What the 3-Way Rig Does
A 3-way swivel connects your main line to two separate leaders, each ending in a jig head. The leaders can be different lengths, allowing you to present baits at two different depths simultaneously. For schooling fish, suspended fish, or situations where fish are stacked at multiple levels in the water column, this setup can double your hook-up opportunities on a single retrieve.
How to Rig It
- Tie your main line to one eye of a 3-way swivel
- Attach a 12-inch leader to the second eye, ending in a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig head
- Attach a 24-inch leader to the third eye, ending in a slightly heavier jig head (3/8 to 1/2 oz) — the weight difference creates natural separation between the two presentations
- Rig matching soft plastics on each head — paddle tails or curly tails in the same color for a school presentation, or different colors to test what they want
When to Use It
- Schooling stripers and white bass — fish feeding through a baitfish school at multiple depths respond extremely well to a dual-bait presentation
- Lake Lanier-style spotted bass — when fish are suspended over points and humps
- Speckled trout on open flats — when birds are working but the fish are spread across a depth range
- Vertical presentation over structure — drop it down and work it through the strike zone slowly
Key Tips
Keep the rig relatively simple — heavy leaders and oversized swivels kill the action. 15–20 lb fluorocarbon leaders are standard. Use jig heads in the lightest weight that still allows you to maintain contact with the strike zone.
Ebb N Flow Outdoors jig heads work well in this application — the balanced design means both baits swim naturally at the same retrieve speed, creating a realistic school presentation rather than two randomly moving objects.
🎣 Shop the Gear
Running the double jig setup? You need two heads that are consistent in weight and hook gap. Here's what I use on my rig.
- ➤ The Upgrade Multi-Purpose Jig Head — consistent weight and 3/0 hook gap. Available in multiple weights so you can mix 1/4 and 3/8 oz across the same rig for natural separation.
- ➤ ATV Weedless Jig Head — run the lower arm weedless when fishing near the bottom through grass or structure to avoid hang-ups.
- ➤ Full Arsenal Kit — gives you multiple weights to experiment with head separation on the 3-way rig for different presentations.
All Ebb N Flow jig heads are built on USA Mustad hooks — when you're fishing two heads on one cast, both hooks have to be right.