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Catfishing Rigs

Rahul Thadani
Catfishing rigs will help you catch bigger catfish. The better the design of your rigs, the better your chances become at catching a real whopper. Give enough time and attention to your rig and this will ultimately make a lot of difference.

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There are many factors that come into play for setting up catfishing rigs, irrespective of the weather and temperature conditions and what time of the year it may be. If you are familiar with these factors, your chances of landing a bigger and better catch, increase.
You will obviously want to catch the biggest catfish possible. The gear that you use will play a large part in this matter. The fishing rod, the line that you use, and the bait will all determine your success rate.
A catfish rig is the way you set up your fishing line with the bait and the amount of weight that you attach to the line.
A few basic rigs that any seasoned fisher will be able to tell you about, and there are some original rigs that you can make yourself. The way you set up this arrangement will play a major role in what size of fish you are able to catch.

Deep Catfish Rigs

Deep rigs are tricky to make because you need to add the right amount of weight so as to avoid any snags on the line. Moreover, the place where you attach the weight is also very important. It has been found that the rigs become more effective if an ounce or so of weight is attached to the end of the line.
Many people choose to attach this weight at the end of the hook and then attach that hook to the end of the line, but this causes a lot of snags on the line. Instead, you should attach the weight at the end of the line and then attach the hook some 12-18 inches above the weight.

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The kind of bait that you use is an important consideration, in order to decide what kind of hooks you should use.
If you use shad or perch, then an 8/0 or 9/0 circle hook will suit you best and also enable you to catch bigger catfish. On the other hand, using chicken liver, worms, or homemade catfish bait will mean that you will inevitably end up catching smaller fish, so you will need to use a 2/0 circle hook.

Shallow Catfish Rigs

Tips and techniques to catch catfish can be learned and acquired over a period of time, and this is something that only comes with experience. The rigs mentioned here are useful for fishing in shallow waters, where you are absolutely sure that you will catch comparatively smaller breeds of fish.
In this case you need to acquire some catfish bobbers and then place a bobber stop about 2-3 feet away from the hook directly above the bobber.
Now, add one or two split shots in between the bobber and the hook. The size and type of hook you use will again depend on the nature of the bait that you are using.
You should talk to people who are experienced in catfishing and you should also try to visit many forums on the Internet to learn more about it. Apart from the rigs, the catfishing tackle is also something that you need to pay close attention to.