The Spinner Rig, or Ronnie Rig has definitely been the breakthrough set-up of the last couple of years, and its popularity stems from a number of aspects of its design.
In 2022 it was widely acknowledged to responsible for catching more carp than any other current rig due to it amazing hooking and anti tangle properties.
So why is this? Firstly, much like the Multi Rig, you can change your hook without having to destroy the whole hooklink. Just pop it off the quick-change swivel and attach a fresh one. This makes it ideal for use on well-stocked venues where bites come thick and fast. You can swap out a blunted hook for a fresh one quickly and get back to the job in hand.
The Spinner Rig is ideal for presenting a low lying pop-up
Another key part of the Spinner Rig is the way it presents your pop-up low to the lakebed. Your hookbait is elevated only by the height of the hook and the swivel, so it stays free of debris and detritus but doesn’t hover unnaturally or look too out of place. If a fish is swooping in for a big mouthful of freebies, having your hookbait placed just above the loose offerings makes it much more likely to be sucked in.
The relatively low elevation of the hookbait does mean that the Spinner Rig is best used on generally clear areas. In weedy or ‘chuck it and chance it’ scenarios it might be best to opt for a Chod or Hinged Stiff Rig.
The mechanics of the rig gives it a natural movement on the lake bed
Another advantage of the Spinner is in its movement. Mounting a hook on a quick-change swivel gives it an unhindered 360-degree rotation, so no matter what direction the carp approaches it from there is still a great chance your hook can take hold.
Like most great rigs, the Spinner is also pretty adaptable. You can use it on a lead-clip system or a helicopter set-up with no problems (the latter being best for silty conditions and the former for harder lakebeds).
You can also experiment with the length of boom section, and the material you use to construct that boom. Poker-stiff fluorocarbons can be difficult for the carp to eject, while a softer material will drape over any bottom debris much more naturally.
The Spinner Rig is almost always used with pop-up hookbaits, but there is nothing to stop you attaching a bottom bait or wafter to one. The mechanics of the rig will still function, though the swivel, hook and shrink tube will be much more visible as they won’t be suspended beneath a buoyant bait.
Overall, the Spinner Rig can be a great go-anywhere presentation that will cover most angling scenarios.
How to Tie the Spinner Rig
The components
To construct a great Ronnie/Spinner you need the right items, and these are those:
‘
Size 4 Mugga hooks
Large Supa Shrink tubing
Size 12 XT Flexi-Ring Kwik Lok Swivels
Step 1
Start off by threading on a half-inch piece of shrink tubing onto the hook shank.
Step 2
Then take a Kwik Lok Swivel, open it up slightly so you can attach the hook and then close it back using a pair of pliers.
Step 3
Slide the tubing down over the swivel, positioning it so the end sits at the base of the swivel barrel.
Step 4
Using a lighter, shrink the tubing down. Look how neat that is!
Step 5
Thread on a Hook Swivel and then a Hook Stop; your hook section is complete.
Step 6
Tie this to your chosen hooklink using a Four-Turn Grinner Knot.
Step 7
If your chosen pop-up is extremely buoyant and you need some extra counterbalance, wrap a piece of putty around the shrink tubing like so.
And there’s the finished article.
