Centre Rigger
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Work-Up
Forum Description: Game fishing related topics here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16304
Printed Date: 10 Jun 2026 at 4:25pm
Topic: Centre Rigger
Posted By: Saltiga
Subject: Centre Rigger
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2006 at 3:09pm
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looking at setting up a centre rigger for this season, what are the dos and donts for them, if any, and what is the different set ups like, pictures would be much appreciated
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Replies:
Posted By: thomastats
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2006 at 5:50pm
| PM Bitie2000...he will be able to help |
Posted By: odin
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2006 at 5:56pm
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I run a 16' centre rigger off the top of my cabin which effectivly gives me @ 25' off the water. It is stiff enough to run a large skip bait on shotgun - you do need good height to get it working right. I can also run a mini 'greenstik' break away system for tuna. The main rigging I use on it is a continuious loop with tagline/rubber band release & return weight. Has proved a very produtive system over the years. To sum up
Do's
Good height
Tag line- gets you up above & clear of other gear - good for working area.
Stiff rig - aids quick release
Dont's
Low height - defeats the purpose of a centre rigger
Soft rig - never good for anything
 Cheers
odin ------------- www.fish-crazy.com |
Posted By: bitie2000
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2006 at 11:16pm
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Like Odin said mate.
Treat it the same as a rigger. We run ours a little low IMO but its just the way the rail is on the flybridge. We run a roller troller on it as its simple to use. But on the last boat i was on we used a tag line. The second is my prefered method. The only down side is when you turn sharp and the tag line drops, the extra line can get caught on other rods so keep an eye on it. If i could change anything i would fish a blacks clip or the like up there and use loops like on the riggers. Its just so much easier to get that line back up there quickly after a knock down. Remember its just another rigger!
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Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2006 at 11:24pm
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interesting stuff, have just set mine up, am running a 12 foot stiffy rigger with a tag line, seems easier this way rather than with the troller, last years blue came off the shot gun was the first for the boat and me to have a hit from that rigger.
hey 2000 do you run a drop back on yours? mine has none, am interested in new things.
the base is one of those ajustable jobbies which Adam S sent me
as you say same as other riggers and i have tensioned it up for the crisp release
looking forward to trying it
the skip bait off it sounds interesting 2.
just turned down 2x 26 foot riggers and bases [same as the swing outs you see on the rivs.]all for $350 will be pulling my hair out as these are what i was after before buying the relax 1's
hey salty pm me i will tell you where a shotty rigger is with bases etc. ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: Saltiga
Date Posted: 25 Sep 2006 at 11:29am
| thanks for the information guys, looking at running it from the rocket launcher, BA have got the rigger sorted but thanks anyway, have you got a pic of your centre rigger set up? |
Posted By: bitie2000
Date Posted: 25 Sep 2006 at 7:12pm
| BA...when i was running tag lines we had a drop back, but not much. With the troller there is a little bit of drop back but the damn thing always pulls down a fair bit on the bite even if the cord is tied up tight. Don't like it too much really so will change it this year and see how it goes. To be honest the best hook-ups we have had is just running the rod from the flybridge rod holders. Straight from the rod has always been best IMO. On one boat i was on we ran a cord from the mast light and tied the rubber band to that, simple but very effective. If i could do away with the centre rigger i would. Four lures run of the riggers is all you need IMO. But i know some out there just need more lures out there to feel like they are fishing lol |
Posted By: odin
Date Posted: 25 Sep 2006 at 7:41pm
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bitie2000, from the problems you describe I think your tag line may be too short & or your centre rigger is not upright or tall enough. To work effectivley your line should angle up to the end of the tag line at @ 30 degrees. This keeps the line over the top of everything else except in the most radical crash turns. If you are around Auckland I would be more than happy to look at your rigging sometime if thats a help.
Cheers
odin
Cheers ------------- www.fish-crazy.com |
Posted By: bitie2000
Date Posted: 25 Sep 2006 at 7:48pm
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Odin....cheers mate. I do know how to rig em, just as i mention earlier the way the base is set up and all, limits how we can fish it effectively. And the cost to get it set right just isn't worth it really. Plus the old fella can't see any reason too. Plus having no bites on it this year doesn't really concern me. Have always had better hook-up ratio on the riggers and flats on nearly every boat i have fished. |
Posted By: dustin
Date Posted: 25 Sep 2006 at 9:06pm
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Good comments from everyone. Stretch (Bitie2000) is dead on that four lures is enough for marlin fishing but it's nice to have the option of running a 5th line aka the stinger bait further back. Sometimes you can have a billfish miss one of the corner or rigger lines and then switch onto the stinger and get hooked that way. The fifth line is also useful for target something different like tuna or white marlin etc... with a smaller lure. The center rigger is most useful when trying to run a lure far back in the spread (mainly for targeting tuna), as the extra height keeps the leader and line from dragging on the surface. If you are running your stinger lure not too far back ie the 6th to 7th waves often you can just run it from the bridge.
I like the Blacks clip and dacron outrigger loop setup Stretch suggested for the center rigger although I find the roller troller is alright and a tag line is also good. If you don't use a tagline you will have more dropback on the bite but it hasn't been a huge problem... for me anyway. A fast moving fish and a boat trolling at 8 knots will straighten out the slack pretty quick. If your center rigger isn't as stiff as your outriggers, I find it's better to run a light setting on the rigger clip and try and hook the fish off the rod, especially if you're running roller-trollers. Roller-trollers don't mix well with flexible riggers and heavy clip settings.
You can get pretty imaginative with center rigger setups: I've used one made with a long bamboo tuna pole which was excellent. The stiffer they are the better, fibreglass riggers can be put under some tension which reduces effective length but helps make them stiffer.
Lots of luck
cheers - dustin
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Posted By: thomastats
Date Posted: 26 Sep 2006 at 11:55pm
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come on stretch you know the Ol fella won't do away with the centre rigger...LOL...the only prlem I found with It was me....I'm too dam short to clip It back on every time It came out........LOL |
Posted By: bitie2000
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2006 at 5:37pm
| lol yeah mate, i still have to reach for it when its not pulled all the way down! |
Posted By: RavellingTangler
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2006 at 3:50am
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(spot the mean lad ! well...I've got other things to spend money on LOL!)
What is the best, stiffest pole to use in a centre rigger, if you don't want to spend thousands of dollars ?
Or to put it another way, is there a cheap alternative to the best ?
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Posted By: Saltiga
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2006 at 1:54pm
| make one yourself, but as you read, needs to be really stiff, what sort of boat you running it from, |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2006 at 4:54pm
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sorry salti just read this no mate no pics of mine, Adam sent me the base and set the angle he thought was the go so i have more or less stuck with it as odin said about 30* angle and i have siffened it up even more under a bit of tension.
it would be about 6.5 to 7m above the water which is nice and high. ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: RavellingTangler
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2006 at 4:09am
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thanks for that. I'd be mounting it on the top of an "Evolution" 10metre boat (like the "Offshore 105 boats) on the cabin roof (no tower or flybridge), stiffening the roof with a plate of course.
I guess it just could not be a strong enough mounting point for a lightweight "green stick" system, so would only be pulling a low-drag lure at high speeds or a small spreader-bar at lower speeds
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