The ‘Mohawk’ rig by Sam Meeuwiseen

Here’s a rig that I have been using very successfully on the quiet for several years now. It’s one that I have found exceedingly effective when fishing gravel pits targeting bream, tench and carp. Tying the rig is very simple and all you need to construct it is a grain of Enterprise Tackle Pop Up Sweetcorn, a size 10 Target Specimen hook, a small size 16 hook and a length of 15lb Trickster braid.

I have certainly found it best to fish this rig over a carpet of small food items such as maggots, hemp, pellets and ground bait (with a sprinkling of corn). Being critically balanced the hook bait sits up the length of the hair off of the hook. The combination of using this with a supple braided hook length works perfectly, adding free movement and allowing the hook bait to move naturally. The addition of three or four maggots adds movement to the hook bait and is a highly visual thanks to the piece of fake corn. Both sight and movement make this hookbait very attractive.

I recommend adding a small Micromesh PVA stick of groundbait to the rig as it ensures the small supple hook length doesn’t tangle on the cast and adds a small pile of attractive feed around the hook bait.

My favourite stick mix incorporates a fine fishmeal and krill based based groundbait mixed with molasses and a pinch of 2mm pellets, crushed halibut pellets and crushed hemp. If I have time I like to mix the groundbait base for the stick mix up the night before (mixing it occasionally) as this ensured that any attractors are absorbed evenly by the groundbait.

How to tie Sam’s Mohawk Rig.

Step 1 – Tie a small size 16 Target Specimen hook to the length of Trickster braid using your preferred knot.

Step 2 – Pierce a piece of buoyant Enterprise Tackle imitation corn through the narrow end first with a baiting needle as shown.

Step 3 – Thread the corn down the hook length and push the small hook into the fat end of the corn.

Step 4 – Taking a size 10 Target Specimen hook tie a standard knotless knot as shown so the piece of corn sits straight off the back of the hook shank.

Step 5 – Carefully withdraw the small hook from the corn and hook on three maggots. Carefully push the hook point back into the corn.

Step 6 – The finished rig.