Ryan Collins
I first learned about 3-waying live bait for big striped bass when I was 18 or 19 years old. At the time I was working at One Shot Bait & Tackle in Sagamore Beach, a small bait and tackle shop that has since closed its doors.
Back then I made about 50% of my summer vacation money by selling striped bass. I understand there is a lot of opinions about commercial bass fishing, which I empathize with.
However back then when my dad and I went commercial bass fishing, we did not have the aid of sonar or GPS. For the first few years I don’t think we even had cell phones. I never knew for sure where the fish would be, and it took us hours upon hours to catch enough to pay for gas (not to mention turn a profit).
More...
Before sonar and GPS we found fish based upon past experience and by thinking like a bass. I quickly discovered that one surefire way to find stripers was to locate areas of current, and I also quickly learned how bass relate to structure. Naturally the next thing I learned was how to fish a 3-way rig, which is hands down the most effective method I can think of for presenting a live bait to a big bass laying on the bottom near structure in areas with lots of current.
In the video tutorial below (which can be accessed by My Fishing Cape Cod members only) I will teach you exactly how I prepare a 3-way rig for fishing live bait for huge summertime stripers.
Specifically in this video tutorial you will learn:
Thank you for watching this video tutorial! I hope you will find an opportunity this summer to utilize this deadly big bass technique.
Tight lines ?
About the author
Very helpful. A knot tieing vid would be a plus. Tough to shoot no doubt.
Roger that Dave ?? Thanks for watching!
Great information Ryan. Having the extra weights rigged is key. One Shot. That’s a blast from the past. I forget the owners name but he was a funny guy. I would walk into the place with my cousin and uncle ( who introduced me to fishing the canal some years ago). We would be the only ones in the place and he would yell out ” Next ! ” like there was a line out the door. Funny guy.
That was Jim Hickey! Hilarious guy to work with. I think he is now 90 years old and living in Marshfield. He is a very funny guy. Great to hear you mention that! Really jogs my memory.
Great info Ryan. 3 way rigs are good for surf casting as well? I know you would probably use a pyramid shaped sinker and chunk bait correct? I haven’t tried this method yet. I am sure there is a video available on MFCC when I am ready to try. I also watched the link to “10 Tips for Surf Casting”. Good info on the wind and it’s impact on pushing bait in. Thanks!
For surfcasting I would opt for a fish finder or high-low rig like the one described here > https://www.onthewater.com/three-surf-rigs-every-surfcaster-should-know-about
Glad you enjoyed my 10 Tips for Surfcasting Cape Cod Presentation!