# I heard



## Mr Skinny (Nov 25, 2011)

I saw another guy say in another thread the term "tourist rig" . I am doing alot of surf fishing now and I want to make sure I am not useing this. Right now I am using a 2 hook rig with the weight at the bottom and a single hook rig with the egg weight above the swivel with the liter that is already made with the swivel and the attachment that can open that you put through the eye of the hook. Any suggestions would be welcome and thank you


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## deersniper270 (Apr 29, 2009)

Idk what a "tourist rig" is but the rigs you are using are the same I would use in the surf. You're fine lol Just remember, simpler is better. Good luck fishing!


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## ZombieKiller (Jul 26, 2010)

I dunno what "tourist" rig is, but I'd guess it is one of those fancy schmancy pompano rigs they sell at Wal Mart that look like they'd be better suited in an Erector set. My advice is this...make your own rigs. They're simple. Here's my rig:

Start with flourocarbon leader. Not mono...not braid. 100% flouro. I like 20lb as an "all around" standard, but what you use should depend on what you're fishing for.

Cut yourself off about 8' of leader. At the bottom, tie a double overhand knot large enough pass through the eye of your pyramid sinker and then back over it (to attach it to the line).

Then, come up about a foot and a half and tie a dropper loop. Try to end up with 6" of doubled line when the knot's finished. Then cut ONE of the doubled lines close to the knot...give it a LITTLE room to slip under pressure. Now...attach whatever fish attracting device you'd like...if you want one. You can use beads, colored floats, or nothing at all. Then SNELL your hook (I like Mutu light wire hooks, size 2). Don't use a snap swivel. If you like the idea of being able to change out hooks without cutting line, don't cut your dropper loop. Just pass your doubled line through the eye of the hook and then back over the hook...just like you attached your pyramid sinker.

Come up about 2', and repeat the process.

Now, attach your rig to your main line. Some guys use barrel swivels. I don't like 'em... Find a line to line knot you can tie well, and give 'er a go. I like the double uni. But the blood knot would work well too.

You can find instructions for all these knots on www.netknots.com


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

A tourist rig are those crazy premade rigs you see tourists or novice fisherman using at the piers and bridges. They are ready to go out of the pack, usually have orange beads all over them, and obnoxious snap swivels everywhere, black coated wire, and too-big-to-be-practical long shanked J-hooks. I think people buy them from walmart, I am not sure. You do not want to use these.

Make your own up, like zombie killer said. I prefer not cuttin my dropper loops and passing the double line through the hook eye for surf rigs. It is essentially the same rig I use for mingos offshore. Kahle hooks or circle hooks are best, especially if you are leaving your rod unattended in a stake. Small hooks are key, match the bait size. You can catch some really big fish on small hooks.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

And Mr. Skinny when you talk about the "attachment you can open to put through the eye of your hook," you are talking about a snap swivel. This sounds like it is probably a tourist rig.

You never want to use a swivel to attach your hook to. Swivels should be used as a junction between your main line and your leader material. Check out the knots listed on Zombie's link. You will want to learn a good know to tie your hooks to your leader with. A uni knot works well, as does an improved clinch knot, or the palomar knot. All 3 are easy to tie and get the job done. Practice them and see what you like best.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

if they look anything like these, they are what many would call "tourist rigs." Though the bottom one is not bad with the 3 hooks. I would eliminate the snap swivel on bottom to attach you weight and tie a loop to put your weight on. Remember, the less terminal tackle, the better. I personally don't like beads, but the theory is pompano and other fish see them and are drawn in. I personally think they smell your shrimp or sand flea, but whatever you like.


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## jcallaham (Dec 13, 2009)

*tourist rigs*

I hate those things, It drives me crazy to get out fished by em on a regular basis.


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## jross31455 (Aug 11, 2011)

i think using a gotcha lure attached to a 4oz weight and then having a spinnerbait tied to the snap swivel and using 100lb test braid is a tourist rig. i actually seen this rig before. they were catching skipjacks and everyone elses line.


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## GASeminole (Aug 15, 2011)

Go to Wal Mart and Buy:

1 oz Weights (pyramid (keeps you stationary) or barrel (will roll in current))
Swivels (no snaps, just the swivels)
Circle Hooks
Flourocarbon Line

Slip Rig:

Put your main line from your rod through a weight and tie that to one side of a swivel.

Take 3 feet of flourocarbon and tie that to the other side of your swivel. At the end of the flourocarbon, tie your hook.

This is a basic rig that will allow you to feel bites/catch more fish and should not spook as many fish as the other rigs mentioned above.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

I've always made my own rigs. After I heard so many people swear by them, I bought one of the premade "tourist" rigs to try for pomps side by side with my homemade rig, consisting or a carolina-style rig with small terminal tackle, 20lb flouro leader to a number 6 owner circle. Kind of an experiment to see which would do better. 

I fished both rigs side by side in the surf with the same bait, peeled fresh shrimp.

Here's the tally after about 4 weeks of fishing. 

My Rig-3 Pompano 
1 Redfish
99999999 Whiting
several catfish

Tourist Rig- 14 Pompano
several redfish
3 blue fish
5 or 6 big whiting
9999999999 catfish

The pompano and redfish seemed to prefer the tourist rig. I will say, the water has been pretty stained the last month. I seemed to catch more fish on my rig with smaller tackle during periods of clear water and small surf, with more fish on the tourist rig during heavier surf and dirty water. A pro to the tourist rig is the weight at the bottom, vs my rig which was carolina style w/ a pyramid weight. My rig gets twisted up a lot in heavy surf and current but thats not a problem with the tourist rig.

Overall, I think the conditions dictate which rig to use. The tourist rig definitely outfished my rig overall, but in clear water conditions my smaller rig seemed to do better. As far as tying those things goes, as long as I can by them for 2 bucks at the tackle shop, I'm not going to be making any


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## midwestexile (Dec 1, 2011)

Hardware is always a potential source of failure in saltwater, so expect to replace rigs often that have snaps and clips. If using one of the round-sinker rigs described above, a good quality swivel may be a necessity. 

If you expect to use the dropper rigs near an inlet, structure, or anywhere that has the potential to snag, a bank sinker rather than pyramid is a bit less likely to hang. If you are losing whole rigs (the 20 pound floro rig will all disappear when the 15 pound main line snaps at the connection) use a small stretch of weaker-than-your-main-line mono between the rig and sinker.


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## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

Coated steel leader with snap swivles and beads, normally with a huge a## pyramid sinker. They will cath lady fish, pins and hardtails. I have seen a few nice reds caught on them though. As mentioned above they catch everyones line more than anything.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

GASeminole said:


> *Go to Wal Mart and Buy:*


OR..... maybe go to a local tackle shop where the guys know what they are doing and can show you what to get and how to rig it.


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## Matt09 (Jun 6, 2008)

Chris V said:


> OR..... maybe go to a local tackle shop where the guys know what they are doing and can show you what to get and how to rig it.


X's 2.


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## Bluesbreaker (Apr 28, 2009)

FenderBender said:


> if they look anything like these, they are what many would call "tourist rigs." Though the bottom one is not bad with the 3 hooks. I would eliminate the snap swivel on bottom to attach you weight and tie a loop to put your weight on. Remember, the less terminal tackle, the better. I personally don't like beads, but the theory is pompano and other fish see them and are drawn in. I personally think they smell your shrimp or sand flea, but whatever you like.


+1 on the bottom rig! I've caught a lot of pompano and reds with these. The ones that have the yellow foam floats aren't too bad either.


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## mullet slayer (Aug 5, 2009)

I bet the stores make a killing on the pre-made tackle. Sounds like a double shot and a Carolina(which are effective)... a lot of those pre-made deals are just oldtimer standby rigs. I like to buy antique lures, reels etc... at flea markets, and you'll see a lot of these rigs in old tackle boxes.. must have over a hundred of those in the garage. To be honest, I mostly scavenge the glass(actual glass) beads and lead from them though.


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## Faithnfishin (Dec 5, 2010)

_sniperpeeps_

Thanks Sniper,
I'll take science over opinions in most cases....
Makes complete sense about water conditions also, if fish react to what they are seeing, rather than smell/taste the rig setup certainly can be a factor. Good info.


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