The simplest rigs are often the best! We have the constant striving for innovation at Fish Arrow to thank for one of these fantastic finesse rigs for perch and trout. The Spine Rig.
Super easy to mount and simple to guide, the running behavior of the rubber bait is particularly impressive due to its wide range of applications. From shallow water near the shore to vertically plucked rigs for perch and trout fishing - anything is possible with the spine rig!
Accessories for the Spine Rig
The list of required accessories is very short compared to some other finesse rigs. All you need for the spine rig is a special hook, a tungsten nail sinker and the right soft bait. In order to be able to react quickly to the preferences of perch and trout on the water, the spine rig can also be flexibly attached to the fluorocarbon leader with a snap. However, we recommend connecting it with a knot. This does not impair the running behavior of the finesse lures.
Tungsten nail sinker
The nail sinker provides the required weight and affects the running behavior of the rig in two ways. The heavier the tungsten weight selected, the more aggressive the darting action of the soft bait and the deeper the spine rig can be fished effectively. We recommend tungsten nail sinkers with a weight of 0.4 to 2.2 grams to take full advantage of the bite-rich sinking phase.
Spine hook
The centerpiece of the Spine Rig is the “Spine Hook” specially designed by Fish Arrow. This is a small single hook in sizes #2 and #3, which has a rubber-like coating on the shank. The coating ensures that the hook sits firmly in the soft bait even when the rig is pulled and cannot slip out without damaging the bait. Depending on the size of the soft bait, we recommend the Spine Hook #2 for 3 inch long softbaits and the Spine Hook in size #3 for 2 inch long baits.
3 inch = 2 spine hook
2 inch = 3 spine hook
Soft baits for the spine rig
Special lures are required to evoke the darted running behavior of the lures. The “spine” in the spine rig symbolizes the spine of a baitfish and the Flash-J from Fish Arrow is such a softbait with a spine thanks to the integrated aluminium foil. For the spine rig, only such relatively firm rubber baits are suitable. So-called pintail, skirted tail or V-tail models have proven themselves as tail shapes. The optimum length is between 5 and 8 centimetres (2 to 3 inches). As the Spine Hook has been specially developed for Flash-J soft baits, the following models are best suited:
Flash-J with pintail in 2 and 3 inches
Flash-J Spine in 2 inch
Flash-J Split in 3 inches
Alternatively, the Flash-J Grub with curly tail can also be used on the spine rig. The 4.5 inch long rubber bait with twister tail is particularly suitable for a spine rig that is slowly plucked/ground over the bottom.
Instructions for rigging the spine rig
As mentioned at the beginning, rigging the spine rig is child's play! The first step is to load the Flash-J with a nail sinker. There is a kind of indentation in the front of the bait into which the tungsten weight can be easily inserted. The spine hook is then mounted on top (regular) or on the side (wacky) and the spine rig is ready for use.
Lure guidance & running behavior
Lure presentation on the Spine Rig is extremely simple, as all you have to do is pluck lightly or aggressively and the Flash-J will jump in all directions. Depending on the hot spot and weight of the nail sinker, the Spine Rig is very well suited for vertically plucked bait presentation on sheet piling, jetties or directly under the boat. Shore anglers can also score points with the Spine Rig, as the flight characteristics and running behavior as well as the long sinking phase are phenomenal on the ultra-light Spine Rig with weights below the 1 gram mark!
Running behavior: Spine Rig Regular
Running behavior: Spine Rig Wacky
Buy the Spine Rig starter pack
So that you don't have to look for the accessories and soft baits individually, we have prepared the Spine Rig starter pack with a price advantage and extra bonus points in its optimum configuration for you. Simply select the pattern of the soft baits, set the weight for the nail sinkers and you're ready to go. Many thanks to the article about the Spine Rig in the Havelritter Angelblog and the videos and pictures provided for us!