Some Tips on Ranggong Making

[DaFrogman]

A few FO members have a similar version of this post in PDF format. I made it a while back at the request of a Team Sepak member (I think) and it just so happened that he asked me at a time when I was restocking terminal rigs for the 2005 season.

Well, this is how I do mine, after you get a hang of the basics, you can make any size and shape you want. Many of the techniques used are the same as working with single strand wire, just much heavier. The vice-grip pliers are essential to make it easier. A small bench vise can also be used at some points.

The important thing is your hardware; good swivels are a must for the mainline and leader attachment points. The sinker snap swivel can be low quality so that it will let go should you snag.

Tools needed:

2x Good Vice Grip Pilers
1 Normal Square Jaw Plier (Optional)

Materials needed:

About 3.5ft of 2mm Stainless Steel wire per Ranggong
2x High Quality min 100lb Crane Swivels
1x Normal Quality Crosslock Snap Swivel

[DaFrogman]

Prebuild Notes

Most of the time, your wire will come in a roll and it will have a natural circle bend.

Nothing to worry about, but it is important that where possible, you should try to bend the wire along the same axis of the curvature in either direction i.e. in the direction of the curve or directly in the opposite direction of the curve.

It is actually easier to break off the wire than cut it. You do this by gripping both vice-grips to the wire with about 1cm of wire between them then just bend the wire back and forth between the grips till it breaks. This will also help avoid ends of wire with sharp jagged ends.

Below is one way of breaking off the tag end neatly on a barrel roll. In the picture, I twist the right hand vice-grip downwards or upwards to break the tag. If your tag end is real short, don’t panic, even 1cm of tag end is enough. Just lock the grip on it and end it in one big twist, towards the swivel. It will break clean.

[DaFrogman]

STEP 1

Starting with the mainline side swivel attachment eye, just grip one end of the wire piece about 5-6cm from the tip and bend it back along the axis of curvature of the wire.

Bend it right back in a rough “D” shape till you get an eye formed. At this point the short end and tag end of the wire will be perpendicular to each other.

Slide the first crane swivel into the newly formed eye. You may have to separate the section where the wire crosses itself to get the swivel into the eye.

You can now start the barrel roll.

[DaFrogman]

Basically position the grips as shown and twist the right hand grip around the main stem of wire until you have 3 tight barrel wraps.

[DaFrogman]

Now break off the tag end.

[DaFrogman]

STEP 2

Now you move down about 15-20cm from the first swivel to make a triangular eye for the sinker crosslock swivel.

Just position the grip at the right distance along the wire and bend the wire back against the axis of curvature until you get a “V”.

Slide the cross lock swivel into the “V”.

The short arm of the V will have the mainline swivel eye, the long arm of the V now has to be bent back perpendicular so that you get this shape.

[DaFrogman]

Proceed to barrel wrap/roll the long arm around the short arm.

Try to end the barrel wrap so that the long arm now points roughly on the same vertical axis as the “V” and the mainline eye. This will help streamline the rig.

[DaFrogman]

STEP 3

You now need to make the leader side eye at the end of the long arm of wire.

Use the same technique as for the mainline eye, but in this case, the “D” of the eye will point downwards.

DON’T FORGET to slide on the crane swivel into the eye before you start any barrel wraps….

Break off the tag end as before…

[DaFrogman]

Wallllllaaaa…… You have an "L" shaped ranggong….. long arm should be 1-1.5ft in length.

If the long arm is not quite straight, gently bend and twist till its almost straight and pointing horizontal or slightly down.

[DaFrogman]

Now make some more.....

[DaFrogman]

Ok, some post notes;

The term "Sendakau" that you see in some pics is what we call the ranggong here.

The main reason I build my own is because I get to determine the quality of the terminal tackle i.e. swivels used. The vast majority of big ranggongs use a big barrel swivel, which is fine 90% of the time, but after breaking a few over the years, I decided to "roll my own"...

The techniques illustrated were first shown to me by the crew actually Ishak one night a few years ago, when we ran out of ranggongs on the boat but had a roll of the wire and two big pliers. You can do the same thing with pliers, but since I ain't nearly as muscley as Ishak , I pussyfooted my way out by using vice-grips...

You can also use these techniques to build "C" shaped ranggongs, but the attachment portion for the sinker is a different design to what is illustrated for the "L" shaped ones.

In fact, just buy a commercial version and look at the design, then adapt your own thoughts and ideas, hey nothing is set in stone in making these things.

Good luck, have fun.

OH!!! WARNING NOTE!!!! NEVER LET CHILDREN OR PETS RUN AROUND YOU WHEN YOU ARE MAKING THESE THINGS. THE END OF THE WIRE WHIPS AROUND WHILST YOU MAKE THE WRAPS AND HANDLE THE RIG.

THIS WIRE END COULD TAKE OUT SOMEONES EYE, SO BE CAREFUL (WATCH OUT FOR YOUR OWN EYES TOO)

Saimee

[htchng]

Hails Lord Saimee!!

[ophio]

Thanks for sharing

[stickbom!]

Ho seh liao... all the so called famous ranggong makers going "bankrupt" soon

[DaFrogman]

Also available in PDF....

But its just over 900KB folks.

Saimee

[shineshy]

hi Saimee Mod,

can i ask something...is the "C" type rangong better in sensitivity or is the "L" type rangong a better choice...
.
cos i was told by a friend working in tackle shop.. to use e "C" type.

Btw many thks for the DIY steps..would start making some, after my Oversea trip. Great stuff

[fishpullipull]

Sir Saimee...good stuff and thank you.Question.I'm just wondering...other parts of d world (australia,us for example)....what kind of ranggong do they use for bottom fishing?...or is there a substitute for it?

[DaFrogman]

Shineshy,

Well, the jury is out on whether to use the L or C shaped ranggong. My crew and I use both. I personally don't think that there is any difference in sensitivity. The best thing to increase sensitivity in bottom fishing is using braid/spectra.

There are two advantages of using a C shaped ranggong as I see it.

Firstly the leader end swivel is more aligned to the angle of the leader when you drop the rig down. This means that the swivel will be able to do its job more efficiently and minimise the amount of bait spin that can occur with bulky and less streamlined baits.

The second advantage is that the C shape will hold your bait off the bottom more if you rest the ranggong on or very near the bottom, thereby slightly reducing the sangkut/snagging factor.

The reason I use the L shape is that it needs less wire and bending to complete the rig and it allows me a longer leader arm. With the C shaped version, the sinker attachment will require you bending the tag end on the mainline side barrel wrap parallel with the main stem and then a few more bends and wraps to make the attachment point for the sinker clip swivel.

With the L shaped version, just make sure that the leader side swivel can move/swing freely in the wire eye you created and does not get jammed in any one position. A swivel with big eyes/rings is mandatory for this.

Shah dude,

If you call me "sir" again, I won't reply to your posts .....

Hehhehehe, but lets see, ok, over in OZ and NZ, they call it a spreader bar and they rarely use it (or at least I have never seen them use it like we do). Mostly they use running sinker and simple paternoster rigs with very short leaders. I think this works in shallower water and with good current flow. I have tried their techniques too, but find that the bait tends to get caught up in the mainline with little current flow and that the big fish shy away from the rig.

The other advantage of the ranggong is that you can park your boat up current away from the structure and still keep your rig and sinker away from the structure whilst allowing your bait to float on a long leader towards the structure and fish. That way, if the fish makes it to the structure, more often than not, it is only your hook and leader that get snagged and not the sinker and ranggong.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Saimee

[fishpullipull]

Ok sir Saimee...i wont call u sir.hee hee.Once again,,,thanks for the info..I learned sumting new today....

[seahorse@SZ7678H]

your pic very wat leh.........maybe can post using photobucket. easy for us to see and learn

[DaFrogman]

Ah Mr Seahorse dude,

In post No.15, there is a link to a PDF file that contains fully annotated instructions, pictures and notes. Just in case you missed it, I am reposting that PDF again below just for you.

If you still experience difficulty with understanding any of the directions, please do share your experiences and post a question on this topic and I will be more than happy to try and explain it.

Good Luck dude,

Saimee

[seahorse@SZ7678H]

Ah Mr Seahorse dude,

In post No.15, there is a link to a PDF file that contains fully annotated instructions, pictures and notes. Just in case you missed it, I am reposting that PDF again below just for you.

If you still experience difficulty with understanding any of the directions, please do share your experiences and post a question on this topic and I will be more than happy to try and explain it.

Good Luck dude,

Saimee

thks, have been a great help to mi. Ranggong have been a expensive part in bottom fishing & i think will save mi a lot on that from now on. I do melt my own weight too.(300g,500g,800g & 1kg) but really have to handle with care. I,m sure u knows how and maybe u can teach our kaki here too

[physlo]

Saimee boss...thanks for sharing dude.

Ranggongs are a hot topic now. Can kenna suan out of nothing at all..hahaha.

Regards
physlo

[Akudou]

Saimee dude, whens my sendakau lesson? hhahahah... thanks for the knots lesson. Atleast i know a few extra knots now