5 Top Catfish Rigs You Need to Know About

5 Top Catfish Rigs You Need to Know About

Catfishing is becoming increasingly popular amongst anglers, proven by the surge of gear in the marketplace designed specifically for those looking to snag the species. Fishing for catfish is as simple as presenting the proper bait in the right place at the right time, additionally using the best rigs that can cast and hold one’s bait in a spot where catfish can find them. A rig used to catch catfish is basically a combination of tackle attached to a piece of fishing line or leader line. The rigs can either be used offshore on a boat or inshore on the banks or shores. 

The perfect mixture of bait and rig can ensure an angler can bring in and hook catfish. Anglers have a lot of choices of rigs that serve different purposes depending on what type of fishing they’re going to do. It’s important to consider what kind of catfish you are targeting, what they prefer as bait, and where you are looking for them before choosing a rig. 
 

Here are the Five Top Rigs that will Help You Catch Those Cats

1. Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig is one of the best rigs to use when fishing from the shore. It consists of a sliding sinker and barrel swivel to a leader. The rig perfectly presents a bait on the bottom and allows the mainline to slide liberally through the sinker without allowing the fish to feel the weight and is designed to have little to no resistance when fish bite the bait. Those characteristics are especially helpful when catfish are being fussy. Both live and dead bait can be used with this rig. It can also be used with any length of leader line. Carolina rigs are best used in slow-paced rivers, lakes, and ponds where the water flow is moderate because if used where the current is rapid, it can get your line and weight easily tangled and make the line drift further than the weight. 

2. Three Way Rig

The three-way rig, also known as the wolf river rig, is also a great one to use for fishing for catfish from the banks. It consists of a three-way swivel leader line and a bell sinker on a dropper line. It can also be tied with a regular swivel. It’s important to use a lighter dropper line with your weight attached because it gets snagged on the bottom due to its relative heaviness compared to other rigs. The weight attached to the three-way rig will be held in place while the leader and bait drifts to attract species like blue catfish, channel catfish, and flathead catfish. With how the rig’s swivel is composed, it gets rid of the issue of tangling, and it’s also effective for casting baits in heavy currents or covered areas. Using the three-way rig is also easier when you want to cast farther. Anglers also swear by this rig when catching catfish from rocky bottoms.

3. Santee Cooper Rig

The Santee Cooper rig, or simply the Santee rig, is basically a modified version of the Carolina rig. It can also be considered as a fusion of the slip sinker and the slip floater rigs. It uses a peg float, spook, demon dragon and other kinds of foam floaters to float your bait off the bottom to attract the attention of the catfish you are targeting. The rig is made up of a sliding sinker, barrel swivel, and leader with a floater attached a few inches from your bait. It can be tied to either longer or shorter leaders that provide anglers different depths. Dead bait is a preferred match with this rig. This rig is very versatile and is good to use for catching any type of catfish, especially blues and flatheads that gather in rocky bottoms, cracks, and crevices. Furthermore, the Santee rig is a great choice for still water fishing and bank fishing. 

4. Slip Bobber Rig

The slip bobber rig is made up of a slip bobber that varies in size, with a bobber stop, then a split shot or sliding weight, down to a leader. It is the ideal rig to use to hook channel catfish. The slipstick floats are highly sensitive and very adjustable that helps a lot with the different depths of cast you want. The rig works very well with any type of prepared bait as well as it doesn’t disturb an angler’s casting. The slip bobber rig is great for fishing for catfish that can be found in creeks, ponds, and lakes, as well as shallow spots. It can be hard to keep the rig in one spot during windy days, so using it then could not be the best idea. You can either drift your bait using this rig or just let it sit on still water. 

5. Balloon Rig

The balloon rig is another type that is valuable for anglers that like fishing from the banks. Though it may not be as commonly used as the others, it can still hold up well when one wants to fish for cats. It is very similar to the slip bobber rig but uses a balloon instead of a bobber. A snap or snap swivel attaches the balloon to the line. This rig can make a big difference when it’s windy as it gets bait out in areas just out of casting distance. This means anglers can cover more water using this rig. The balloon rig works well with larger live baits because the balloon would be much tougher to sink. It is also great for suspending bait at certain depths where catfish stay at a time, thereby providing anglers accuracy. 

Additional Information You Need to Know About Catfish Rigs

• Though anglers can be encouraged to modify their rigs, with different combinations of sinkers, swivels, leaders, beads, poly balls, stop knots, floats, and more, overcomplicating a rig can be a disadvantage because they’re harder to construct again and replace if they get lost. A more complicated rig can also impact the fishing process. A simple catfish rig will always be ideal. 
• Though rigs are a huge help, the right bait and right location are just as if not more important. Even the best rig won’t let you catch catfish if you’re not using the proper bait and are not looking for them in the best place.
• Sound is another thing to consider when fishing for catfish as they have excellent hearing and will hunt according to sound. Different kinds of rattles can be attached to rigs to enhance the chance of hooking the fish.