Belmar rig

[rubberheels]

What exactly is a belmar rig? Is it just a Dropper loop above the sinker with a single hook on peice of leader? can't find a picture. I've only fished for Blackfish fo 55 years.

[Gerry Zagorski]

This and alot of other info on a post talking about Blackfish rigs in the Fishing Tips section


I'm definately on the side of no additional hardware. More to loose, more to get snagged and no real benefit to swivels or sinker slider or snaps.

Join your braided line to your top shot using a Uni to Uni or Alberto knot. I prefer the Albeto knot... Easier to tie and it has a lower profile than the uni so it goes through the rod eyes easier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J56O3CZVu7M

Take the last foot or so of your top shot and double it with a double overhand knot at the top. Put your sinker on that loop.

Make a loop 4 inches or so above your sinker and attached your pre snelled hook with a pre tied loop on to it to that loop. Now take your sinker and the line coming out of it and tie a double overhand knot around your hook loop to keep it in place.

This makes it very easy to re tie rigs when you eventually get snagged and break off.

I like using as stiff leader as possible for the hook leader since it helps keep the hook line away from your main line and tangling back up on it.

[hammer4reel]

A Belmar rig is the addition of a slider hook that floats on the leader you attached to the dropper.

some feel that hook burns off on bigger fish. I feel IF you use quality flouro that holds up better to abrasion that additional hook allows more methods for crab attachment , as well as puts alot of fish in the boat

[PALMERS TACKLE]

A belmar rig is a tog rig designed by some of the best captains in belmar some of which are sponsors here on NJFISHING.
THese rigs all have one thing in common--the hook is below the sinker. This allows the free flow of the bait/crab to present more naturally.
There are three versions --actually four now with a new variation used by some lately.
A single hook rig is a rig with a dropper loop at the bottom for a sinker--at the width of say four finger you do a reverse loop over the leader...then attach a pre-snelled single hook with a loop end over the main line leader and pull it through the loop two times...snug down and then bring the sinker loop and loop over main line pull over the loop and inside the loop and pull tight to form a lock knot
The other two versions are two hook variations of the same rig..one with a slider hook above the snelled hook and the other is a snafu rig with two snelled hooks at opposite ends of a snelled leader--giving you two drops with snelled hooks
The latest version is a simple yet very effective style---take a 42"leader...snell a hook on the end--approx. 8 -10" above tie a dropper loop for your sinker---attach to main line via uni- or alberto or swivel if you prefer
We sell the popular 3 versions of the Belmar rig on our site--soon to have the fourth style in 40 lb test with 4/0 octopus available as well
Do the old style Hi/Lo rigs work sure but the belmar rig has consistently taken more blackfish in better size than any other style
Belmar rigs can be found on my site www.palmersbucktails.com and are now at a 20% savings for a limited time to kickoff the season
If you are using braid use at least a 3' or more top shot of mono leader...the sharpies leave the braid at home and prefer mono
I tie my rigs on a hard very abrasion resistant pearlon leader as it stands the hooks out better and doesn't tangle easily---these are the ones you find generally pre-cut in tackle shops

[Gerry Zagorski]

Hmmm.... Most rigs live seen have the hook leader looped in above the sinker not below it.

Wondering if I've been doing it wrong all these years... That would explain a lot :rolleyes:

[hammer4reel]

Hmmm.... Most rigs live seen have the hook leader looped in above the sinker not below it.

Wondering if I've been doing it wrong all these years... That would explain a lot :rolleyes:


NOPE you been doing it right, the sinker does NOT go above the hook.
if tied that way the fish would move the sinker before you felt the line move.
having the sinker on the BOTTOM , is what lets your crab float and bounce around when Thumped .
and lets the sinker stay motionless through out the bite

[PALMERS TACKLE]

Hmmm.... Most rigs live seen have the hook leader looped in above the sinker not below it.

Wondering if I've been doing it wrong all these years... That would explain a lot :rolleyes:

Your right Gerry all the best rig designs have the hook below the sinker!
All of our rig designs have the hooks approx..6-8" below the sinker loop.

[mike1010]

What exactly is a belmar rig? Is it just a Dropper loop above the sinker with a single hook on peice of leader? can't find a picture. I've only fished for Blackfish fo 55 years.

Apparently it is whatever we say it is.:D

[Rocknrolla]

Now take your sinker and the line coming out of it and tie a double overhand knot around your hook loop to keep it in place.


- Make a loop in the doubled line 3 inches or so above your sinker. Thread a pre snelled hook with a pre tied loop on to that loop. Now take your sinker and the line and tie a double overhand knot around your hook loop to keep it in place.

bring the sinker loop and loop over main line pull over the loop and inside the loop and pull tight to form a lock knot

I am not sure I am allowed to revive old thread....:confused:

While I was searching for hardware-less, easy tying yet stong tautog/blackfish rig and found this 'belmar rig' fits the bill.

I read over and over at least dozen times to visualize the rig, but still not getting the last step where making double overhand knot. (Also read couple other posts about blackfish rig but no luck)

Can somebody direct me to a picture/video tutorial if there is one ever posted before? or post a picture of the final product of the rig so I can figure out by myself?

Thank you in advance.

[SaltLife1980]

Your right Gerry all the best rig designs have the hook below the sinker!
All of our rig designs have the hooks approx..6-8" below the sinker loop.

:confused::confused:

[Meat Hunter]

The hook hangs below the sinker on a Belmar Rig. The perfection loop end of your snelled hook is attached to the surgeons' loop that your sinker attaches to.

The perfection snelled hook is attached above the weight, but hangs below the sinker.

There are tricks to make the hook stand perfect on the bottom, in the right direction.

A 2 hook snafu blackfish rig is not a Belmar rig, although the most common. I use a one hook (Belmar) rig.

Meat Hunter........ "Get on the MEAT, Stay on the MEAT!!! Fry the MEAT!!!"

[SaltLife1980]

How i was shown or whatever is you attach your top shot to your main line. Run out how ever much you want then tie a large surgeons loop or perfection whatever you like. Put your weight on the loop and go up the line to where you want it and pinch the loop and feed the snelled hook through then tie a over hand knot to lock it down. Weight on bottom and the hook tied above it

[Gerry Zagorski]

Last 12 to 18 inches of your mono top shot is doubled with a double overhand knot at the top. Now you have a double mono loop that is 12 to 18 inches long.

Run the end of the double loop through the sinker eye and over the sinker to secure it at the bottom of the loop....

4 or so inches above the sinker make a loop out of the doubled line and take your pre snelled hook loop and slide it over the double line loop and run the hook and leader through the loop...

Secure the hook loop from siding up and down the double leader by tying a double overhand knot over it.

The hook should always hang below the sinker to reduce the risk of your bait getting tangled up on you leader. Stiff leader is best for the hook snell since the stiffness will also help keep your bait from tangling back on the leader.

[Rocknrolla]

Last 12 to 18 inches of your mono top shot is doubled with a double overhand knot at the top. Now you have a double mono loop that is 12 to 18 inches long.

Run the end of the double loop through the sinker eye and over the sinker to secure it at the bottom of the loop....

4 or so inches above the sinker make a loop out of the doubled line and take your pre snelled hook loop and slide it over the double line loop and run the hook and leader through the loop...

Secure the hook loop from siding up and down the double leader by tying a double overhand knot over it.

The hook should always hang below the sinker to reduce the risk of your bait getting tangled up on you leader. Stiff leader is best for the hook snell since the stiffness will also help keep your bait from tangling back on the leader.


Thank you! I think I got it now. I had some spare time this afternoon and decided to use my imagination:D Is this how it supposed to look?

Tie alberto knot to connect 24-36 inches mono leader to main line. Fold the mono leader in half and tie a double overhand knot.

Below overhand knot, There is 12-18 inches ‘double lined’ mono leader with sinker attached to the end.

4 inches above the sinker loop, use loop-loop connection to attach snelled hook.

Tie an overhand knot over the loop-loop connection.

[JeffZ]

That's the way I vision it.
Not sure why the double line?

[Capt. Lou]

Probably abrasion ! Don’t need it if u install dropper loop on TS and just loop snell to it !
We wreck fish locally but in other locations it’s mainly reef n rock , so double line helps locally

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thank you! I think I got it now. I had some spare time this afternoon and decided to use my imagination:D Is this how it supposed to look?

Tie alberto knot to connect 24-36 inches mono leader to main line. Fold the mono leader in half and tie a double overhand knot.

Below overhand knot, There is 12-18 inches ‘double lined’ mono leader with sinker attached to the end.

4 inches above the sinker loop, use loop-loop connection to attach snelled hook.

Tie an overhand knot over the loop-loop connection.

You got it Rockn and yes the line is doubled to avoid abrasion. Only thing I would suggest you do is use more then a 36 inch piece of mono to start... I use 10 feet or so... The advantage of a longer leader/top shot is when you eventually break off a rig, it's usually at the hook or sinker... Now you have the rest of that mono to tie another rig and you don't have to tie another Alberto knot to join the braid to a new piece of mono... This helps you get back in the water faster and when it's really cold you don't have to tie as many knots.

Lots of variations to this rig and here's a few....

1) You can put a 2nd hook on your snell called a slider... You don't tie this hook, it's meant to slide up and down the hook leader and you can either run 2 hooks through the same crab or a crab on each...

2) Rather then double the last 18 inches you can use one line.... Tie a dropper loop in it for your snell, 4 inches below it a perfection loop for your sinker. Some guys tie one simple overhand knot between the dropper loop and sinker... The theory here is that a single overhand knot weakens the line between the hook and sinker... You hook a fish and the sinker is snagged the sinker breaks away and your still have your hook in the fish.

All this talk about Blackfish is giving me the itch....

[hammer4reel]

You got it Rockn and yes the line is doubled to avoid abrasion. Only thing I would suggest you do is use more then a 36 inch piece of mono to start... I use 10 feet or so... The advantage of a longer leader/top shot is when you eventually break off a rig, it's usually at the hook or sinker... Now you have the rest of that mono to tie another rig and you don't have to tie another Alberto knot to join the braid to a new piece of mono... This helps you get back in the water faster and when it's really cold you don't have to tie as many knots.

Lots of variations to this rig and here's a few....

1) You can put a 2nd hook on your snell called a slider... You don't tie this hook, it's meant to slide up and down the hook leader and you can either run 2 hooks through the same crab or a crab on each...

2) Rather then double the last 18 inches you can use one line.... Tie a dropper loop in it for your snell, 4 inches below it a perfection loop for your sinker. Some guys tie one simple overhand knot between the dropper loop and sinker... The theory here is that a single overhand knot weakens the line between the hook and sinker... You hook a fish and the sinker is snagged the sinker breaks away and your still have your hook in the fish.

All this talk about Blackfish is giving me the itch....


You get an itch to watch Joey catch fish lol

[Gerry Zagorski]

You get an itch to watch Joey catch fish lol

It sure is entertainment.... Joe is wrapped pretty tight to begin with and he does get extra serious and edgy when it comes to Blackfishing... He really gets riled up when he or someone misses a fish, drops a 10 ounce sinker on the deck or when we throw empty beer cans at his feet :eek:

All kidding aside, we're so different but I love him like a brother.....

(Don't say anything but Mom found him when he was an infant...He was laying in crab tote next to a green boat in Point drinking a Mountain Dew bottle) PMP!!

[hammer4reel]

It sure is entertainment.... Joe is wrapped pretty tight to begin with and he does get extra serious and edgy when it comes to Blackfishing... He really gets riled up when he or someone misses a fish, drops a 10 ounce sinker on the deck or when we throw empty beer cans at his feet :eek:

All kidding aside, we're so different but I love him like a brother.....

(Don't say anything but Mom found him when he was an infant...He was laying in crab tote next to a green boat in Point drinking a Mountain Dew bottle) PMP!!

Thats some funny sh/t right there lol

[shrimpman steve]

Lmao!!!:D