Pulley rig

You'll need: one strong swivel, one pulley/link swivel (or a small bead + free-running link), one bead, around 60–90 cm of 60 lb mono for the snood, and lighter mono (10–15 lb) for the weak-link to the lead.

Step by step

• Mainline → top swivel: knot a strong swivel (size 4) onto the mainline. This is what the rod's line connects to.
• Bead + pulley swivel: thread a bead onto a short trace below the top swivel, then attach the pulley swivel. The bead protects the knot from the pulley sliding into it.
• Snood: tie the hook trace (60–90 cm of 60 lb mono) to one side of the pulley swivel. Hook of choice on the business end, a 4/0 Aberdeen or Pennel pair for cod, smaller for whiting.
• Weak link to lead: attach the lead (4–6 oz grip-style) on a short loop of lighter line (the "rotten bottom"). When the lead snags, this breaks first and you keep the rest of the rig and your fish.

Why the pulley swivel matters

On a take, the snood pulls upward through the pulley. The lead gets lifted off the seabed and is dragged along behind the fish, rather than acting as an anchor that snags every rock or weed bed on the way in.

This is the rig for rough, rocky, weedy or wreck-marked ground, anywhere a standard ledger would snag every cast. It's also a strong choice when fishing into kelp beds or over mussel-encrusted reefs.

Best targets

• Cod & pollack: large, snaggy reefs and rough ground inshore
• Smoothhound & bull huss: gravel banks with weed and snag patches
• Wrasse: straight into the rough off the rocks

When NOT to use it

On clean sand or shingle the pulley adds complexity without benefit, a simple running ledger or paternoster fishes better and is easier to bait up. The pulley is a specialist tool: use it where you'd otherwise be losing tackle on every other cast.

Bait pairing

Big baits work best, whole squid, mackerel flapper, large peeler crab. A Pennel pair (two hooks in tandem on the same snood) holds these baits neatly and gives you a better hook-up on big mouths like cod.

Snood too short

If the hook trace is shorter than the lead link, the pulley action is wasted, the lead can't lift clear. Aim for 60–90 cm of snood and keep the lead link to roughly half that.

Weak link too strong

The rotten bottom needs to be the weakest point in the rig. Use a line lighter than your snood (10–15 lb is typical). If it doesn't break before the snood does, you'll lose the fish along with the lead.

Forgetting the bead

Without the bead between the top swivel and the pulley, the pulley can slam into the knot under load and weaken it. A 6 mm rubber or hard plastic bead is enough.

Wrong lead style

A plain bomb lead doesn't grip rough ground well. Use a wired grip lead, when the fish takes and the pulley lifts, the wires fold cleanly and release. With a plain lead you'll skid through every rock on the way in.