Your appreciation of the fish and worry for their health is honorable. Too many fisherman / hunters grow numb to seeing animals suffer and would rather let that fish die than take the time to perform surgery to get that hook out. Kudos to you kind sir
U need to junk that hook ur using Go to a widegap u will be bettr off It's the same as a Carolina rig except the weight is at ur bait but the bait has the same action as if u were tossing it on Carolina rig, and if can't feel them that means they can't feel u
Pink and white grubs have won me a couple local tourneys , I've use the free rig and kind of like it . The way to use it is to let it settle on bottom and then jerk it up from like 3 o clock to 12 and let it settle down slow again repeat a few times . That's what worked for me .
I love the freerig!! free rig has replace 80% of my non punching texas rig, It's not me but all the giant bass that eat it! I don't do anything finesse with it. I run it on my 7'6" m/h mod fast jig rod wit 50lb braid to 20-25lb leader to 1/4-3/4oz weight with a stop before the hook (then it can be like a freerig/carolina rig) and fish holes heavy eelgrass, kissimmee grass, pads and hydrilla... and also pop it! also haven't gut hooked a fish with the free rig but I really hope most florida guys don't try it... lol... I also just so happened to editing a video last weekend about why I've replaced the texas rig with 🤣
Idk Mikey, I've messed with it in my built in pool. It's ok you only really get that slower spiraling fall 1 time. Once you put tension on it and the weight gets down o the hook it fishes just like a Texas rig. It may be good for pitching to a specific spot like a dock or something. I don't mess with it much.
I can't believe you hate this rig! I have been smashing fish on guntersville with it, but I actually fish it just how you theorized it working better with a spinning rod braid to leader. That may be why I am not having those gut hooking issues or difficulty detecting bites. Great video.
Works super great with a senko in deep water brush piles and creek channels edges . Half ounce for deep water and quarter ounce for less than 10 feet . I use 10 to 12 pound Gamma flourocarbon line . Casting for deep water , rocks , and brush piles . Spinning tackle for shallow water weeds and wood . Haven't had any fish break off yet .
Im like you brother i like to feel the bite so they don't swallow it. I got to say the other day i went frog fishing and dude think God i had my pliers because they were taking it to the gut . Great video brother
You need to throw a plastic bait that offers lots more resistance as it falls. This creates MUCH more separation between the the bait and the weight. Skinn
Man I've caught them really good on a free rig but it's something I don't really mess with very often... if you're around any cover you have to really reel down good or you can't keep them hooked and I've gut hooked fish every time I've thrown one. I do like it a little but I'll probably end up using most of the weights I bought strictly for it drop shotting instead. I'm kind of like you maybe I'm missing something but it's not going to be replacing any other rigs I throw anytime soon... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
Use those style weights with drop shot too, just tie the weight on with a square knot, much weaker than any fishing knot, but won’t break off like the standard drop shot weights. Then you can used them for free rigging or anything else too.
I never have issues feeling bites with the free rig, on a 7’MH duckett pro series. I normally throw the 3/16-1/4oz. What I have gathered: Open water= free rig Cover & grass= Texas rig
Couple things that will greatly improve your experience with the free rig. Craws and or creature baits with some body work better on the rig than slim baits like a finesse worm. Also a tear drop tungsten 💧 weight is more compact and offers more feel. The real benefit to the free rig is being able to pitch your bait to cover and having the weight fall straight down on the cover rather than slowly falling away from the cover like s traditional t-rig. If you ever pitched a dropshot around cover its a similar effect where the weight falls fast and straight.
Thanks for sharing this Mikey. I have not been impressed with the free rig personally. I know a lot of guys like them and swear by them. For me the better rig is the Jika Rig. To me that is the secret sauce. Plus you can punch mats with it. Rumor has it you like punching mats 🎣😂. Give a Jika Rig a try Mikey. And give Bogs a high five for me. 🐶
U need to use a bait with more resistance in the water , I personally haven't used one but I bet u the farm a bellows gill would be 🔥 on a free rig but most of your flappy , big exaggerated motion plastics is what is needed bro
The whole point is the falling freely thing. I've never ever used it to fish a worm though, and that's what I feel you missed. I don't use it a lot, but I use either something like a stroker craw, or adrenaline craw. Even some sort of creature/ brush hog. But to each his own as well you don't like it I don't care lol you do you fishing isn't about everyone copying what someone else does
Hey Mikey just asking , do you ever actually swim in your pool .😊😅, Love your videos , you showing how and why. Not a video of you just fishing like a lot of videos. 😊😊😊😊
Free rig works better with a hand poured flat bottom worm or a wide body creature bait. Sometimes a fluke style bait works too. Need that slow spiral fall with the bait. Dragging it is like a Texas rig, Tokyo rig or damiki rig style. Free rig is pop up let weight fall fast bait free fall. I'm not a fan of it either lol. I've had the same luck with grandebass baits js lol.
It is a weird bite w the free rig. I’ve been using it almost exclusively in areas w no grass or deep water and sparse grass and 90% of my bites on the free rig I do not feel a tap. I jig it up then they eat it on the fall w the slack line and it’ll just be heavy all of a sudden the line will move as they’re swimming off with it. It’s rare that I feel a tap. I’m undecided honestly of it right now. I like the fact it’s gotten me some really good bites in some situations this year but I’m in agreement w you on the point that I can’t feel alot of the bites on it I hate that about it.
I have to wonder if that funny thing would be a good rig for flounder. It might be a flat fish slayer. Unfortunately the flounder are about to leave the Chesapeake for the winter and I have to wait for next year to try. But it could also work for redfish and trout too. One thing is for sure, I won't be trying it for bass. I don't even fish for bass. But I do look for bass tackle and techniques that are adaptable to my saltwater species.
I can appreciate the uniqueness of the free rig and WHY people might like it more than a Texas rig, but I am not one of those people. I will take my standard Texas rig over the free rig. For me it's 1: Texas Rig. 2: Tokyo Rig 3: Free Rig. I think it is mainly a confidence things for me.
@@mikeybalzz 1/0 EWG with a small craw with big flappy claws. Great action on the fall. Haven’t tried a floating style plastic yet, but that’s a good idea!
Correction 4 good ones. I’ve tried the free rig and I personally like it. But I was using a small craw style bait on it. That style bait or something like a bellows gill/shad is great for a free rig. I believe that’s where it really shines.
OK... @1:44 "because we're worming dude & basically that's we're doin" so it's a 8.2:1 reel gear ratio said with come cockiness like "come on, you don't know this already?" What's it mean other than marketing hype to catch fisherman, not fish IMHO? Same Shimano reel model, different gear ratios that I fact checked me on over the weekend: 6.3:1 = 25" line per crank 7.2:1 = 28" line per crank 8.2:1 = 32" line per crank Plus, the higher the ratio = the less the torque which is 1 of the main baitcaster purposes for Pete's sake. So is 7" of line worth spending the $$ on extra rods, extra reels? I staunchly believe it falls in the "irrelevant" category & I'm a huge tackle junkie Reeling that extra 7" on a 6:3:1 reel is giving an extra smidge more than 1/4 of an extra turn (0.28 turns actually) Going a little further @3:23 the rig is totally hooked up incorrectly for a free rig. There has to be at least a bead to prevent the weight from slamming against the knot. Essentially just like a Carolina rig would be tied up, using a leader or not, get a bead in there. Comparing a Texas rig against a free rig is like comparing apples to oranges pretty much. Compare a free rig against a Carolina rig for a much closer comparison. Misses 2 fish, catches 1. A hookset is very different on a free rig than a Texas rig is because the slack between the weight & worm has to be taken into account. The typical hook set is closer to a Carolina long sweeping type of hookset. For brevity I know I'm butchering it but it's not a Texas rig type because of the slack btwn the weight & the rubber. Also, since like the Carolina rig, the fish can pick up a worm & swim towards the rod nearly weightless, that adds to the slack that has to be picked up sometimes. He describes it well as being different, but botches the "how to" parts. @5:52 he says he's not fond because he's missing bites. Up to my last paragraph. It's closer to a Carolina rig with less resistance than a barrel type of lead or tungsten weight so the rubber is more free to be sucked up & swam away with. @6:13 Water temps..."like hot tub 2.0". Ummm. This is where I closed that video. Water temps are always, without exceptions in degrees. There are no exceptions, not ever when I fish. I regularly use my Fishawk to give the water temps in 5' increments because they matter. He blew these details also Overall because of accuracy with details? Good thumbs down vote. Next time I hope this guy does some basic homework before turning on the camera. if he's talking to try & sound cool... ain't working Oh, to clarify a bit with my contexts here: I see a Texas rig as a pegged weight against the rubber & a Carolina rig being similar but the weight is not pegged so the line can somewhat freely move & a Carolina rig might or might not use a leader- I always use leaders. A free rig is closer to a Carolina rig then.
Absolute gimmicks, it seems that every year that a certain amount of Japanese gimmicks must be brought over here. 🤷♂️ Just about anything will catch a bass and I can guarantee you you have already been using amazing methods before this shits been introduced. So thank you Mikey for showing the people the flaws, The serious flaws on throwing this can have.
need to do some more research because you aint fishing the free rig corredtly. hardly ever do you use a worm. you need to use the correct baits to get the right action out of the rig
Your appreciation of the fish and worry for their health is honorable. Too many fisherman / hunters grow numb to seeing animals suffer and would rather let that fish die than take the time to perform surgery to get that hook out. Kudos to you kind sir
U need to junk that hook ur using
Go to a widegap u will be bettr off
It's the same as a Carolina rig except the weight is at ur bait but the bait has the same action as if u were tossing it on Carolina rig, and if can't feel them that means they can't feel u
Pink and white grubs have won me a couple local tourneys , I've use the free rig and kind of like it . The way to use it is to let it settle on bottom and then jerk it up from like 3 o clock to 12 and let it settle down slow again repeat a few times . That's what worked for me .
I recommend using a bobber stop , at the knot
Thanks for your honesty, bro, you don’t see that much these days on TH-cam
Tim at Tactical Bassin has a great video on the free rig and the advantages of it. He also has some great underwater video.
Ha, I finally broke down and bought some free rig weights and now I see your vid 😂
Love the candor Mikey. Your experience is my experience.
I love the freerig!! free rig has replace 80% of my non punching texas rig, It's not me but all the giant bass that eat it! I don't do anything finesse with it. I run it on my 7'6" m/h mod fast jig rod wit 50lb braid to 20-25lb leader to 1/4-3/4oz weight with a stop before the hook (then it can be like a freerig/carolina rig) and fish holes heavy eelgrass, kissimmee grass, pads and hydrilla... and also pop it! also haven't gut hooked a fish with the free rig but I really hope most florida guys don't try it... lol... I also just so happened to editing a video last weekend about why I've replaced the texas rig with 🤣
Idk Mikey, I've messed with it in my built in pool. It's ok you only really get that slower spiraling fall 1 time. Once you put tension on it and the weight gets down o the hook it fishes just like a Texas rig. It may be good for pitching to a specific spot like a dock or something. I don't mess with it much.
Good to hear your thoughts Mikey
Good to see you in Florida. I know you are close. Can’t make out where you are
Free rig beats any other rig or hard bait in summer noon, like 11 am to 3 pm
😂😂love that you keep it 💯 brotha this why I love the channel no hype straight up honest about what you like
I can't believe you hate this rig! I have been smashing fish on guntersville with it, but I actually fish it just how you theorized it working better with a spinning rod braid to leader. That may be why I am not having those gut hooking issues or difficulty detecting bites. Great video.
Works super great with a senko in deep water brush piles and creek channels edges . Half ounce for deep water and quarter ounce for less than 10 feet . I use 10 to 12 pound Gamma flourocarbon line . Casting for deep water , rocks , and brush piles . Spinning tackle for shallow water weeds and wood . Haven't had any fish break off yet .
Sounds like I need to play with it some more and dial it in.
Great tips. Looks like your home!
Im like you brother i like to feel the bite so they don't swallow it. I got to say the other day i went frog fishing and dude think God i had my pliers because they were taking it to the gut . Great video brother
You need to throw a plastic bait that offers lots more resistance as it falls. This creates MUCH more separation between the the bait and the weight. Skinn
You need to try the free rig with a dad gum bellows shad on it. Boy you ain’t felt one hammer it yet haha
Man I've caught them really good on a free rig but it's something I don't really mess with very often... if you're around any cover you have to really reel down good or you can't keep them hooked and I've gut hooked fish every time I've thrown one. I do like it a little but I'll probably end up using most of the weights I bought strictly for it drop shotting instead. I'm kind of like you maybe I'm missing something but it's not going to be replacing any other rigs I throw anytime soon... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
Jika rig to me would be the next setup to take over a Jig or T-Rig.
Use those style weights with drop shot too, just tie the weight on with a square knot, much weaker than any fishing knot, but won’t break off like the standard drop shot weights. Then you can used them for free rigging or anything else too.
I never have issues feeling bites with the free rig, on a 7’MH duckett pro series. I normally throw the 3/16-1/4oz. What I have gathered:
Open water= free rig
Cover & grass= Texas rig
It's like a half ass Tokyo rig that wants to be a Texas rig. Maybe very situational but not worth it where I fish in Florida.
I agree, I would take a regular Texas rig OR a Tokyo Rig over the free rig
Couple things that will greatly improve your experience with the free rig. Craws and or creature baits with some body work better on the rig than slim baits like a finesse worm. Also a tear drop tungsten 💧 weight is more compact and offers more feel. The real benefit to the free rig is being able to pitch your bait to cover and having the weight fall straight down on the cover rather than slowly falling away from the cover like s traditional t-rig. If you ever pitched a dropshot around cover its a similar effect where the weight falls fast and straight.
Thanks for sharing this Mikey. I have not been impressed with the free rig personally. I know a lot of guys like them and swear by them. For me the better rig is the Jika Rig. To me that is the secret sauce. Plus you can punch mats with it. Rumor has it you like punching mats 🎣😂. Give a Jika Rig a try Mikey. And give Bogs a high five for me. 🐶
Mr Balzz were do you mount a bow fish finder transducer when you have spot lock trolling motor ?
Thanx Mike. I agree, not that impressed but has a time and place. Over 8' of water for bait separation.
U need to use a bait with more resistance in the water , I personally haven't used one but I bet u the farm a bellows gill would be 🔥 on a free rig but most of your flappy , big exaggerated motion plastics is what is needed bro
The whole point is the falling freely thing. I've never ever used it to fish a worm though, and that's what I feel you missed. I don't use it a lot, but I use either something like a stroker craw, or adrenaline craw. Even some sort of creature/ brush hog. But to each his own as well you don't like it I don't care lol you do you fishing isn't about everyone copying what someone else does
I’ll be on that spot next week. Thanks. 👍
Free rig didn’t impress me, but I’m basically a potato.
A potato ?
@@holdengamble Dense. Obtuse. A simpleton.
I say if you don't try it, you will never know. I like that long reach hook extractor. Can you tell me where you purchased it from?
Hey Mikey just asking , do you ever actually swim in your pool .😊😅, Love your videos , you showing how and why. Not a video of you just fishing like a lot of videos. 😊😊😊😊
Appreciate that man I actually got a real cool series of videos coming using the pool but not for swimming LOL stay tuned
Free rig works better with a hand poured flat bottom worm or a wide body creature bait. Sometimes a fluke style bait works too. Need that slow spiral fall with the bait. Dragging it is like a Texas rig, Tokyo rig or damiki rig style. Free rig is pop up let weight fall fast bait free fall. I'm not a fan of it either lol. I've had the same luck with grandebass baits js lol.
It is a weird bite w the free rig. I’ve been using it almost exclusively in areas w no grass or deep water and sparse grass and 90% of my bites on the free rig I do not feel a tap. I jig it up then they eat it on the fall w the slack line and it’ll just be heavy all of a sudden the line will move as they’re swimming off with it. It’s rare that I feel a tap. I’m undecided honestly of it right now. I like the fact it’s gotten me some really good bites in some situations this year but I’m in agreement w you on the point that I can’t feel alot of the bites on it I hate that about it.
I have to wonder if that funny thing would be a good rig for flounder. It might be a flat fish slayer. Unfortunately the flounder are about to leave the Chesapeake for the winter and I have to wait for next year to try. But it could also work for redfish and trout too. One thing is for sure, I won't be trying it for bass. I don't even fish for bass. But I do look for bass tackle and techniques that are adaptable to my saltwater species.
I can appreciate the uniqueness of the free rig and WHY people might like it more than a Texas rig, but I am not one of those people. I will take my standard Texas rig over the free rig. For me it's 1: Texas Rig. 2: Tokyo Rig 3: Free Rig. I think it is mainly a confidence things for me.
The way you know is to use it in Korea a long time ago. It's called Free League
I have luck using creature style baits. Like the craw or the clean up craw and the bronco bug from crush city
Do you throw it on a baitcaster or spinning rod?
@@mikeybalzz baitcaster
If i had to pick something over a T-rig it be a jika rig
I notice you are in Florida and near you home(parents). That dark water, are you fishing Lake Josephine? (not sure about that spelling)
Trying to reinvent the wheel
LOL You caught like 10 schlawgs and it didn't work for you! Come fish with me over here.
Have you tried the Ozark rig yet? If so what are your thoughts on it?
I've tried it, I prefer the texas rig myself
Pro tip, use a small tungsten bullet weight. Do not peg it. Best of both worlds.
Grandebass is a well kept secret in soft plastics they catch biggs🎣🐳🐳🐳🐳🐳
Do they catch... Grande Bass? lol
Ok ill stop txt or calling, my bad lol
Throw my free rig with craws on rocky bottom for small mouth.
I can see how it would be absolutely killer for that especially with a floating style plastic
@@mikeybalzz 1/0 EWG with a small craw with big flappy claws. Great action on the fall. Haven’t tried a floating style plastic yet, but that’s a good idea!
Catches 3 good ones on it but says he hates the free rig. Pssh unreal!
Correction 4 good ones. I’ve tried the free rig and I personally like it. But I was using a small craw style bait on it. That style bait or something like a bellows gill/shad is great for a free rig. I believe that’s where it really shines.
To be fair, you don't have to like something just because it works.
@@Mongo6186 okay señor philosopher.
OK... @1:44 "because we're worming dude & basically that's we're doin" so it's a 8.2:1 reel gear ratio said with come cockiness like "come on, you don't know this already?" What's it mean other than marketing hype to catch fisherman, not fish IMHO?
Same Shimano reel model, different gear ratios that I fact checked me on over the weekend:
6.3:1 = 25" line per crank
7.2:1 = 28" line per crank
8.2:1 = 32" line per crank
Plus, the higher the ratio = the less the torque which is 1 of the main baitcaster purposes for Pete's sake.
So is 7" of line worth spending the $$ on extra rods, extra reels? I staunchly believe it falls in the "irrelevant" category & I'm a huge tackle junkie
Reeling that extra 7" on a 6:3:1 reel is giving an extra smidge more than 1/4 of an extra turn (0.28 turns actually)
Going a little further @3:23 the rig is totally hooked up incorrectly for a free rig. There has to be at least a bead to prevent the weight from slamming against the knot. Essentially just like a Carolina rig would be tied up, using a leader or not, get a bead in there.
Comparing a Texas rig against a free rig is like comparing apples to oranges pretty much. Compare a free rig against a Carolina rig for a much closer comparison.
Misses 2 fish, catches 1. A hookset is very different on a free rig than a Texas rig is because the slack between the weight & worm has to be taken into account. The typical hook set is closer to a Carolina long sweeping type of hookset. For brevity I know I'm butchering it but it's not a Texas rig type because of the slack btwn the weight & the rubber. Also, since like the Carolina rig, the fish can pick up a worm & swim towards the rod nearly weightless, that adds to the slack that has to be picked up sometimes. He describes it well as being different, but botches the "how to" parts.
@5:52 he says he's not fond because he's missing bites. Up to my last paragraph. It's closer to a Carolina rig with less resistance than a barrel type of lead or tungsten weight so the rubber is more free to be sucked up & swam away with.
@6:13 Water temps..."like hot tub 2.0". Ummm. This is where I closed that video. Water temps are always, without exceptions in degrees. There are no exceptions, not ever when I fish. I regularly use my Fishawk to give the water temps in 5' increments because they matter. He blew these details also
Overall because of accuracy with details? Good thumbs down vote. Next time I hope this guy does some basic homework before turning on the camera. if he's talking to try & sound cool... ain't working
Oh, to clarify a bit with my contexts here: I see a Texas rig as a pegged weight against the rubber & a Carolina rig being similar but the weight is not pegged so the line can somewhat freely move & a Carolina rig might or might not use a leader- I always use leaders. A free rig is closer to a Carolina rig then.
You have to set the hook straight up not to the side .
Not a fan of it either man. Theres other options and it might only be a certain group of people that like it but yea i hate it too 😅
U have to reel into your bites because of the slack - rookie hook sets bud
Just a unpegged Texas rig ... nothing to see here 👽🦖
Gimmick, when this came out I laughed. Just another way to sell tackle.
Absolute gimmicks, it seems that every year that a certain amount of Japanese gimmicks must be brought over here. 🤷♂️
Just about anything will catch a bass and I can guarantee you you have already been using amazing methods before this shits been introduced.
So thank you Mikey for showing the people the flaws, The serious flaws on throwing this can have.
Ur right , the free rig sucks. You shouldn't fish it and be either should anyone else on this page .. please and thank you.
You fished the free rig not in a good way 😂
need to do some more research because you aint fishing the free rig corredtly. hardly ever do you use a worm. you need to use the correct baits to get the right action out of the rig
Just another gimmick ...👽🦖