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Step by Step // Swimbait Canada Rig for the WCZ Citizen

By J.S. forcier

Last spring, me (JS) and the rest of the SC crew made our annual trip to the Beauchene Wilderness lodge.  It’s a lodge in northern Quebec, Canada and the lakes are fully loaded loaded with Smallmouth Bass.  (Link to Beauchene videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k265GLs22w0).  For the trip, my partner Pat received a bunch of Working Class Zero Citizen 6’s to test. 

At this time of the year, the smallies were hanging on the ledges in about 7-8 feet and were coming up from the bottom to attack the bait head first.  When we figured it out, I decided to rig the citizens with the material I had at the moment.  The idea was to expose the hooks on the belly for a better hookup ratio and to experiment with different sink rates.  We had a cold front for a few days which caused the topwater and hard bait bite to be slow.  The citizen rigged that way helped us to fish slower and deeper and ultimately put us on some really good fish. 

here is the step by step

Step 1

With a long and sharp tool, like a nail.  Drill a hole from the middle of the nose to the middle of the belly of your Citizen.

    step 2

    Cut about 6 inches of fluorocarbon.  A bit longer than what you really need so you can find the proper length.  We used 60lbs fluoro which worked fine.  I wouldn’t recommend a smaller size.  The Bigger the line diameter, the harder it is to tear the Citizen during a fight.

      step 3

      Use a double barrel sleeve to make a loop with your fluorocarbon.  Make sure to use the proper sleeve diameter that matches your line size.  We used 1 mm diameter sleeve with 60 and 70 pound fluoro.  You could insert a split ring on the loop if you like a bit more play between the bait and the line.

      step 4

      Tighten the loop and crimp it with crimping pliers.

      step 5

      Insert your fluoro with the loop into your Citizen.

      step 6

      Insert a sleeve onto the other end of the fluorocarbon.

        step 7

        Insert the fluorocarbon into a split ring/ treble hook and close the loop in the sleeve.  For the Citizen 6, we used Owner size 1 ST36-BC hooks and size 6 hyper wire split rings.

          step 8

          Tighten the second loop.  Make sure the hook sits tight in the slot on the end.  Before tightening the sleeve, make sure the fluorocarbon and sleeve are properly in the bait.  You should only see the loop on the nose of the bait.

            step 9

            Once you’re satisfied with the hook and fluoro placement, crimp it the second sleeve and cut off the excess tag.

              Step 10

              Now you’ll need to add some weight to the bait.  At the Beauchene Lodge, we used TG grenade weights (3.5g) for the Citizen 6.  They make it easy to clip onto the belly split ring.  It was in cold water and on a lake, The weight will vary depending on the situation (changes in water temp and current).  The baits sink more in colder water.  You could also use nail weights. The Decoy 1.2G are the perfect size to fit in the side fins of the Citizen 6.  Depending on the time of year, you will need to add or subtract weight for the fish you are targeting.  This rig keeps it simple to adjust the bait the way you want.  The Grenade and nails weights make it easy to make these changes on the fly.

                Hopefully this article will help you with building and customizing your own rigs. Get out and take your soft bait game to the next level!

                RIGGING VIDEO