The misunderstood and underutilized Mojo Rig…
What is it? How is it fished, and should you try it the next time you’re on the water?
Let’s take a deep dive into this subtle bass fishing rig.
Table of Contents
What Is A Mojo Rig?
The mojo rig is a finesse fishing rig that is quickly gaining in popularity. This rig shines for its incredible finesse techniques that can be used to help catch highly pressured fish that might not otherwise take a lure.
The mojo rig is a fishing rig that is a simple variation of the Carolina rig. It is created by placing a weight a short distance above your hook and lure on the fishing line. This provides more movement and finesse while fishing.
The mojo rig is set up by utilizing things like bobber stops to place the weight on the fishing line instead of near your lure. Plastic worms and grubs are the most popular choice of the lure when using the mojo rig.
It can be a great option in situations where finesse is needed and where other rigs cannot handle lightweight tackle.
This fishing rig is easy to make and can handle a wide variety of fishing situations.
How to Target Largemouth bass with the Mojo Rig
While the mojo rig can work with many different species of fish, it is most commonly used to target largemouth bass. Because of its versatility, it can do well to catch largemouth in a wide range of areas and conditions.
The mojo rig excels at catching largemouth bass in specific areas such as near drop-offs, banks, points, and structures. It can also be fished in and around locations with thick vegetation and weed beds thanks to its simple and sleek design.
To best fish with a mojo rig, cast it out and let it completely sink to the bottom. Once it settles, let it sit for a few moments as this can often produce a strike as the fish watch it hit the bottom.
After waiting a little bit of time, slowly work the jig along the bottom with small pulls and hops. Keep a little tension on the line in order to better feel a strike. This method also works well with weed beds and vegetation.
When specifically targeting largemouth, you can also use the mojo rig much like a Carolina rig. I prefer to use a 5.5 inch paddle tail Senko worm.
It can be quickly and easily cast and retrieved in order to cover a lot of water in a short amount of time.
This can allow an angler to find where the bass are biting and better focus their efforts.
How to Tie a Mojo Rig
The mojo rig is very similar to the Carolina rig with just a few slight alterations. First, you will need to assemble all of the gear needed to assemble the mojo rig, which includes: fishing line, a 1/0 worm hook, a ⅛ ounce weight (or preferred size), glass beads, and your bait or lure.
To tie the mojo rig, you will start by tying in a bobber stop to the main fishing line. It should be placed about 3 feet from the end where your lure and hook will later be placed.
Add the weight to the line and slide it up near the bobber stop. Slide on a glass bead right behind it.
From here, add more bobber stops (up to three) behind the weight in order to keep the weight in place. This will ensure that the weight stays in place, even with multiple casts and rough fishing conditions.
Next, you will tie your favorite hook to the end of the line. Start with the number 1/0 hook and increase or decrease the size depending on how the fish react.
Add on your favorite plastic worm or lure and do the same, increasing or decreasing size depending on success.
See Also: Tips & Tricks When Using Plastic Lizards For Bass Fishing
How to Fish a Mojo Rig
The mojo rig really shines when fishing deep, open water, or even around sunken vegetation. Its simple design allows it to easily slip in and out of weeds and grass, avoiding snags.
It also works well in open and clear water, as short jerks and pulls provide very natural movements.
When fishing with the mojo rig, you must exercise a little more patience than other rigs. After tossing it out into the water, give it plenty of time to sink to the bottom slowly. The speed at which it sinks will depend on the size of weight you are using.
Once the rig reaches the bottom, you should still let it sit for some time before starting to move it. This will give any nearby fish a chance to bite.
If you don’t get any interest within a few minutes, slowly start giving little jerks and pulls in order to hop the bait along the bottom.
Anglers fishing in the deep clear reservoirs of the western states have found a lot of success using Garmin Livescope to locate deep suspended schools of bass, and using a mojo rig to entice a bite.
How to Fish the Mojo Rig for Striped Bass
The mojo rig for striped bass is very different than a traditional mojo rig that you would use for largemouth bass. In fact, the striped bass mojo rig is primarily used for trolling open water for stripers.
To create it, you will want to start with a fishing line of 50 to 80-pound test braid or stronger. With a leader of 10 to 15 feet of 60-pound test monofilament, you will connect a three-way swivel.
On one end of the swivel, connect a 6 to 10-foot leader of a 100-pound test fluorocarbon line. On the other end of the swivel, attach a 5-foot leader of the same 100-pound test fluorocarbon fishing line.
Once ready attach a lighter mojo jig to the longer leader and a heavier mojo jig to the shorter one.
For jig sizes, stick to 8 to 16-ounce jigs for the lighter mojo jig, and 16, 24, or 32-ounce jigs for the heavier size. Having a lighter and heavier jig weight will allow the mojo rig to troll properly through the water.
For Stripers, Mojo rigs can be trolled by themselves, slowly bumped along the bottom, or rigged and trolled in tandem. But while many of these methods can work, this rig is meant to be trolled. Once assembled, it is best trolled slowly at 3 or 4 knots.
By trolling the mojo rig slowly, it is allowed to fully sink to the bottom. With just a few turns of the reel, it can run right above the bottom and avoid any obstructions.
From here, you can carefully adjust the jig size and trolling speed in order to effectively fish the area.
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What Is a Mojo Rig Used For?
The mojo rig can be used in a variety of different situations, but it is best used under extreme circumstances when nothing else seems to be working or when certain conditions call for a more finesse approach to your tactics.
One of the best uses of the mojo rig is right after storms. During this time, other rigs tend to be slow to get strikes. It also tends to work great in clear and deep water that has no current when other rigs will struggle to convince fish that are refusing to bite.
For example, highly pressured fish will often disregard the most popular baits and fishing methods.
They may also ignore your baits depending on the weather, food availability, and water temperatures.
See Also: Fishing After Rain- Is It Worth It Or A Waste Of Time?
With a mojo rig, you can give your lure a more lifelike and enticing appearance.
Other anglers like to use the mojo rig under cloudless skies. The lightweight tackle and finesse technique that the mojo rig requires allows it to appear much more lifelike in the bright and clear water.
Mojo Rig vs Carolina Rig
The mojo rig is a variation of the Carolina rig, but there are a few important differences between the two.
The first major difference is how many components are required to make each one.
The Carolina rig requires at least six, while a mojo rig will only require four.
Carolina rigs need a weight, bead, swivel, leader, hook, and bait. A mojo rig will only need a weight, bobber stop, hook, and bait. The simple design gives the mojo rig a number of different advantages over a traditional Carolina rig.
The biggest advantage that the mojo rig has over the Carolina rig is its ability to make less noise, drop farther, and sink slower due to its design.
The mojo rig has much less drag, allowing it to be fished in and around cover without making as much noise and movement as the Carolina rig.
While the Carolina rig does well in heavy grass and vegetation, the mojo rig does an even better job at sliding through weeds.
When it comes to comparing the two from a bird’s eye view, the Carolina rig is for heavier weights, baits, and lines while the mojo rig excels at lighter and more finesse approaches. Both rigs are extremely similar and do a great job at catching fish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size weight should I use for a mojo rig?
Because the mojo rig is better suited for lightweight and finesse fishing setups, a simple ⅛ ounce weight is the most popular option.
You can, however, use any size of weight for this rig as you need for your specific situation or preferences.
For anglers that want the rig to sink faster or who prefer to cast a little further, you can use a ⅜ ounce weight or a ¼ ounce weight.
These will provide a little less movement and finesse but will provide faster sink rates.
What size hooks should I use for a mojo rig?
Most anglers will opt for a low profile 1/0 size hook for their mojo rig set up, but the size of the hook that you use will largely depend on the size of the fish that you intend to catch.
You can and should experiment with various sizes of hooks depending on how the fish are reacting to your mojo rig.
As long as you use hooks from good brands, you can expect them to be high quality and get the job done regardless of the size.
Stick to brands like as Owner, Gamakatsu, and Mustad.
Do they make mojo rig kits?
There are several companies that offer complete mojo rig fishing kits which include everything you need in order to make it. Many of these will also come with complete step-by-step instructions on how to assemble them.
For a striped bass mojo rig, you can find complete kits like the Run Off Lures Mojo Starter kit that has everything you need (apart from the fishing line) in order to troll with a mojo rig.
Can you fish a tandem mojo?
While the mojo rig is great by itself, it can also be fished in tandem with the use of an added swivel. Many anglers that are pursuing striped bass will utilize a tandem mojo rig in order to catch these fish.
Depending on your fishing style and preferences, you can run up to 3 or 4 mojo jigs to run in tandem while trolling for striped bass. For largemouth bass, however, a mojo rig is not generally run in tandem with anything else.
Can you troll with a mojo rig?
Although the mojo rig is popular for its lightweight and finesse characteristics, it can be effectively trolled by itself or in tandem. Trolling is a tried and true method for catching many types of fish, and the mojo rig can be a great addition to this tactic.
Trolling with a mojo rig is the primary method that is used for some fish such as striped bass and saltwater species. It can be a great way to cover a lot of water very quickly and attract great numbers of fish to your rig.
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