"PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

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ez2cdave
Fisher
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:24 pm

"PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

Post by ez2cdave »

How to make pilchard rings

To All,

When I was growing up in South Florida, I used Pilchard Rings ( aka - "Ribbon Rigs" ) to catch baitfish ( Pilchards / Menhaden ) from the fishing piers . Recently, I discovered that they have been declared to be a "gill net", theoretically "illegal", and not available in stores anymore. I always used to make my own, as a kid.

So, for purely "historical value" . . .

"HOW TO MAKE PILCHARD RINGS"

MATERIALS :

6 ft. of #7 Dark-Colored, Solid Leader Wire

1 Barrel Swivel

1 Snap Swivel ( to allow weight changes )

Cardboard Toilet Paper or Paper Towel Tube ( 1" I.D. Sch. 40 PVC works great, too )

3 ft. of Bright Red Ribbon ( 3/8" - 1/2" wide )

Pyramid, Bank, or Dipsey/ Bass Sinker ( 3/4oz - 1 1/2oz +/- )

CONSTRUCTION :

(1) Start with a six-foot length of No. 7 dark leader wire.

(2) Bend it in half and slide on a barrel swivel.

(3) Tie a LOOSE, TWO-TURN, overhand knot in the wire near the bend to "capture" the swivel

(4) Form a loop, using a the toilet paper or paper towel tube ( or 1" I.D. Sch. 40 PVC pipe )as a "mandrel" ( you may need to vary the loop size depending on baitfish sizes in your area) and make a SINGLE-TURN Overhand Knot,

(5) ALTERNATE the direction of the Overhand Knots each time to help the rig hang straighter

(6) Repeat until you have a series of loops, leaving a couple of inches of wire free at the bottom

(7) Slip on the Snap Swivel and connect the loose ends of the wire, using a SHORT Haywire Twist

(8) Hold the rig at each end and pull on it to stretch the loops out into an oval shape

(9) Attach the bright red ribbon at one end by knotting it to the Swivel loop

(10) Pass the ribbon through rings one-third and two-thirds of the way up the rig

(11) Attach the ribbon to the other Swivel, leaving some slack in the ribbon when fully extended

(12) Attach the Sinker to the Snap Swivel and the rig is complete

HOW TO USE:

Tie the rig to a light spinning rod and lower or cast it into a baitfish school and let it sink. You will feel baitfish hitting the rig. Keep the line tight and wait for the rod to bend. When it does, wait a few seconds and reel up. Remove baitfish and repeat, as desired !


repair
Fisher
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:08 pm
Location: Lake Worth in West Palm Beach

Re: "PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

Post by repair »

Don,t make them their illegal, thats why you can,t buy them anymore.
They come under the net ban.
They work great but you will get in trouble if caught with them, and they will take your gear.

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Kingofthesea
GOLIATH GROUPER
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 1:00 pm

Re: "PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

Post by Kingofthesea »

Yo Rocky, half the forum hasn't read anything that length since high school and the other half can't read. I used these all the time at Pompano because they don't tangle like the biki's not to mention those freakin' little hooks that always get me. Just a minor correction to EZ's post .....since 1974 pilchard rings are legal to use if you are American born.

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Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

Sandbar
Seasoned Fisher
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:32 pm

Re: "PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

Post by Sandbar »

I have to say a lot of people have been asking this question. No, really. A lot of people come up to me and they ask me. They say, what are pilchard rings? And I tell them they're not a sabiki rig. We've had almost eight years of the worst kind of sabiki rigs you can imagine. We need to start winning again. The pilchards are killing us. We need to build a wall. A very big wall. Bomb the pilchards, and snook fish juno pier. America will be great again. Believe me.

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shos260288
KING MACKEREL
Posts: 682
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 11:50 am

Re: "PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

Post by shos260288 »

Sounds like a ring revolution to me. :cheers:
Fish Crazy

Sandbar
Seasoned Fisher
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:32 pm

Re: "PILCHARD RINGS" - Make Your Own !

Post by Sandbar »

:uplol:

Mark your calender's everybody. Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) Sabiki Independence Day :patriot:

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