The Tokyo Rig is a fairly new presentation to the fishing community and is designed for largemouth bass in heavy cover. However, it can actually be a great walleye bait when used in the right situation.
It works similarly to a bottom bouncer and presents your bait near the bottom. It can be fished fast or slow, through weeds or over cover. It is really a versatile presentation.
The Tokyo rig is set up similar to a three way rig. One swivel connects to your line. Below that there is a two and a half inch dropper arm that you attach your weight to. Then you have your hook connected across from the swivel. They are all attached to a split ring.
Because everything is attached to the split rig you are able to give your bait a lot of movement in the water.
The Tokyo rig can be used with live bait like leeches or crawlers or can be worked effectively with plastics.
One real benefit of the Tokyo Rig is the ability to switch out weights easily.
This is helpful because you can adjust weights according to the speed and depth that you are fishing.
For example, if you are fishing shallow water around ten feet deep, you can use a 1/8th ounce weight. If you are fishing deeper waters in the 20-25 feet range, you can use a 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce weight.
This presentation is a great way to fish for walleyes and bass alike and it is definitely something you will want to add to your arsenal this year.