Details

Details, details, details. Some of my fishing buddies enjoy giving me a hard time about my preoccupation with details. I guess it comes from being a full-time software developer and part-time fisherman. In software, it pays to be meticulous. I believe that the same holds true in angling.

Rigging and knots are one area where some people think I go overboard. After having lost too many big cats due to knot failure, or failure of terminal tackle; I developed some techniques that really work. It's not some radical new approach, rather it's a combination of proven features put together in interesting ways. I will describe my absolute favorite riggings for catfishing local rivers.

I generally use 17 or 25 lbs Trilene Big Game in Solar Green (I like the visibility against the muddy and/or stained waters I fish). On the business end, I tie a bimini twist about 30 inches long. I really like using a bimini, as it adds so much to the overall strength of the rig. If you've never tied a bimini twist, now is a good time to start practicing. It takes me both hands, both feet and my teeth to get one tied. You can find instructions on tying a bimini [ here ].

Most times, I'll use an egg sinker from 1 to 2.5 ounces, sliding on the monofilament. Then I add a plastic bead and tie on a heavy crane swivel using a Trilene knot. This gives me a bead for the sinker to hit, and FOUR wraps of mono around the crane swivel. I really like the durability of this setup.

On the bottom side of the swivel, I tie a leader of 35 or 50 lbs test braided micro-dyneema superline ( I like Tuf-Line, which happens to be what I use on most of my musky rods). This leader is generally between 12 and 20 inches, depending on the conditions I'll be fishing. I use a palomar knot [ instructions ] to connect both ends of the leader. I like the superbraid because it is thinner and softer than monofilament, and I believe the catfish is less likely to "feel" it than heavy monofilament.

On the business end of the leader goes a good quality 5/0 or larger circle hook. More about hooks in a later article.

I generally tie up several dozen "leaders" ahead of time, each leader consisting of a hook, a length of superbraid, and a swivel. I wrap these around small pieces of hardboard or 1/4" plywood and secure them with rubber bands. That way, when I'm on the water, I can tie on a new leader without spending time tying the extra knots.

Here is a drawing of the completed rig. Click on the image to view a larger version of it.