rigs, 1- freeline/lures.

i'll start here coz its the easiest and i'm feeling lazy.

free line- what it says on the tin, argueably not a rig at all.

components- a hook of suitable size for your bait, or a lure of some type tied directly to the end of your main line.

benifits,- good presentation, unlikely to spook shy fish.

where;- good for peirs,rocks , harbour walls and calm beaches

the down side;-
limmited casting . almost a waste of time in strong surf or tides on a beach,

with bait- either flick it in and wait for a fish, or work the bait/let the tide work the bait (ground baiting the area can help for some species).

with lures,
i would tie an american snap swivel(or simmalar link to the line and attach the lure to that for ease of lure change).

remember a lure is just a lump of plastic/metal/ feather or whatever and is of little interest to a fish unless its moveing,
hence its a more active form of fishing with constant casts and retrieves to work the lure,
a small lead could be added to the line to assist casting, i'd recomend at least 3ft from the lure,
(unless useing a leadhead and jelly lure where the leadhead should be enough),
however many lure anglers recon this will spook some fish (esp bass).

hows that fer the first attempt?
gord.