Boat Fishing Rigs: Booms, Gilling and Jigging

Bottom bait rigs and booms

A boom holds the start of a snood away from the main line or trace body. The source includes spreader, multiple-boom and other bottom arrangements. The aim is to organise bait positions and reduce contact between strands, not guarantee that a rig cannot tangle.

Gilling traces and slow retrieval

The book’s gilling rig uses a boom and trailing snood with a lure or suitable natural bait. It is described as a slow-retrieve method. This differs from simply leaving a baited bottom trace stationary. The length and behaviour of the snood need to suit the depth, drift and crew’s fishing method.

Jigging and pirks

A jigging or pirk presentation uses movement of a weighted lure rather than only a static bait. The source contains both boat jigging and pirk-casting material; those should not be treated as identical manoeuvres. Rig weight and hook arrangement must fit the tackle and the actual method being used.

Drift changes the line angle

As the boat moves, the lead or lure may fish away from directly beneath the rod. Depth, tide and wind influence how the line behaves and whether rigs cross. Follow the skipper’s instructions on weight, lowering and retrieval rather than choosing a number from an old printed example.

Large-fish traces need specialist handling

The book includes separate conger, ling and tope arrangements. Those are not interchangeable general boat rigs. Landing and release procedures matter as much as trace construction, and the source’s historical wire, hook and mono choices are not current universal recommendations. Ask an experienced skipper before targeting large fish.

Specialised layouts remain review work

Regional and species-specific designs such as the Portland, Wessex, wishbone and turbot-and-brill arrangements need separate practical verification before full tying guides are published. This page provides the family-level comparison instead of pretending that a text-only overview replaces their rig demonstrations.

Source and review notes

Original Tackl explanation informed by Planet Sea Fishing, Book of Saltwater Rigs, PDF pages 53–59, 62–87. The source carries Planet Sea Fishing copyright notices dated 2009. Publisher: https://www.planetseafishing.com/. No book illustrations or source pages are reproduced. Historical dimensions and hook choices are examples, not current legal or safety standards. This draft still needs hands-on angler review and approved original rig photos.