Today I will be testing the RonRig by Nekid Tackle against the hard hitting Hybrids at Fort Phantom Hill. I have caught several 22 plus inch hybrids on the store bought so I wanted to see if this rig made a difference.I can't tell you how much harder these hybrids fight that the striper. That you will just have to see for yourself someday.We have snapped rods and demolished umbrella rigs if you get a double strike which is frequent. I have landed my PB striper at 14 lbs and the 7-10 lbs hybrids here put that and other stripers caught to shame. Lets see today how the RonRig holds up. Top pic is the store bought we use. and below the RonRig.

Ive been strictly using Capt Macks stuff so look fwd to hearing these results.

The big girls were all up stream since the rains and although Hybrid no one told them they couldn't spawn so the swollen creeks pulled them from the humps and ledges. So no hits yet.

The RonRig over all performance so far as listed. Score on use and setup.

1. The clips were much easier than the store bought and with my feeble fingers I was able to attach baits by hand without pliers. Setup ease goes to RonRig

2. Spinners worked very well and didn't bind. I have store bought with and without spinners. I have had some issues with store bought not free spinning. Spinners goes to RonRig

3. Depth range was somewhat limited to 8-7 feet with the RonRig in trolling no matter how slow I went. I can get the weighted store bought to 12-14 feet and up with speed changes. RonRig may require sinkers for deeper depths. Weighted rig wins.

4. The storage ring is a nice touch and worked well on two of the three sizes I tested. The smallest rig needed a larger ring to close well due to closing length. Still better than store bought. Winner RonRig on storage.

5. Visibility and lure tangle. The RonRig was clearly flashy and I was concerned about how sometimes my rigs tangle on a quick spot run across the lake. The length and spacing on the rig has been well thought through. Clearly some time, testing and thought went into the rig. Winner RonRig.

More to come when the Big Girls come back hungry.

Thank you. #3 would be a concern as my usual Capt Macks rigs have 3/4oz jig head swim shads on each connection point as opposed to the spinners. Trust me, I like the idea of thr spinner flashiness, but the needed weight is an issue. I will say also that although I catch 80% of my fish on the chipmunk, those shorter baits due pick up a few too.

I have built clip on weights to avert issues with trolling the RonRig. The RonRig does not use lead so that when cast, it seems to NOT hang up as much. The clip on weights are easy to use, inexpensive, thus allowing the RonRig to be cast or trolled. We have had success using weights on the front. Captain Mack's also states if you need additional depth, to add weight in front of their rigs. I have two swivels with snaps, the kind in the weight picture below, or the same as used in the Tournament PRO. Snaps are rated at 90 lbs, the Tournament Pro are rated at 120 lbs.

Tim, I'm glad you decided to try Ron's rigs. I think they are very well made. Ron and I have tested some of the different size rigs on Texoma and I have used them on PK. They definitely catch fish. I was concerned about the weight issue also. We discussed the different options, and decided it would be best to let the angler choose the amount of weight he wanted to add for the depth he wanted to target.
He can use 1/8 oz jigheads with a larger egg weight in front, or use 2 oz jigheads without any weight up front, or any combination he chooses. It is easier to add weight to get the depth an angler wants with the speed he likes to fish the baits, at whatever distance from the boat he prefers. You can also order the Ronrigs with swivels and leaders so you can have up to 9 jigheads of whatever size you want along with the spinners. If Ron puts X number of oz. of weight on a rig and the angler wants to fish that particular bait shallower he must speed up the retrieve and sometimes the fish want a slower retrieve. So with the clip on weights the angler can get the depth he wants at the speed he wants also.
With the Capt Mack, which are excellent rigs by the way, you can't fish it much shallower without it being really close to the boat, like 10 ft. behind the transom. And to get it deeper you have to let out 250 ft. of line according to the instructions.
Ron's options with the clip on weights are a simple remedy that allows the angler to set his own depth and speed easily. The quality wire, swivels, and other hardware Ron's uses is excellent and I feel will give all of us years of service over the average rigs you buy at the retail stores.
I purchased the umbrella rigs at a retail store before meeting Ron and tried them a few times without much success. Not to mention the issues with the arms rusting and actually breaking off with only a couple of uses. My neighbor had one break off right out of the box when he bent one arm up and back down one time. Never even got it wet. I watched him bend it and I've bent Ronrigs way farther and more often then he did that rig.
These Ronrigs will not always catch fish, but neither will shad always catch fish. I just like the quality and like to get my moneys worth when I buy something.
Look me up next time your at PK. I'll show you some different ways we have been rigging Ronrigs. Definitely won't be able to do the umbrella rigs the same way.
I am glad I met Ron and get to toss ideas around about these rigs. I am not interested in making lures, but at least I can call Ron up and say "This rig is running squirrelly or it's doing this. What do you think we can do to fix it?" He's always trying to think of ways to improve his rigs and make them more versatile for different species of fish and also different fishing conditions. I will not get up at 2:00 AM and brain storm about these rigs the way he does. I doubt he will text me with a question at 3:30 AM again either. lol
He is a great guy and I think he cares how his products help other anglers.

One more thing, I will release 30 and 45 lb leaders this week. Made with surflon coated stainless steel wire. They feel like monofilament, yet are very Strong.

I am testing some of the crappie RonRigs and wanted to test their durability (especially rust/weakening of the wires). Here is a link that I posted in the Crappie Section with pictures of them after I had soaked them in fresh and salt water.

[url=http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/10816799#Post10816799 [/url]

I was impressed and did not see any rust or weakening/breaking of the wires.

I would be glad to test out a ronrig at my home lake PK if there is a model that is set up for 2.5-3mph trolling for striper/hybrid. I do a lot of trolling at PK and almost strictly use Capt Macks, which I have tweaked to my liking and with great success. There is another brand u-rig I've also used called hyper-umbrella that is similar to CM. Heavy duty stuff that stands up to big fish. I prefer his 2oz spreader with 4 arms and 3/4oz jig head swim shad. The 3oz seem to pull too deep for me when loaded with jigs. I would be happy to support a local guy (Ron) if there is a model you can suggest from your line up? Happy to purchase and give it a whirl. Just let me know.

They work great !

I will be out testing the RonRig Thursday and each trip until I am able to double up on the 22+ Hybrids. No store bought rig has passed this yet. The clips tend to snap open in the tug of war that this causes.

Not to worry, Ronrigs can handle that job! After you land those fish, you might have to take your pliers and straighten out the arms. I bet you can straighten those arms for 3 or 4 years or more after the fish have bent them in all kinds of shapes. I was trolling PK with two rigs on 40 lb test big game. Broke my lines. One time before I was able to get the retriever with 80 lb braid on one and pulled it out all in one piece. Straighten one hook out a little. Have fun trying to tear it up.

Well...the RonRig performed well as we caught some small and one large Hybrid. My youngest son and my daughter in law (with child) helped with the test. No doubles but soon I bet we test the strength.

Final results:

The RonRig worked flawlessly and was much better than other rigs I have used. The quality is great and even with tow difficult recovered snags I was able to recover and still catch fish. I used the weights and was able to hit my depths needed with ease and started getting hit after hit. Over all it is the best rig I have used to date. The plan is to now make a lake Leon trip since she is full and start nailing those whites next.
www.nekidtackle.com www.nekidtackle.com

Nice report!