Want to Ledger for Mullet? Here’s my proven, Adjustable Mullet Paternoster Rig.

I have confidence in this rig. It’s not rocket science and terribly innovative. I’m not claiming to have reinvented wheel has been over 40 years since I last ledgered for mullet and I thought it was about time I revisited it. Things had moved on since then, when as a child I had spent every day chasing mullet on my local river Dart. Back in the day tackle was crude but I could clearly remember using a fixed paternoster and homemade feeders to catch fish up to 6lb. We used to make the feeders out of old film canisters and strips of lead. Piercing holes in them with mother’s meat scewers and bending the lead around them to give enough weight to hold bottom . It was always noticeable that the larger fish would generally come to the ledger and I think that is generally true now. Why I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with the way mullet of different sizes feed. I’ve noticed over recent years how smaller fish have a tendency to peck at baits thus making themselves harder to hook, whereas larger fish just suck the whole bait in thereby hooking themselves? When using a float you can react to those small pecks at the bait from smaller fish more quickly and actually hook them. What do you think?

Over the last 2-3 years I have been refining my mullet ledgering rig. Obviously terminal tackle has come on leaps and bounds. I have now arrived at what I call the “Adjustable Paternoster Rig”. It catches fish, is reliable and at the moment my go to when ledgering. This may change as I intend to experiment with various other types of rig and components but for the minute it’s working quite nicely. I am not claiming to have re-invented the wheel but there are elements I have brought together to refine the rig for my fishing. Remember we are fishing for super spooky, finicky feeders here so you can finesse , adapt it to suit your own fish in your own waters. I feel I may be able to finesse it a little further but equally if fishing in the sea upscale components.

So if you follow my YouTube page “The Constant Angler” you will have seen some of my trials and tribulations, you will have also notice that the rig is part of the solution and my rig, rod, reel and mainline form a system that hooks, plays and eventually lands these hard fighting fish.

https://youtube.com/shorts/_U2hmsrkwy4?si=Dk8cXLMYavFwf97x

Let’s pick the rig apart, starting with the mainline and its incorporation into the rig itself. Why have I chosen Preston Reflo Feeder Line? Well as it says on the label it’s fast sinking. I want the few feet above the rig to be laying as close to the bottom as possible. This may not always be the case as I like a little tension in my quivertip but not as much as is used traditionally. I like just a hint of tension on a semi slack line. This is basically to avoid as many line bites as possible. I actually use the same 10lb line to form a twisted boom paternoster and as a hooklink. I am considering dropping to 8 or even 6lb but for now it’s working. You may ask why the need for a twisted boom section at the bottom. Well its use is two fold. Firstly it acts as a rubbing leader and secondly it acts as a shock absorber for the feeder or lead I attach via a snap link incorporated into the base of it. The need for the former is obvious but the need for a shock leader is simply because mullet fight hard constantly changing direction, flapping about and bouncing the weight/feeder around causing the same to happen to the hook; leading to poor hook holds and lost fish. The twisted boom to a degree actually provides a bungee effect lessening this. The clip swivel allows me to change size of feeder or weight enabling me to combat the tide or put more or less feed in. Moving up the rig you will notice a float stop just above the top of the boom. This is basically a buffer bead between the hooklink and the knot of the boom. Next you will see a quick change swivel trapped between two more float stops. This provides me with the ability to move the hooklink up and down the trace. By moving the hooklink closer to the lead the fish will feel its influence sooner or by moving the hooklink further away less; in effect slowing the bite giving them more room to hang themselves. Play around on the day and see what works best for you. I’m generally setting it at about 12inches from the lead. The hooklink is made out of the same mono as the mainline and generally about 4 inches long. At the business end is a Drennan Alcolyte Circle hook between size 12-6 depending on the size of bread flake used. This rig isn’t the be all and end all and I shall experiment with it further.

So going forward what other ledger rigs do I think might work? Well some use the method feeder but I worry the short hooklinks that are usually employed risk working free during the fight due to their close proximity to the feeder itself. I’m thinking of using one of the Korum Camo Grub Feeders to loop a larger hooklink back to the small “plastic V” on top of the feeder. It looks like you are able to trap the hooklink in it thereby adjusting it so as a short section can cause a bolt effect releasing it on the take leaving you to play the fish on a longer hooklink. Although not designed for breadcrumb it has holes which would enable it to be release. Maybe it could be modified further to do so? I may even incorporate a twisted boom section to add a bungee effect?

I also want to try longer hooklinks as my research on circle hooks shows that they work better with longer hooklinks. This could easily be incorporated into any rig.

I would also like to look into the rig which traps the feeder in a loop between two twisted booms. This loop can be used to form a bolt effect and the size of the loop can be adjusted to lessen or improve this effect.

So many ideas and not enough days left in the season to try them all.

Tight lines everyone.