rig with a bluegill soft-plastic, imitating a weakened post-spawn bluegill, straight down in front of the bass. After the weight hits the bottom, the soft-plastic will flutter down right in front of the bass, triggering them to strike for a much-needed nutrient boost.
As the temperature rises further, vegetation cover will blanket the surface, and weeds will grow tall and dense, providing bass with a place to hide from the heat. The penetrating power of the free-rig allows you to drop your rig straight into the bass's hideout.
Winter
As winter approaches and bass activity declines, the free-rig becomes effective again. Instead of vertical movement, dragging the rig along the bottom and jerking the rod to lift it over obstacles—horizontal movement—is the way to go. The popping action when climbing over obstacles, combined with the free fall of the soft-plastic slightly trailing the weight, can trigger reaction bites. This action can be effective for sluggish bass.
6. Recommended Soft-plastics for the Free-Rig
While the free-rig is a versatile rig that can be used with almost any soft-plastic, we'll consider two broad categories: flat-type soft-plastics and other soft-plastics.
Flat-Type Soft-plastics
The key characteristic of the free-rig is the soft-plastic's "fall," and flat-type soft-plastics allow for the longest possible free fall time. The flat surface of the soft-plastic creates more resistance in the water, resulting in a slower fall and a greater difference in the speed of the soft-plastic's fall before and after the weight hits the bottom. When aiming for reaction bites using this change in speed or when you want to allow the soft-plastic to fall slowly and methodically in front of the bass, flat-type soft-plastics are a good choice.
One recommended flat-type soft-plastic is JACKALL's Honey Nugget, the first free-rig-specific soft-plastic made in Japan. The moment the soft-plastic stops dead in its tracks as it becomes free, bass won't be able to resist striking.
For a flat-type soft-plastic with a lifelike appearance, consider the Bellows Gill from Geecrack. The pin tail quivers, creating a lively action, while the flat body with ribs all over provides good water displacement and easy suction for bass.
Craw-Type Soft-plastics
Apart from flat-type soft-plastics, craw-type soft-plastics are commonly used. For example, they can be used to imitate crayfish hiding in weeds during the summer. Compared to flat-type soft-plastics, craw-type soft-plastics are thinner and more elongated, creating less water resistance and not falling as slowly. However, considering that crustaceans are bottom-dwelling prey with heavy bodies, this makes sense.
JACKALL's DB Uma Free is a soft-plastic designed with the free-rig in mind, just like the Honey Nugget. Despite its slender shape, the two scissor arms create resistance in the water, prolonging the free fall, and the rolling action generated by these arms attracts the attention of bass. MEGABASS's Bottle Shrimp and NORIES's Escape Twin also feature large paddle arms that displace a significant amount of water, drawing attention to bass.
Swimbaits
As an unusual option, IMAKATSU's Javallon can also be adapted for the free-rig. Although the Javallon is a multi-jointed swimbait, it creates significant water resistance, generating distance from the weight. To a bass, the weight falling first followed by the Javallon chasing after it closely resembles a baitfish trying to capture an even smaller fish like a goby, making it irresistible to pursue. The moment the Javallon suddenly stops after the weight hits the bottom, switching from a straight-down swimming action, becomes the prime opportunity for a bite.
7.Summary
We've learned that the free-rig, with its movable weight, can create three slide ranges: before and after the weight hits the bottom, and during bottom action.
The key points are:
- Avoid casting too far and use the rig within a range where you can control the vertical movement
- Adjust the penetration using the weight
- Control the fall speed by selecting soft-plastics based on their water resistance
While the free-rig can be used year-round, it's important to assess what type of prey bass are chasing in each season and location and choose your soft-plastic accordingly.
The free-rig offers a variety of bite-inducing actions that other rigs don't, making it a surefire way to gain an edge over other anglers. Be sure to incorporate it into your fishing arsenal starting tomorrow.