How to Tie a Three Down Wishbone Rig

The three down wishbone rig is used in boat fishing to present three baits hard on the bottom with two of the baits close together. By varying the hook sizes and snood or trace breaking strains everything from flatfish to cod and rays can be targeted.

Three Down Wishbone Rig Components

Tubing Boom

1 x Trace Swivel

1 x Bead

1 x Link

Approx. 500 mm 30-50lb BS line. This can be replaced by a French boom.

Main Body

2 x Trace Swivel

1 x Snood Swivels

4 x Beads

4 x Crimps

1 x 6 – 2/0 hooks

Approx. 500 to 1500 mm length 30lb BS trace line

Snoods

500 to 1000 mm 10-30lb BS clear nylon or fluorcarbon 2 x 6 – 5/0 hooks

The Rig Body

1. Thread the line through the tubing boom and attach the swivel to the top. Thread on the bead and tie on the link to the other end.
2. Tie a swivel to the top of the trace, thread on a crimp / bead / swivel / bead / crimp
3. Tie the second swivel to the spare end of the trace. Locate the dropper swivel with suitable spacing and crimp in place.
4. Attach a hook together with any attractors to a section of the snood line followed by a crimp and bead. Thread this line through the end swivel and follow with a bead and crimp before attaching the second hook with attractors. The crimps can be replaced by stop knots or silicon tubing stops if using fine nylon for snoods.
5. Locate the swivel on the snood with suitable spacing and crimp or fix in place with stop knots.
6. Tie section of the snood line to the dropper then attach the hook together with any attractors .
7. Attach the trace swivel to the link at the bottom of the boom.

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There are numerous sources of terminal tackle both locally and on-line, here are a few suggestions –

• UK Hooks
• Gerry’s Fishing
• Veals
• Glasgow Angling Centre
• Gemini Tackle
• Breakaway Tackle