Rigs, rigging and baiting for Victoria by Jarrod Day

For many anglers, fishing is an escape from their day-to-day activities and where the family can get away together sitting by the bank of a river or along the sandy coastline of a beach in hope of catching a fish. Victoria, like all the other states, is very diverse with the different species that can be caught. Each has its own unique technique and setup and with such a wide range of techniques applicable for each, many anglers often take the universal approach. While this is a safe bet, it can lead to many problems such as using the wrong hook size, leader strength or outfit all together. Depending on your level of fishing experience, you may opt to tie your own rigs or purchase pre-tied rigs. In recent years, pre-tied rigs have evolved in leaps and bounds with leader and hook sizing more species specific rather than generic. Another advantage of using pre-tied rigs today compared with twenty years ago is the high level of quality control that can leave you with extreme confidence knowing that someone else's hand-tied rig will stand up to quite brutal species. These are the perfect accessories for those anglers not confident in their own knot tying ability. If you are confident in your ability, you will require a good collection of terminal tackle. When it comes to the more popular Victorian fish species there are four main rigs that can see you through. PATERNOSTER The paternoster rig is one of today's most widely-use rigs. Its versatility covers a wide range of applications from casting from the shore to drift fishing over a deep reef. There are quite a number of versions available of the paternoster rig, but ultimately they all are fished in the same manner. Also known as the snapper rig, deep drop rig or double dropper rig, the paternoster rig can be tied with either one or two droppers. Due to its versatility, a paternoster rig is often fished with the angler keeping the line tight to feel for a bite. This is where this rig is best to have either one or two circle hooks tied onto the droppers to eliminate missing the bite. With all paternoster rigs, the sinker should be placed at the bottom of the rig with the hooks suspended above it. The paternoster rig can also be tied in another version called the extended paternoster. This is particularly effective on whiting and is rigged with the sinker placed before the hook with the hook (usually a long shank) tied to a long dropper.