Not only does the Tokyo rig have a phenomenal hooking percentage, but the design is the best for penetrating deep and dense cover. Watch Al and James Lindner spend the day catching deepwater largemouth bass.
Seasonal Patterns: Where the Big Fish Go When the Heat Sets In
By midsummer, largemouth bass in natural northern lakes split into two predictable camps:
- Shallow-water roamers that haunt docks, pad fields, and bullrushes.
- Deep-weed specialists that bury themselves in coontail jungles 14–26 feet down—the group that often holds the system’s heaviest fish.
Our focus is the second group. On the featured lake in central Minnesota—legendary Gull Lake—the “deep weeds” now top out three feet below the surface over 17 feet of water, thanks to dramatic water-clarity changes caused by zebra mussels. Those clearer conditions have pushed weed growth deeper than anyone saw 20 years ago, rewriting summer bass locations.
Why the Tokyo Rig Is the Ultimate Weed-Punching System
When the cover is dense, no delivery tool beats the Tokyo rig:
- Penetration Power – A rigid wire arm carries a heavy tungsten weight (¾ oz in this session) straight through the weed canopy to the bottom.
- Clean Presentation – Once on the bottom, the bait rides just above the debris, perfectly visible in the dim “under-canopy” world.
- Versatility – VMC offers multiple arm lengths (2½-inch and 5-inch) and hook styles to showcase almost any soft plastic, from craw tubes to big creature baits.
- Built-In Rattle – Dual tungsten weights click on each lift-and-drop, calling fish in through the salad.
“When I first saw a Tokyo rig I wondered if a bass would really bite it. They do—big time.” – Al Lindner
The Anatomy of a Northern Weed Bed
Deep northern weed flats aren’t featureless. They hide rocky high spots, inside turns, and saddles that funnel fish movement.
- In today’s area, a 14-foot hump, an 11-foot knoll, and a long point form hard-bottom pockets inside a giant coontail mat.
- Mapping electronics reveal these sweet spots. Setting a depth highlight at 16 feet on the chart instantly outlines the outside weed edge, spotlighting fish-holding structures within the greenery.
Short-Range Punching: Presentation Mechanics
- Keep casts stubby. A 15-foot underhand pitch delivers the bait nearly vertical, minimizing resistance and snagging.
- Drive the rig down. The heavy weight “punches” through the canopy; pause briefly when the line slackens to confirm bottom contact.
- Stir up the floor. Subtle rod lifts make the tungsten pair clack and puff bottom sediment—both strong strike triggers.
- Lean hard on the hook-set. Once pinned, haul the fish upward without letting it burrow back—this is true “combat fishing.”
Gear That Wins the Fight
| Component | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| 7’4″–7’6″ Heavy-Power Baitcaster | Leverage for hook-sets and extraction |
| 30–40 lb Sufix 131 Braid | Ultra-thin diameter slices weeds and transmits bites instantly |
| ¾ oz Tungsten Cylinder Weights | Density plus compact size equals better penetration and louder bottom knock |
| Tokyo Rig (5″ arm shown) | Keeps bait elevated; accepts any weight style |
| Creature or Craw Plastic | Bulky profile + flapping appendages = maximum drawing power |
On-The-Water Observations from Gull Lake
- Fifty years ago the weed line topped out at 12 feet; today it reaches 26 feet in places.
- Gull remains a premier Minnesota fishery—hosting regional bass events and famed for its walleye population—despite ecological shifts.
- Hundreds of acres of contiguous weeds demand precise GPS marking; each quality bite merits a waypoint to reveal emerging patterns.
Refined Gear, Refined Approach: Tokyo Rig in Deep Cover
Once the Tokyo Rig is in your hand and you’re buried in a forest of coontail at 17 feet, it becomes crystal clear: this is not finesse fishing—this is full-contact bass combat. Pulling out thick-bodied fish from walls of vegetation takes a finely tuned system of rod, reel, line, and skill.
Rod & Reel: Precision and Power
The crew favors a 7’5″ medium-heavy, fast-action “workhorse” rod like the St. Croix Legend Tournament. The length and stiffness are dialed to winch bass from dense cover without needing long line lengths.
The reel of choice? The Daiwa Elite Pitch & Flip—a 7.1:1 gear ratio model designed for rapid engagement and instant hooksets. The quick thumb bar allows you to react the moment a fish strikes on the drop without needing to crank the handle.
“When you’re only 12 to 15 feet from a fish, you can’t afford slack. That hookset window is everything.”
Short Punches, Tight Zones, Fast Triggers
When bass are buried beneath a canopy, their visibility is often limited to just a few feet. That makes pinpoint delivery critical. Here’s the cadence:
- Short flip to a new hole in the weeds.
- Watch the fall – many strikes happen mid-drop.
- Engage the spool instantly with your thumb or reel.
- Shake-shake-shake the rig once it’s on the bottom.
- No bite? Move on. It’s a game of rapid fire.
Because the strike zone is so tight, the goal is to punch as many holes in the mat as possible. That constant probing finds pods of fish tucked into the right vegetation pockets.
Tokyo Rig Hooking Mechanics
The Tokyo Rig isn’t just about getting into cover—it’s about hooking and landing fish that live there. Here’s why it works so well:
- The hook sits separate from the weight, suspended just above bottom debris.
- That setup allows clean strikes and higher hookup ratios.
- The system can be rigged with a range of hook styles:
- EWG (Extra Wide Gap)
- Heavy-duty flipping hooks
- Straight shank worm hooks
Once a fish eats, it’s clean. You drive the hook home—and haul them straight out.
Electronics and Weed Detection
Forward-facing sonar isn’t just for watching fish anymore—it’s now a tool for finding key vegetation:
- Thick walls of coontail show up clearly on the graph.
- Sparse transitions and edges are easily visible.
- These thick-to-thin transition lines are where bass love to stage.
By using sonar to scan left and right, anglers can follow the most promising vegetation edges, fishing more efficiently and locating active zones.
Summertime Bounty: Combat Rewards
Despite high winds and tricky weather, the Tokyo Rig shines. It’s not about numbers—it’s about quality fish, and sometimes even pods of them:
“There’s not a better delivery system for soft plastics in heavy cover—period.”
Even touring pros favor this rig in matted grass and deep summer jungles. It’s simple, effective, and consistent.
The Tokyo Rig is a versatile and effective bait presentation that can help you target fish in challenging fishing conditions. We will also explore the importance of setting up your map correctly to find fish in weed beds and the equipment needed for successful Tokyo Rig fishing.
