A weightless rig is merely a simple hook tied to the end of the line with the soft plastic of you choice added. The bait touches the water with only the slightest ripple, sinking down into the unknown depths of our precious crystal clear waters. You wait to be rewarded by the slightest bump or tick, even the feel of the line that’s just isn’t right. You know it’s one of those finned creatures you’ve dreamed about all night long before the trip, lying in bed staring at the ceiling, awaiting the dawn of a new day, to spend in mother natures realm, doing what you love best.

There’s nothing like the weightless bite for breakfast. You’re in close quarters with the desired quarry. Casting in short order. Many hits come as soon as the bait touches the water, while others sit and wait for the bait to come closer at an ever so slow descent.

A spinning reel is the best course of action for the weightless rig; this makes quietly skipping the lure an effortless task. There are many good spinning reels out there today with prices varying as much as selection. In most applications a spinning reel in the $40.00 to $80.00 range suits this purpose well. The rod should be of graphite composition, somewhere in the $50.00 to $100.00 range. Remember, it’s the rod that teleports the information to the hand, and it should be of the best of quality one can afford. The line is the only link to you and your quarry and should be of the very best in all aspects. The co-polymers are up for this task, as are a few of the super lines of today. I have found the non- stretch braids well suited for this purpose, with their no-memory, and super thin diameters that are unmatched by any monofilament. If the colors of the super lines today scare you, due to gin clear waters, a fluorocarbon leader may be added to ease your mind, but I have found this to be an unnecessary task in my areas.

There are so many soft plastics out there today, if I were to mention only half, we’d all lose interest! A few of my favorite soft plastics baits, with my best brands in tow, that work well for the weightless rig are: soft plastic jerk baits like Zoom's Super Fluke, 4” plastic worms like Rattlesnake or Don Iovino’s 4” paddle tail drop shots, twin-tail grubs and spider jigs like Yamamoto’s 5” grubs and hula grubs, soft plastic stick baits like Zoom's centipede or Yamamoto’s Senko, crayfish imitations like Zoom's Critter Craw or Berkley’s power craw.

Most, if not all, of these soft plastics can be rigged weed less on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook (the large Super Fluke needs a 4/0 – 5/0 hook) by simply rigging with the hook point buried in the plastic to avoid most any snag. The weightless rig is one that may be thrown into places you wouldn’t dare throw even spinner baits; where others have not gone before. Heavy root wads and downed timber are a favorite area for the weightless rig. Once you’ve decided on where your cast will be placed, toss the rig and work it in numerous fashions according to your fishing taste. The most productive way for me has been to cast it out and be a line watcher, while it slowly sinks out of sight. Give it the occasional “shake” and take up the slack and “shake” again. If conditions are not at their best, a simple cast, and let settle as long as you can stand it, and then just a twitch, often letting your lure settle on the bottom for minutes at a time. This method will draw strikes from even the wariest of predators.

Try the weightless rig on your next outing and you may be wonderfully surprised!