Leader: Cut a length of 40–50 pound monofilament leader line adjusting the length to where you want the baits to sit in the water column. If you’re not sure where to start try a leader length of 24 to 36 inches and experiment from there. Hook: Tie your hook on the leader line using the easy snell knot.
What is the best rig to catch catfish?
egg sinker slip rig
The egg sinker slip rig is, hands down, the most popular rig for still fishing catfish. Consisting of an egg sinker on the main line held in place above the hook by a lead shot, this rig is ideal for keeping the bait near the bottom, which in turn, allows a catfish to swim off with the bait with little tension.
What pound line do you use for catfish?
If you fish most channel cat waters in the United States, 12- to 17-pound-test line is about all you need. If you fish places like the Red River, or places wherever there can be numerous fish that run 15 to 30 pounds, I recommend using 30-pound line. Of course, as the fish get bigger, so should your line.
How do you fish the bottom of the river?
One of the more common river fishing tips is that of using a Carolina Rig to bottom bounce a live bait (such as a crawfish or minnow) or soft plastic bait along with the current. This is can be a particularly good technique to use from smallmouth bass around ledges or drop-offs near deeper channels or cuts.
Is 12 lb line good for catfish?
Catfish aren’t line-shy, so you can use light or heavy fishing line as situations dictate. High-strength, small-diameter monofilaments testing 15 to 25 pounds are good inexpensive choices for all-round use, but when hunting the big boys, you may have to upgrade to 30-, 40-, even 80-pound-test.
What is the best fishing rig for catfish?
The best rig for catching huge catfish is a slip sinker rig. This consists of a 2 to 4 oz. egg sinker that is slipped onto a main fishing line of 15 to 30 lb. test line.
What rig to use for catfish?
The slip sinker rig is popular for several reasons: It allows catfish to pull line without meeting significant resistance from the sinker. It allows functional use of the bait clicker (line alarm) allowing fish to “run” with the catfish bait. It’s effective for smaller fish and big trophy class cats as well.
What is a secret catfish rig?
The Secret Channel Catfish Rig is a real solution to a real problem. It’s simple and effective and will instantly increase the number of catfish you catch, by lowering the number of missed strikes and increasing your catch ratios.
What is a Santee rig?
The santee rig is very popular for fishing for blue catfish and can be used for both anchored fishing and drift fishing for catfish. The santee rig is a variation of a popular setup called the slip sinker rig but has an added foam peg float that allows the bait and hook to be suspended off the bottom of the lake or river when you are catfishing.
