What rig should I use when fishing for Thornies, Spurs and Dogfish was a recent question asked here via e-mail.
I guess there is no such thing as a one rig fits all, if there was then we would be all using it!! Different rigs offer different advantages in different situations: tide, sea bed, required cast length etc.
Fishing rigs
There is a lot of personal opinion and die hard believers in one rig versus another but as a general rule of thumb I would be looking at a pulley rig. The pulley rig casts well and presents a well loaded hook very well. The pulley rig will also work in most conditions and situations that I can think of.
Wire trace
For spurs I would make the hook length out of wire rather than heavy mono as there is a reasonable chance a good fish will bite clean through the heaviest mono.
If you have a different opinion then please comment on this post, let us all now what rig you would use for thornies, spurs and dogfish.
image: Bugeaters
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July 31, 2025 at 10:13
If fishing from the shore the first rig that comes to mind is the pulley or clipped 1up-1down for spurs anyway
Even afloat I’ve had some decent sized spurdog on 1up 1down rigs made of 60lb mono and a minimum of a size 3/0~4/0 hook
Very much scent feeders, a flapper with a piece of squid to flutter if you want can work well but often adding luminous beads or rig tubing just above the hook helps too
August 1, 2025 at 20:50
Thanks for that. I love pully rigs!!!
June 25, 2025 at 08:54
if you fish for these fellas a fifty pound pully tackle will sort the boys from the men.try taddiford but only on a neap low water at night.good for dovers too on lug or rag.long casts with mussels can get the odd door mat,that is a big one 3 to five pound to you.