Homemade Umbrella Rig

The umbrella rig is a large trolling system common for offshore saltwater fishing. The line attaches to a central swivel and four-to-six wire arms extend off the swivel. The lure is tied to the opposite end of the swivel and a flasher or small lure is attached to each arm. The flashers spin around the main lure and create a highly visible presence in the water. The umbrella rig mimics a small school of fish and attracts predatory species like striped bass, tuna and marlin.

  1. The Umbrella

    • Purchase the wire umbrella arms as blanks before building your own rig. Bending wire with pliers is an option but the pre-assembled arms are inexpensive and already bent into shape. Try a six-arm rig for deep trolling and a four arm rig for shallow water trolling. The six-arm rig uses two additional baitfish for extra weight and motion. The six-arm is best suited for imitating large baitfish schools for striped bass, tuna and large fish species. The smaller four-arm rigs are ideal for reducing weight and transferring the rig to freshwater for lake trout and muskie.

    The Baitfish

    • Select a baitfish color based on the natural baitfish in the local waters. Silver, yellow and black are common colors. Purchase one 4-inch, soft plastic baitfish for each arm on the umbrella. Larger sizes are available but the average baitfish is roughly four to eight inches long. Baitfish with flashy materials injected into the mold maximize reflection and work well for imitating a school.

    Attaching the Baitfish

    • Pinch the clip on a snap swivel to unlock the swivel. Pierce the nose of one baitfish with the swivel. Repeat the process for each additional baitfish. Pinch the swivels to return the clip to a locked position. Hang the loop end of the swivel on one of the umbrella arm hooks. Crimp the hook with needle nose pliers to lock the swivel and baitfish on the wire. Hang one baitfish on each arm of the umbrella.

    Attaching the Lure

    • Tie 3 feet of 50-pound monofilament to one ring on a barbell swivel with a clinch knot. Feed the line through the ring and twist the ring seven times. Feed the end of the line through the loop formed below the wraps. Pull the line and ring in opposite directions to tighten the knot. Tie the free end of the line to a 6/0, white bucktail jig as the main lure.

    Rigging the Line

    • Tie a one foot piece of 50-pound monofilament to the free ring on the barbell swivel. Feed the line through the center hole on the umbrella. Tie the opposite end of the line to a second barbell swivel with a clinch knot. Tie the free end of the second barbell swivel to the main fishing line. The two swivels prevent the umbrella from sliding against the main lure.