10 POSSIBLE ADJUSTMENTS
1 . SNAPS
Snaps provide the key connection from the rig to the swimbaits , so the first thing Smith does is upgrade to heavy-duty size 3 duo-lock snaps that he buys from Barlow ’ s Tackle .
2 . JIGHEAD WEIGHT
Smith runs five jigheads where legal and generally starts with 1 / 8 or 1 / 4 ounce , going only as light as 1 / 16 ounce and never using weightless hooks . He adjusts depending on the target depth and speed of retrieve . Pairing lighter heads on the top two wires ( and sometimes the middle ) with heavier on bottom can help prevent the rig from rolling or spinning during the retrieve , but Smith actually prefers for them to all weigh the same and makes other adjustments if his rig spins .
3 . JIG-HOOKS
Some anglers prefer light-wire hooks on umbrella rigs because they believe they penetrate easier than heavy-wire hooks . Smith disagrees .
“ You definitely want a fairly stout hook because those fish hit that bait so hard ,” he says . “ It ’ s beefy tackle , so they hook themselves when they eat it . There ’ s no need for a fine hook . To me , it ’ s important to have a stout hook that they ’ re not going to straighten .”
He ’ s also particular about the angle of the hook ’ s eye .
“ I ’ m pouring my own 90-degree-eye Gamakatsu round-bend jigheads ,” he says . “ I feel that a 1 / 4-ounce jighead with a 90- degree eye generally is going to stay down better than a 1 / 4-ounce jighead with a 60- degree eye .”
Smith uses a 4 / 0 round-bend hook for swimbaits up to a 3.8-inch Keitech and a 5 / 0 for a 4.8-inch Keitech , which is about his maximum size .
4 . KEEPERS
In the case of FLW tournaments that allow umbrella rigs but limit them to three hooks ( they ’ re banned on the FLW Tour ) and in states with three-hook limits , Smith always rigs the middle bait and bottom two baits with hooks . For the top two , he experiments with spring-style keepers , weighted spring-style keepers and his own jigheads with the hooks cut off . He settles on whichever setup keeps the bait and the particular rig running true . photo by ChARLES WALDoRF
Use a high-quality snap always .
Situational tweaks
Some tweaks that Smith makes are situational at best , perhaps only being necessary for a day . For instance , at oneida , smallmouths kept striking his “ dummy ” baits – the swimbaits on the top two wires without hooks . In some cases , they ’ d pull the swimbaits off entirely . to get the fish to dial in on the hooked baits , he made two tweaks . First , he ran 2.8-inch Keitech Swing Impact Fat swimbaits as the dummies on top , on two wires bent way up and away from the other three . Second , he bent all three of the remaining wires down and rigged them with larger 3.3-inch Keitech Swing Impact Fat swimbaits . After the changes , he hooked up more consistently . Little adjustments and experimentation can sometimes lead to great improvements in final results .
Casey Smith ’ s best tip for umbrella rig success is to not be afraid to make adjustments and experiment on the fly . Even subtle changes can make a big difference in results .
Smith ’ s custom jighead has a stout hook and a 90-degree eye .
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