Tokyo Rig

[dgkasper58]

Just wanted to see how you all set up your weights and bend the wire for the Tokyo rig. 

 

Seems the double worm weight (back to back) is the cleanest but having some issues with the wire catching weeds.

 

Thanks

 

 

[NHBull]

I have been playing with it, but like you say, we are limited in the areas to throw it.  Seems to get caught on everything. I too would like to here from someone who has had success 

[VinnyR]

I talked to someone at my local urban pond who suggested I try punching a Tokyo rig into the pads. I didn't know what a Tokyo rig was, but I ordered a few and gave it a shot.

 

Either I'm missing something or that was just bad advice, because I tried it and pulled up TONS of grass and weeds with every cast. If you figure out what it's good for let me know! Haha

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

Does the bend in the wire hang the weeds?

 

I haven't used mine yet, wondering if there inst a better way than introducing a snag point. Like maybe pegging like with the T-rig?

[paulmandude]

I have no experience but have heard that you want to bend the bottom of the wire 180 degrees so it doesn’t catch as much

[fishwizzard]

I think the Tokyo is a poor fit for weedy/grassy areas and the very similar but less snaggy Jika rig would be better. 

[bigjean663]

I’ve had luck with it in grassy areas but the frustration of constantly pulling grass off the Bend gets old real quick. I’ve had my best luck using two 1/8oz bullet weights when the bottom is hard or something like sand. As long as there’s no grass or pads I’ve got confidence in it. It’s got its time and place in my bag of tricks for sure. 

2 hours ago, paulmandude said:

I have no experience but have heard that you want to bend the bottom of the wire 180 degrees so it doesn’t catch as much

I try and almost get mine to sit as flush on the bottom weight as I can. If not, it’ll get hung up

[Big Swimbait]

I use one of the swivel top drop shot weights. Twist it a couple of turns & crimp it tight. With the wire not on the bottom, I pick up less junk.

[Fishes in trees]

I make my own jika rigs.  There are a few things wrong with the Tokyo rig - IMO.  First the wire - when I began making jika rigs I experimented with different guage wires quite a bit.  The advantage of the wire, in being able to change weights more easily is outweighed by a couple of factors.   The previously mentioned tendency to catch on vegetation is one - the other, IMO is that the wire makes it too stiff.  I found that a dropper made out of 80 lb fluorocarbon leader worked better for me.  I found out that being able to change weights was over rated.  For me, for getting bit, a weight of half ounce or so worked best - maybe up to 3/4 oz.

I mostly solved the vegetation hang up problem 2 ways.  First, I used back to back worm weights, with a glass bead in-between for a little noise maker. 1/4 oz to 1/4 oz worked ok - a 3/8 oz lower weight combined with a 1/8 or 3/16 weight worked better.  I found crimps at the Hobby Lobby that held the loops in the 80 lb fluorocarbon well and I used a little bit of skinny heat shrink tubing to melt over the crimp, just to make it a little bit slicker as it went through vegetation.

 

While we're at it, I found that a regular off set shank worm hook - either round bend or the sproat or O'Shaughnessy style hook worked much better than the extra wide gap hook on the Tokyo rig

[Westcoast]

Bend the wire 180 degrees and tuck the tag back into the weight. Works great for punching in the weeds and pads. 

[Bass Junke]

I fished the Tokyo rig for the first time last Saturday. The pond I was fishing in has mostly clean bottom. I was dragging it along the bottom, not hopping, just a smooth slow drag. Caught a couple of bass with it. Zoom baby brush hog with a tungsten barrel weight. 

[Deleted account]

On 8/9/2019 at 7:10 PM, fishwizzard said:

I think the Tokyo is a poor fit for weedy/grassy areas fishing and the very similar but less snaggy Jika rig anything else would be better. 

FIFY.