The ronnie rig: how to tie it and when to use it

What you need

Everything for a ronnie rig fits in a small box, and it's easy to pre-tie a few at home.

• Curve-shank or long-shank hook, size 4 to 6
• Quick-change ring swivel (size 11 is common)
• Two hook beads or a micro-ring and a shrink-tube kicker
• A short boom of stiff coated braid or boom material, 3 to 5 inches
• Tungsten putty or a split-shot to balance the pop-up
• A pop-up boilie, 12 to 15mm

How to tie a ronnie rig, step by step

Thread the hook bead on the hook, then the swivel's ring, then a second bead to trap it at the bend. Attach the boom to the other end of the swivel with a figure-of-eight loop or a crimp. Mould putty around the swivel until the pop-up sinks slowly and sits upright. Test it in the margin or a glass of water: the hook should hover just off the bottom and the bait should spin when you nudge it.

When the ronnie rig works best

It's at its best on clean or lightly silted spots where carp feed confidently and suck baits up hard. It's a strong choice for single-hookbait fishing and over a light scattering of freebies. Over thick weed or deep silt, a chod rig is a better pick because it rides up the leader and sits on top of the mess.

Common mistakes

Most ronnie rigs that don't work are badly balanced. Too much putty pins the hook to the lakebed; too little and the bait floats too high. Check the hook point after every cast because a curved point blunts fast on gravel. Always fish it on a safe lead set-up, so the lead can come off if the main line breaks.

Record what works

Hook size, boom length and pop-up height make a real difference from one water to the next. Note which version of the rig caught each fish in your Carp HQ journal, and you'll know exactly what to tie up next time you fish that water.

Common questions

Is a ronnie rig the same as a spinner rig?

Yes. Ronnie rig and spinner rig are two names for the same pop-up rig, with the hook mounted on a swivel so it can spin freely.

How high should a ronnie rig pop-up sit?

Usually 1 to 2 inches off the bottom. Go lower on hard gravel and slightly higher over a thin layer of silt or short weed.

What hook size for a ronnie rig?

A size 4 or 6 curve-shank or long-shank hook suits most 12 to 15mm pop-ups. Check what your fishery allows first; some require barbless hooks.

Is the ronnie rig safe?

Yes, when you fish it on a safe lead clip or helicopter set-up with a leader the fish can drop if the main line breaks. Check your fishery's rig rules too.

More carp fishing guides

• The chod rig: the pop-up rig for weed and siltThe short stiff pop-up rig that sits on top of weed and silt, with the safe helicopter set-up.
• The hair rig: how to tie the rig that catches most carpThe knotless knot hair rig, tied step by step, plus hair length and baiting tips.
• Carp rigs explained: which rig, and when to use itBottom bait, chod, hinged stiff and solid bags — what each rig is for and how to match it to the lake bed.
• Carp fishing for beginners: how to actually startLicence, kit, first water, bait and safe fish handling — the whole start-up in one page.
• Log which rig caught itYour Carp HQ journal records the rig, bait and swim for every fish.
• Carp waters near youSearch England's carp lakes by postcode and county.