Videos

If you love the Ronnie rig, but it’s been hammered on your venue, Dan Hawkes has just the variation to keep those bites coming!

The Ronnie or spinner rig is now world famous in carp angling and has accounted for so many captures across the globe, and is now sitting in pride of place in most anglers’ rig boxes. And why shouldn’t it, it’s a very effective rig presentation and I personally believe it is the best presentation if you’re looking for a very low lying and subtle pop-up presentation that will deliver great hook-holds.

Another very in vogue rig is the slip D, which is a very versatile rig that works well with bottom baits, wafters and snowman presentations. Having the hook baits on a D rig setup allows your chosen hook bait to move away from the shank when the carp picks it up; it helps it set the hook home and the carp finds it hard to use the bait to try and eject the rig.

I have taken the plus points from both rigs and used them in conjunction with each other and I get a slip D Ronnie, which will offer me the low lying pop-up presentation I am looking for, but it will be incorporating a very supple D rig section that I mount the hook baits on to a mini hook ring swivel that can slide up and down the supple braid section, which will give me the added confidence that the carp once pick up the rig will find it very hard to eject.

I use the rig in most situations whether that be fishing over silt, clay, gravel and on clear areas in and around weed. I have done very well fishing this rig over a spread of boilies also over crushed and chopped baits and even over a mixture of particles the only thing I opt to do differently I change the hook bait over to two grains of artificial corn or two Mainline toppers instead of a pop-up.

Hook sizes and shapes are a personal choice and you have to use what you are confident in. I fish this rig with a size 4 or 6 curve shank and I try to use a small pop-up, normally 12 to 15mm; again it’s a confidence factor – I always try to use small pop-ups as I think they sit flush on the hook and react very effectively on a big, sharp hook.

This rig has played a big factor in my angling this year with some great captures on very limited time fishing in England with work commitments, and enjoyed some great captures on European trips as well.

If you a looking for a very effective low lying pop-up presentation that reacts very fast due to the soft supple D section, then this is well worth a try.