How to Tie a Ronnie Rig (Spinner Rig)

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

The Ronnie rig is a low pop-up carp rig where the hook sits on a spinner swivel, held at an angle by a kicker or shrink tube, so it can turn freely. Korda sells it as the Spinner Rig and says it is also commonly known as the Ronnie rig. One rig, two names.

Read three well-known guides and you get three different builds. Korda crimps a stiff boom, Angling Direct knots fluorocarbon with figure-of-eight loops, and Fishing Again ties a spinner bead on with a Palomar.

This guide takes you through the two mainstream builds step by step, how to choose between them, and when the spinner rig should stay in the box. It suits improvers moving on from a basic hair rig who want a pop-up sitting just off a clean bottom. For the wider picture, see our guide to carp rigs.

Step 1: Check Your Swim Suits a Ronnie Rig (Spinner Rig)

The commonest Ronnie rig mistake happens before you tie a single crimp: fishing it on the wrong bottom.

The rig works best where the hook can rotate without anything getting in the way. Fishing Again names clean gravel, sand and firm clay as the right ground. Korda says it works with any lead system, but recommends a helicopter set-up if the bottom is not clean. On weed and deep silt, Fishing Again advises leaving it out and tying a chod rig instead.

Bottom	Ronnie rig?	Consider instead
Clean gravel or sand	Yes, on a lead clip or helicopter
Firm clay	Yes
Light debris or uneven ground	Yes, on a helicopter rig set-up
Weed	No	Chod rig
Deep silt	No	Chod rig

If you want another pop-up option to compare, the slip D rig is worth a look.

Cast a bare lead and feel it down. A firm “donk” means hard ground and a soft landing suggests silt. Weed on the lead when you wind in settles the question.

If the lead comes back clean and you felt a firm drop, tie the Ronnie rig.

Step 2: Gather the Kit and Pick a Crimped or Knotted Build

A Ronnie rig needs a handful of small components. Buy them by type and spec:

Boom material: stiff boom for the crimped build (Korda’s guide lists 15, 20, 25 and 35lb), or fluorocarbon for the knotted build (Fishing Again suggests 15 to 20lb).
Spinner swivel.
Double-barrel crimps and a crimp tool: match crimp size to boom diameter.
Kicker or shrink tube.
Hook: size 4 is the most popular, according to Korda, with some anglers using a size 6.
Micro ring swivel and hook bead.
Pop-up or wafter: Fishing Again suggests 12 to 15mm.
Putty or balancing weights.
Anti-tangle sleeve: if you fish a lead clip.

Build	Swivel fixed with	Needs	Strengths	Weaknesses
Crimped boom	Double-barrel crimps	Crimp tool, correct crimp size	No knots, tangle resistant	Extra tool to carry
Knotted fluorocarbon	Figure-of-eight loops	Fluorocarbon only	No crimp tool, softer link	Only as strong as your knots

Angling Times showed a third variant in 2017: a flexi ring swivel on the hook eye under steamed shrink tube. The builds differ in how the swivel is fixed, not in how the bait is presented.

Go crimped if you want a stiff, tangle-resistant boom and fish often enough to justify the tool. If you don’t own a crimp tool and only fish the odd session, tie the knotted version.

Step 3: Build the Boom and Attach the Spinner Swivel

A crimp closed in the wrong tool slot looks fine on the bench and can still slip under load. Match the slot to the crimp every time.

For the crimped build:

Cut the boom a few inches longer than the finished length you want.
Thread on a crimp, pass the tag through the spinner swivel’s eye and back through the crimp.
Close the crimp using the tool slot that matches the crimp size.
Slide on an anti-tangle sleeve if you are using a lead clip.
Crimp a swivel or loop at the other end. Korda says a finished boom of 5 to 7 inches is the most popular length.
Pull-test both ends hard, ideally with a pair of rig pullers, then trim the tags.

The knotted fluorocarbon build

Angling Direct ties the same boom without crimps:

Tie the spinner swivel on with a small figure-of-eight loop.
Slide on an anti-tangle sleeve.
Finish with a figure-of-eight loop at the other end.

Fishing Again ties a spinner bead on with a Palomar knot instead. Whichever knot you use, wet it before you pull it tight and test it as hard as you would a crimp.

You should now have a Ronnie rig boom with a free-turning spinner swivel at the business end that has survived a firm pull test. If the swivel won’t spin, rebuild it now rather than on the bank.

Step 4: Fit the Hook With a Kicker or Shrink Tube

A small piece of rubber holds the hook on, yet it doesn’t take the strain. As Korda explains, the load goes through the metal crook of the spinner swivel. The kicker only sets the angle.

Thread the kicker onto the hook shank, fat end first.
Sit the hook eye in the crook of the spinner swivel.
Pull the kicker up over the swivel eye to lock the hook in place.

Fishing Again describes the finished kicker sitting at roughly 45 degrees to the boom.

Korda says the freely rotating hook turns and takes hold when a carp picks up the bait. Treat that as the manufacturer’s claim, though it is the whole idea behind the spinner rig.

The kicker also makes hook changes fast: slide it back and the hook lifts off the swivel. If quick changes are what appeal, the multi rig is another pop-up rig built around them.

A kicker can be reused every time you swap a hook. Shrink tube has to be cut off and replaced. If you steam it over a kettle, as Angling Times shows, hold the rig with forceps and keep your fingers clear of the spout.

Step 5: Add the Micro Ring Swivel, Hook Bead and Pop-Up

Two tiny components decide whether the bait turns with the hook or wraps round it.

Thread a micro ring swivel onto the hook.
Slide a hook bead on behind it so the ring swivel sits opposite the barb, as Korda advises.
Tie the pop-up on a short hair with floss, or use a bait screw.

Fishing Again suggests a hair of 2 to 3cm. That figure comes from one guide, so use it as a starting point and adjust it to your bait size.

Korda notes that some anglers hang a bottom bait from the ring swivel of a Ronnie rig. Fishing Again argues that this cancels the rotation advantage the rig is built for.

Treat it as a pop-up rig first. If you only want a bottom bait, a standard hair rig is simpler.

Step 6: Balance the Pop-Up and Set the Bait Height

More putty can make the rig worse.

Lewis Rhead of Gardner, speaking to Angling Times in 2017, said that over-weighting with putty round the shrink tube makes the hook lie over and spin less freely. His advice was to balance the rig as you would a stiff hinge rig, so the hookbait sinks slowly.

Where the putty goes varies by source:

Round the shrink tube (Angling Times).
At the loop knot (Angling Direct).
Putty or balancing weights (Korda).

Each placement works. Add weight in small pinches and test after each one.

Bait height also comes from a single source: Fishing Again suggests 1 to 2cm off the bottom. Use it as a reference point, not a rule.

To test, drop the finished rig in the margin or a bucket of water. It should sink slowly, settle with the hook point down and leave the pop-up hovering just above the bottom. If it crashes down, remove putty. If it won’t sink, add a little.

By the end of this step your Ronnie rig should sink slowly and settle with the hook point down.

Step 7: Clip On, Cast and Stay Legal

No national rule in England and Wales bans the Ronnie rig. The rules that can stop you using it are set by the fishery.

On clean ground, attach the rig to a lead clip with the anti-tangle sleeve pushed over it. If the bottom isn’t clean, use the helicopter set-up from Step 1.

In England and Wales, GOV.UK’s tackle rules only allow lead weights of 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g (1oz). Carp leads are normally well over 1oz, so they comply. The rule mainly affects split shot. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so check with the relevant authority there: the Scottish Government in Scotland, and DAERA or the Loughs Agency in Northern Ireland.

You also need a rod licence from age 13 in England and Wales (GOV.UK).

Many venues set their own rules on barbless hooks, hook sizes, leaders and lead systems. Check with the fishery before you travel.

Use an unhooking mat and wet hands. In England and Wales, a foul-hooked fish must be returned alive.

Step 8: Troubleshoot the Rig and Change Hooks Fast

Most Ronnie rig faults come down to five causes, and only one of them means retying the boom.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Hook won’t turn freely	Kicker too tight or too much putty	Ease the kicker, remove putty (Step 6)
Bait wrapped round the hook	Hair too long or hook bead missing	Shorten the hair, refit the bead (Step 5)
Rig tangles on the cast	No anti-tangle sleeve	Fit a sleeve (Step 3)
Hook point dulled after a fish or snag	Normal wear	Swap the hook
Crimp slipped	Wrong tool slot	Rebuild the boom (Step 3)

Changing a hook is the spinner rig’s party trick. Following Korda’s method:

Slide the kicker back down the hook shank.
Lift the hook off the swivel crook.
Fit the new hook in the crook.
Refit the kicker over the swivel eye.

Shrink tube versions need fresh tube each time.

Carry a few spare hooks ready-fitted with kickers, so a blunt point means a quick swap on the bank rather than a retie.

Frequently asked questions

Ronnie rig vs spinner rig: what is the difference?

There is no difference. They are the same rig, and Spinner Rig is Korda's name for it. Only the build varies: a crimped stiff boom or a knotted fluorocarbon link. Both present the bait the same way, with the hook free to turn on a spinner swivel. Step 2 has the full comparison.

What hook size for a Ronnie rig?

A size 4 is the most popular choice, according to Korda, and some anglers use a size 6. Korda describes it as a big hook relative to the hookbait. Whichever size you choose, fit it with a kicker so you can swap it quickly when the point dulls.

Can you use a Ronnie rig with a bottom bait?

You can. Korda notes that some anglers fish a bottom bait on a hair from the micro ring swivel. Fishing Again argues that this loses the rotation advantage the rig is designed for. If you only want a bottom bait, a standard hair rig is simpler. Step 5 covers this in more detail.

Is the Ronnie rig banned?

No national rule bans it. GOV.UK's tackle rules for England and Wales contain no rule against the Ronnie rig or the spinner rig. Individual fisheries can set their own rules on rigs, hooks and leads, so check with the fishery before you travel.