RIGS
WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT CHOICE OF RIG YOU ARE GOING TO FISH THEN YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF ONE QUESTION! SURFACE OR POP UP? BOTH ARE EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE IF YOU GET THE PRESENTATION RIGHT BUT MY EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT WILL INFLUENCE YOUR FINAL DECISION.
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YOU NEEED TO LOOK AT MANY FACTORS SUCH AS CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS,RESIDENT CATFISH FEEDING HABITS, LOCAL ADVICE AND KNOWLEDGE, AND THE MAIN ONE, THE SWIM THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
WARM,CALM WEATHER AND A GOOD WATER TEMPERATURE WILL CERTAINLY PROMOTE SURFACE FEEDING AS IT ENCOURAGES PREY FISH INTO THE WARMER TOP LAYERS OF WATER. I HAVE FOUND THAT A GOOD CHOP ON THE WATER TENDS TO REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SURFACE BAITS BUT I ALWAYS HAVE ONE OUT JUST TO COVER ALL BASES.
WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR LOCAL VENUE KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN. LISTEN FOR THAT TELL TALE GULP GULP AND TAIL SLAPS OF A CAT HUNTING ON THE SURFACE. IF YOU HEAR THIS THERE IS NO POINT KEEPING ALL YOUR BAITS ON THE BOTTOM. GO TO THE AREAS THEY ARE FEEDING. ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THIS, IF YOU HAVE SPENT A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AT YOUR CHOSEN VENUE AND HAVEN'T HEARD A THING THEN ITS WISE TO CONCENTRATE ON BOTTOM RIGS AS THE CATS MAYBE HUNTING IN THE LOWERLAYERS. DONT EVER BE RIGID IN YOUR APROACH. THE ABILITY TO QUICKLY CHANGE ATTACK BROUGHT ME A WELCOME CAT LAST YEAR OFF THE SURFACE AS I WAS PACKING UP ON WHAT HAD BEEN A BLANK DAY UP TO THEN. I SAW IT TAKE AND BELIEVE ME IT WAS FANTASTIC!
POP UP RIGS
POP UP RIGS ARE A FANTASTIC METHOD OF FISHING AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF RIGS THAT ALLOW YOU FISH ALL THROUGH THE WATER LAYERS. AN EXCELLENT AREA TO PICK UP CATFISH IS A FOOT OR TWO FROM THE LAKE BED. THIS IS AN EXTENSIVE FEEDING ZONE, ESPECIALLY IN COOLER WATER TEMPERATURES. LIVEBAITS, LEECHES AND WORMS FISHED JUST OFF THE BOTTOM CAN BE DEADLY. THE RIG I USE FOR FISHING SUB SURFACE LIVEBAITS IS SHOWN OPPOSITE. IT IS SIMPLY A RUNNING LEAD TO A HOOKLINK WITH A BAIT POPPER ATTACHED TO THE EYE OF THE HOOK. THE BAIT POPPER KEEPS THE BAIT UP FROM THE BOTTOM YET STILL ALLOWING IT MOVEMENT. YOU CAN SET THE DEPTH THE BAIT IS TO BE FISHED AT BY EITHER GIVING LINE FROM THE SPOOL AND ALLOWING IT TO RISE, OR BY TYING A STOP KNOT BEHIND THE LEAD TO GIVE THE BAIT A FIXED DEPTH. IF YOU ARE GOING TO FISH THE RIG IN THIS FASHION I WOULD ADVISE PUTTING A RUBBER BEAD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LEAD TO PROTECT THE STOP KNOT AND THE KNOT TO YOUR SWIVEL. USE A LARGE LEAD, 3oz OR SO, PURELY TO KEEP THE BAIT IN A FIXED LOCATION. |  |
WHEN I AM SUB SRFACE FISHING WORMS OR LEECHES I USE A SCALED DOWN VERSION OF THE POLLYBALL RIG BELOW. I USE A SHORT SECTION OF TUBING, BUT INSTEAD OF USING 1inch POLLYBALLS I USE SMALL FOX BAITPOPPERS AND APPLY SOME KRYSTON PUTTY TO THE HOOKLINK TO GET THE BOYANCY RIGHT. CHECK IT IN THE EDGE OF THE LAKE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIG NEUTRAL BOYANCY AND PUT IT OUT. AGAIN YOU CAN FIX THE DEPTH THE SAME WAY AS THE PREVIOUS RIG.
THE MOST COMMONLY USED POP UP RIG THOUGH, IS BY FAR THE SURFACE DUMBELL RIG. IT IS A VERY PRODUCTIVE METHOD IN THE WARMER MONTHS WHEN THE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE WARM AND THE CATS ARE ACTIVELY SURFACE HUNITNG. IT IS ESSENTIALLY A WAY TO KEEP A BAIT IN THE VERY SURFACE LAYER AND A GENERAL FIXED POSITION.
  5 TURN GRINNER KNOT | OPPOSITE IS MY VERSION OF THE DUMBELL RIG. PRE MADE VERSION ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET AND ARE GOOD TO HAVE AND GOOD TO USE, I JUST PREFERE TO MAKE MY OWN AS NOTHING IS ACTUALLY FIXED TOGETHER, EVERYHTING IS FREE RUNNING AND SEPERATE. THE METHOD IS SIMPLE, HEAVY RUNNING LEAD, PURELY TO STOP THE BAIT ROAMING EVERYWHERE, COUPLE OF BEADS, COUPLE OF POLLYBALLS, STIFF TUBE AROUND 8 INCHES LONG, A COUPLE MORE POLLYBALLS THEN A SIX INCH HOOKLINK. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE HOOKLINK SHORTER THAN THE TUBE AS THIS PREVENTS THE BAIT TANGLING WITH THE MAIN LINE. SO THE CONCEPT IS FANTASTICALLY SIMPLE. YOU CAST THE RIG OUT AND ALLOW LINE FROM THE SPOOL UNTILL BOTH SETS OF POLLYBALLS BREAK SURFACE. THE BAIT IS BROUGHT UP WITH THEM AND THEY STOP THE BAIT DIVING AND KEEP IT IN THE PRODUCTIVE SURFACE LAYER. SO SIMPLE. THE MAIN BAITS USED WITH THIS METHOD ARE AGAIN LIVEBAITS, WORMS AND LEECHES, BAITS WITH MOVEMENT, AS THIS IS WHAT THE CATFISH IS FOCUSSING ON WHEN IT IS HUNTING IN THESE LAYERS. BELOW AND OPPOSITE YOU CAN SEE HOW THE RIG SITS ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, YOU CAN SEE THE ATTRACTIVE RIPPLES THE RIG GIVES OF AS THE LIVEBAIT SWIMS. YOU CAN ADD A RIG RATTLE TO THE HOOKLINK FOR EXTRA ATTRACTION IF YOU SO WISH. THE KNOTS I USE FOR ALL MY RIGS IS THE FIVE TURN GRINNER KNOT AS SHOWN BELOW. THIS IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST KNOTS YOU CAN USE, ESPECIALLY WITH BRAIDS AND LARGE MONFILAMENT LINES.
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ONE THING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IS THAT LIVEBAITS ARE QUITE FRAGILE, AND THESE RIGS ARE RATHER BULKY TO CAST SO BAIT BOAT THEM OUT WHERE POSSIBLE. IF YOU DONT HAVE ACCESS TO A BAIT BOAT THEN DONT BE AIMING FOR 100 YARDS FISHING WITH THESE RIGS, THE LESS DAMAGE YOU DO TO YOUR LIVEBAIT THE LONGER IT WILL LAST AND THE MORE APPEALING IT WILL BE.
BOTTOM RIGS
THESE RIGS ARE SUPREMELY SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE. WHEN DECIDING ON WHAT RIG TO USE YOU REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT BAIT YOU ARE GOING TO USE. |  |
IT IS THIS CHOICE THAT WILL DETERMINE WHAT RIG TO USE. WHEN IT COMES TO BAITS ON THE BOTTOM YOU ARE LOOKING AT TWO MAIN TYPES. CARP STYLE BAITS OR TRUE PREDATORY BAITS. BY THIS I MEAN PELLETS AND BOILIES OR FISH AND MEAT BAITS.
WHEN FISHING THE CARP STYLE BAITS THEN YOU SIMPLY FISH THE CARP STYLE METHODS, PELLETS AND BOILIES ON A HAIR RIG. YOU CAN FISH THESE BAITS AS YOU WOULD FOR CARP AND SO ON, EITHER RUNNING LEAD OR BOLT RIGGED. BELOW ARE SHOWN BOTH RIG SETUPS I USE, THESE BAITS AND RIGS ACCOUNT FOR A LOT OF CATS, ESPECIALLY ON WATERS THAT GET HEAVILY FISHED FOR CARP.
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WHEN FISHING LARGER BAITS SUCH AS LARGE PIECES OF LIVER, DEADBAITS, OR HALF TINS OF MEAT I DO PREFERE TO FREELINE. THIS GIVES VIRTUALLY ZERO RESISTANCE WHEN THE CAT PICKS UP THE BAIT AND CAN LEAD TO VERY CONFIDENT RUNS. WHEN FISHING FREELINE I LIKE TO USE A METER OR SO OF LEADCORE LEADER TO THE HOOKLINK, THIS HELPS TO KEEP THINGS TIGHT TO THE BOTTOM, REDUCING THE RISK OF SPOOKING THE CAT WITH THE LINE, AND ACTS AS A GOOD RUBBING LEADER BOTH AGAINST ANYTHING ON THE BOTTOM AND AGAINST THE CATS BODY WHEN YOU HOOK THEM. TYPICAL FREELINE RIGS OF MINE ARE SHOWN BELOW AND ONCE YOU GET THE HANG OF SPLICING THE LEADCORE THESE RIGS CAN BE MADE UP IN SECONDS BUT I ALWAYS CARRY ONE OR TWO OF EVERY RIG I USE PRE TIED, THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO BE DOING IS TYING UP NEW RIGS AT 2am, TRUST ME.
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SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, THESE ARE THE RIGS THAT CATCH ALL MY CATFISH. SIMPLE, EASY TO MAKE, EASY TO USE, AND WILL COVER EVERY SITUATION ON ANY VENUE THAT YOU APPROACH. IF YOU EMPLOY THESE RIGS ON YOUR CHOSEN VENUE I CAN SAY WITH SOME CONFIDENCE THAT IT WONT BE LONG UNTILL YOUR ROD IS BENDING TO THE BUT AND THAT HUGE GREY TAIL IS SLAPPING ON THE SURFACE.
HAPPY HUNTING
