How to make snag-less sinkers for catfishing

I love fishing the Potomac River and the Anacostia River. They are THICK with catfish, including channel catfish, bullheads, monsterous blue catfish.

But one challenge of these rivers is that they are very snaggy. I have lost so many sinkers or entire rigs to snags, which is a bummer and also upsetting to me because I think it is important to not leave stuff —sinkers, line, hooks, etc.— in the river. No matter the sinker shape, pyramid, circle, round, etc., I still got snags.

The other week, I was thinking about a solution. And I got an idea from an anchoring solution I came across. (Stick with me as I explain.)

The snaggy river got hold of my kayak’s anchor this spring, and to remedy that situation I created a drag anchor—basically a very heavy chain sheather in either a plastic sleeve or pipe insulation.

How to Make a Super Tough and Very Effective Santee Rig for Catfishing

Santee rigs are terrific for catching catfish. They keept the bait off the bottom, and when built with a swivel clip they permit the bait to move and turn gently in current. Retailers sell Santee rigs, and you can also make them with monofilament. Which is what I did for a while.

But making a Santee rig with steel wire offers serious advantages: (1) steel line is super strong; (2) the vinyl coating means it is easy to clean; and (3) steel line does not develop memory (twists/bends) or fray like monofilament, nor does it tangle around underwater structure (like branches).

I should add that using a heavy swivel at the end of this means you can easily swap out hooks, depending on the size of catfish you are chasing.

The components are very inexpensive and they all can be bought on Amazon:

• 24- to 36-inches of vinyl-clad stainless steel wire (90-pound test)
• 2 crimp sleeves (make sure the sleeve is the right size for the wire!)
• 1 two-and-a-half-inch peg float
• 1 heavy barrel swivel (1 per rig)
• 1 heavy swivel clip
• 1 pair of wire crimpers
• 1 pair of wire-cutters (if your crimpers do not have a cutter)

As I note in the video, please watch a video on how to crimp properly if you are not experienced at crimping. It is easy to learn, but do it wrong and your crimp will fail—which means your rig will fail.

Once you get the handle of making one of these rigs, you can knock them out in 3 to 5 minutes. And if you want to pimp your rig a bit, consider adding plastic beads on both sides of the peg float. They can add a rattling sound that may draw more catfish.

By the way, if you are new to catfishing—yes, you DO need to use a weight to get this rig to the bottom. So, on your rod line attach a slider-clip above heavy swivel-clip (same as the one above). Clip a 2- or 3-ounce sinker (pyramid or disc) to the slider.

Voila—you are done. Bait the big hook with cut bluegill, shad, or blue catfish (the bloodier the better) or stinky chicken bait.

How to Turn a Cooler Into an Awesome Rod Holder and Bait and Fish Keeper

So, my previous post crowed about the bucket rod holder contraption I built for $20.

This rod holder is a little more pricy, but it is terrific, not least because it has the extra advantage of being something you can keep the fish you catch in. Additionally, this Coleman cooler also has measurements on the top, so you can lay your fish on it to assess the length.

All told, this cost me about $75, although one can buy a smaller, cheaper cooler, or get one used from someone on Craig’s List or somesuch. The pieces are:

• 100-quart Coleman cooler with wheels (buy here)
• Brocraft rod holders (buy here)

The Brocraft rod holders come with the installation screws, which you can drill straight into the cooler (no need to drill holes first: the cooler’s plastic will give way to the screw tips.)

As with the bucket, when you get to your fishing spot you must fill the cooler. You can use a bucket to fill it one-third to half-way full, or you can use a little pump and battery. A pump also can aerate the water in the cooler, which will keep your baitfish and catches alive. (Yes, this is a simple live well, one you also can use on your boat.)

Update: If you want to make your cooler even easier to pull, put it in one of these garden carts.

 

How to Make a Great Rod Holder Bucket for Fishing for Catfish, Carp, and More for $20

Raise your hand if you ever have set a rod down and had a fish hit and pull it into the water?

This has happened to me, and it is a real (reel?) drag. (Oh, the puns.) I have had catfish and carp both yank rods into the depths, never to be seen again.

This rod holder bucket is the solution to that problem, and can be made for about $20 in 30 minutes.

The materials are:

• 1 5-gallon plastic bucket;
• 3 nuts/bolts/washers (3/8″ or so);
• 2 24-inch pieces of 1.5-inch by 3.5-inch wood; and
• 4 large close line hooks (Bring your fattest rod to the hardware store to ensure you buy a large enough hook)

Drill holes in one piece of lumber that are the same size as your bolts; drill holes in the bucket aligned with the holes you just drilled in the lumber; etc. Watch the video: this simple contraption is pretty self-explanatory.

I love this rod holder. When you go to fish on a dock or next to a river or lake, you bring the bucket (with your bait and rigs inside). When you pick your spot, you take your stuff out of the bucket, and dip the bucket into the water to fill it. Voila: you have about 40 pounds of weight, which will keep your rods secure. (Note, the bucket should face the water, not the lumber cross.)

Give it a try, and let me know how you like it! This bucket last weekend helped me land a 40-pound blue catfish.

How to Tie a Simple Catfish Rig

There are various ways to tie catfish rigs. I used to use helicopter rigs because they are absurdly easy to tie and require only two things—a sinker and a hook. I first learned how to do one from this video.

But, the more I fished the Potomac River and Tidal Basin, the more I grew annoyed with helicopter rigs because they tend to get twisted—the hook portion of the line gets wrapped around the sinker line due to the water current. Don’t get me simple wrong—helicopter rigs are a fine way to start, and they can be used if you are short on gear (like if you’re in a boat and lose a nice rig and have insufficient materials to re-rig.). And helicopter rigs can work great if you buy some additional materials that keep the lines from twisting around each other. (See this photo. And, yes, some folks put the weight above the hook and others below it.)

This is sometimes called a “zero rig“—but I refer to it as a simple catfish rig because is shows  simple, clean profile—a single line with the hook at the end and a single sinker. here’s a 4-minute video I made showing how to make this rig. Below the video you will see links that will enable you to buy the various components (circle hook, flat sinkers, Lindy plastic beads, and 30- or 40-pound monofilament line).

I advise tying 3 or more of these rigs before you go to fish. Then clip them on to a swivel clip that’s attached to your reel line. This enables you to bait up quickly, and to replace a rig if one gets lost (due to a snag) or damaged. Enjoy!