Best Catfish Rig (Works for bank fishing, lake fishing, and rivers)

One of the best catfish rigs for bank fishing, lake fishing, pond fishing, and rivers. Simple and easy to tie!
I hope you enjoy this tutorial on how to tie a simple, but effective catfishing rig that has been used to catch bullhead, blue and channel catfish, and flat heads.
This rig can be modified for any fishing situation. It is easy to change the weight of the lead, the length of the leader, and the size of the hook to cater to where you are fishing and what size catfish you are targeting.
This rig is extremely versatile, and can be used for bank fishing, lake fishing, for rivers and in ponds.
All you need is a circle hook or octopus hook, a swivel, a strong leader material made from monofilament or fluorocarbon, a plastic bead, and a lead/sinker.
As a bonus, I include how to tie a uni knot, figure 8 knot, and knotless knot in this video.
00:01 Introducing the best catfish rig
00:29 what you need to tie the rig
02:18 how to tie
02:45 how to snell a hook with the knotless knot
04:21 how to tie a figure 8 knot
05:55 how to tie a uni knot
07:03 santee cooper rig modification

[@FishingExplained]

If you like this rig, then you will LOVE my santee cooper rig tutorial! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3a7nnyPe6mEjq8

[@anonthemouse960]

I went fishing for the first time in a year or so yesterday with only basic knowledge of fishing and knots. I lost 4 hooks to the lake, let a fish off the hook, and left with nothing. I came back to the same spot today. After watching this video I lost 0 hooks and caught two small channel catfish!! huge props for the knowledge in this vid.

[@jeffreyhooper4307]

You're really good at showing people how to set up a line on a hook properly some people don't ever actually do that

[@Group115Fishing]

This is literally the best fishing tutorial I have ever seen because you explained everything so clearly making it more easier for me to understand better. Thanks bro, and good luck fishing out there.

[@hectorcamacho5565]

Great video man!!!!! No BS, no stupid jokes, just great information. Thank you!!!

[@orlandoresendez726]

I’m switching over from ocean pier to river and lake fishing. I love how clearly you explain things, and everything that one would need to know. Excellent video!

[@ericj1385]

Thx for sharing this highly informative video sir! Needed this to shore up my skills as over the weekend I lost a VERY LARGE blue @ the shore as the line snapped due in part to not having a leader set-up in place 😢 ...Live & learn and I promised myself to be better prepared going forward! 😁

[@brandonerickson1091]

Great instructional video with easy to follow step by step setup! I saved your video because I’ll probably need a refresher on that figure eight and snell knot.

[@juangaytan8467]

As a new fisher guy I like this video, very detailed and very well explained YHANKS

[@HookLineandKyleP]

Awesome tutorial, going to make my fishing better, thanks so much!

[@brassteeth3355]

Simple and to the point. I appreciate that.

[@cindyhaddock4087]

Wow! Wonderful information and I really like all the detailed info...especially the knot! Ty

[@vdoyeah]

I’ve been away from fishing for 20yrs. I decided to research on catfish rig and came across this video. This rig works well for bank fishing at least for me it does. I used a bead, swivel, sliding egg sinker, 2” float peg, versa-rattle, & Owner circle hooks 3/0-5/0. Thanks to this video, its been a awesome catfish season so far.

[@cherylhicks195]

Mom

[@jimmiemacd3603]

If you’re still fishing what has been your bait of choice for catfishing?

[@tylerdowling6480]

Amazing video I loved how you explained everything very clearly

[@Mbgroff]

Awesome straight to the point video!!!

[@KimchiJerry]

Great video 👏 I’ve been doing the normal overhead knots but definitely gonna try this and the rig setup!!!

[@jameslow5536]

You will find the circle operates best when Snell tied properly. The more you tie this type of knot on your hooks the more you will love it 🤠

[@trentmitchell8763]

Great video! Straight to the point and great quality. Thanks man!!

[@FishingExplained]

That's the goal, thanks for watching!

[@Tom_Legg.]

Thanks alot just trying to catch my first catfish

[@STREET_JOKER]

I really liked this. I’ve only been fishing maybe 2 months? Definitely going to use this. Thanks for all the help!

[@alejandrobenitez4560]

Have you tried it and if you did how did it work?

[@Cartman_on_cod]

I’ve Ben fishing for 3 years and it helps me to

[@PeytonBroseusProductions]

@@alejandrobenitez4560 I’ve used this for lake fishing and river fishing works great

[@germanaderius4053]

@@alejandrobenitez4560 This is a great, simple rig that will work for most situations. Give it a try! I don’t fish for catfish too often but this is my go to rig

[@ML-ks2lj]

If your going for catfish get your self a heavy power rod. Gonna need that power to set the hook. It doesn't matter how expensive or cheap of a rod you get. I have rod that was 10.99 on sale at Walmart all the way up to 200 dollar rods I bought from Cabela's and my local fish store. All of my rods have caught enough fish to say I lost count. My berkly fusion rod has probably caught me the most fish all the way from salmon to catfish. Burbot to goby's it was on sale probably 7 years ago at Walmart for 10.99 rod and reel. Best fishing deal I have ever came across

[@wolfmanmark6773]

incredible video. This was wonderfully made

[@annefrank1765]

*I bought these and used them at the river where I get snags often they have done a **enjoyable.fishing** recommend great job of not breaking along with some strong line I purchased as well. They are super durable and easy to use.*

[@geofish]

nice rig...thank you for sharing :)

[@rew7443]

nice tutorial ill try out this rig soon

[@trevorhodge8335]

Like this snell knot!

[@whiskey101]

Thanks for this simple explanation. Can't wait to try it out.

[@FishingExplained]

Good luck, hope it works for ya

[@noneofyourbusiness8432]

Thanks buddy, I caught a Master angler channel cat with this.

[@good_vibess2345]

Best rig ever! I’m new to catfishing and the first week I fished I didn’t catch a thing. I used this rig on Friday and caught 6 in 2 hours.

[@ep_aesthetics5917]

Do you recommend this for ponds ? Or do I need something smaller

[@dakotaforrest4391]

I use 7/0 for lake sturgeon. Caught a couple north of 150lbs and it held up perfect.

[@FishingExplained]

I am jealous! Sturgeon are on my bucket list for sure.

[@ralphdobson3818]

@@FishingExplained almost the same set up, we use 80lbs braid on a sliding weight set up. The leader is 80lbs dacron.

[@hookedonbassncats]

I use to always use the surgeons loop but it actually isn't as strong and as clean looking as the figure 8. The figure 8 is better in every aspect in my opinion. There are tons of videos like this on KZbin and since i know how to do all of this already I usually can be little critical of bad demonstrations. But this is one of the best I have seen. Great job man.

[@FishingExplained]

Thank you sir. I try to make the videos as beginner friendly as possible with clear demonstrations.

[@hookedonbassncats]

@@FishingExplained yeah makes sense. It's a simple and effective rig. Been using it for over 25 years and I only use it and a 3 way rig and a Santee Cooper rig if I'm dragging. But most my fishing from the shore so I use a Carolina rig or 3-way rig

[@jwill227]

Thank you very much for this video. It was perfect. Way way too many “rig” videos with un needed fluff

[@Church3333]

Nice set up. And great detail. You just gained a new sub.

[@FishingExplained]

Thanks, I appreciate the positive feedback

[@LSProductions5.7]

Hey, I just started out fishing and now I’m getting into catfishing so I hope this helps

[@jeffreybabino1411]

Great video thanks

[@mnyakangler5210]

Thank you!

[@campkilljoy0311]

Great video! Thanks for the tutorial. I recommend possibly using a darker background with a colored fishing line for better visibility. Update: Check out his other videos! They are great!

[@FishingExplained]

Totally agree. Check out my newer videos for my updated setup.

[@campkilljoy0311]

Fishing Explained Nice! Sorry about that haha hadn’t seen the others. Good stuff! Got another subscriber 👍

[@dontipton9367]

That is a great set up. Been using that set up for over 50 years. Using regular eagle claw hooks though. Not a big fan of circle hooks. Fish has to runaway from you to set.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

"Fish has to runaway from you to set." you mean if using a circle hook you cant set it till the fish is runing away or towards you? please explain

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@Jack B yeah for circle hook and it has to run away from you , problem is the fish i go for just nibble there quietly or they sink the floater but they do not run away or peel the line

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@Jack B yes it sometimes works in setting the hook in the lip and other times you lose the fish , but the whole idea of using circle hooks is to avoid deep or gut hooking and allow them time to take the bait even if you miss the bit the first time and that even if they are swallowing the hook is suppose to pull out and set on the outer lip but i find from my limited experience with the fish i go after is that it does not work like that most of the time as i either loose the fish or it gets deep hooked,and if i have to set the hook fast and not give them too long then i might as well be using a j hook and get lip sets ,besides if they feel you pulling it they spit out fast, maybe circle hooks are only meant for bigger fast moving fish and not pan fish

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@Jack B well id love for circle hook to work on sunfish or blues as the buggers swallow deep fast and it be nice to get a lip set instead each time but if that means you have to set the hook fast then i might as well be using j hooks with better hookup success rate , problem is with those fish sometimes you do not know when they are biting till its too late and they swallowed the hook so fast so i was hoping that circle hook would solve this problem but like i said they are not doing the job with a high success rate and i heard only rager size work properly ,i tried both 2/0 and 2 and they either go lose when reeling back or they get deep hooked in the roof of the mouth (had this happen on channel catfish and sheepshead)

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@Jack B i usually use slip float setup and with this i switch between using a size 8 octopus hook with worm or 1/16oz jig heads with 2.5" plastic minnow usually tipped with worm but even those sometimes get difficult to remove with the minnow in the way ,i tried using a bigger size 2 red hook but between that and the jig i was loosing fish on the fight ,maybe they are not sharp enough or poorly designed hooks specially hard finding a good performing jig hook ,i bent the jig hook out a bit hoping for better hook up but it was even worst ,maybe they feel it too fast?

[@orlandoresendez726]

Thanks!

[@bretrice2912]

Going to try this rig today, the figure 8 knot looks bit tricky, I'm having a hard time with that one.

[@jamesprescott1577]

Thanks man. Gotta head to walmart and get me a good catfish rod now.

[@8mantis1]

Walmart 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@Unlikelyuser2012]

@@8mantis1 Look homie dont shame the walmart rods you can catch some pretty good catfish with just walmart stuff alone

[@ryanblystone5153]

Thank you

[@iliaperez7290]

Is a bait casting weight ok it’s like tear drop with the swivel on top

[@judy810]

works great

[@Shamel3ss5]

I just caught a 8 pound cat this weekend on a Rat-L-Trap it was insane hahaha

[@chrisadkison8969]

Nice video

[@jeffreybabino1411]

Hi I do almost the same thing only difference is that I tye my rig into my main line I use conventional tackle 30 pound test mono

[@richardkeller6940]

Thanks

[@raymondamoroso2049]

I ran out of no roll sinkers and got the fish finders for my bank sinkers but hook on the clasp was too big to go through the hole lol.

[@lobibalom5855]

Brother which type of weight sinker is good for flows River for catfish like wallagu attu?...thank you

[@blonded3598]

Would this rig also work on a treble hook?

[@hsallam2008]

Big help

[@kylemooney1256]

Killer rig. Thanks man! it's so simple yet very effective. Great tutorial as well. Went and caught 3 cats today. However they were all under 3 lbs but still decent catches. Plus 2 more ferocious bites, unfortunately I missed them.. I have a 3 oz weight like the one shown in the video, and I am using a 7/0 octopus hook. May bump it up to 9/0 though lol.

[@FishingExplained]

Awesome! I hear ya, I have caught 8" bulkheads when using a 7/0! They are aggressive feeders!

[@kylemooney1256]

@@FishingExplained I had gone fishing at least 7 times in the past 3 weeks and have left empty handed not even a bite. I feel as if that's because I wasn't using an appropriate rig. Finally after so many failed attempts I feel like I have redeemed myself.

[@FishingExplained]

Glad to hear that. Using good rigs definately increases the catch ratio.

[@danielslc88]

Sometimes I wonder if the fishes inspect your line and knots to make sure they are properly done so then they will bite you bait.

[@bumhoe3k]

What’s the best rig for a super shaggy Rocky water from bank

[@bwendt110able]

Gamukasu 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheBiggerDavo]

In some places they call this a "fish finder rig" One of the best ways to fish the bottom!

[@michaelbacon5741]

Hi, do you strictly use this to tight line on the bottom? Or do you fish off the bottom with this rig as well (for example fishing out of a boat and fishing straight down)? Just curious if you use this for multiple tactics?

[@FishingExplained]

Usually you cast it out even if fiahing from a boat. Having an angle in your line will prevent tangles.

[@matthewparker6284]

Will this work on a 7' medium heavy pole?

[@FishingExplained]

Yup, should be able to cast weight up to a few ounces with that setup

[@lobibalom5855]

If I want to catch catfish like (wallagu attu/tapa/boal) from BRAHMAPUTRA river in India) it has too much current .,So which type of rig and fishing line(mono/braid) is best for me and which type of lead sinker I should use... waiting for your valuable reply..thanks

[@billdavis1119]

Where do you buy your hooks and line?

[@volkan_boston]

can you demonstrate a good porgy rig? some puts sinkers below hooks in the end , some before hooks like carolina rig- little confusing

[@FishingExplained]

Perhaps I could made a video on it in the future. When boat fishing for porgy, I like to put the sinker below the hooks, and fasten the hooks to the line with dropper loops.

[@jeffreybabino8161]

Hi i use the flat sinker dont roll in current for me this works better for me

[@patrickvinas6524]

The leader is 30lbs, what should i put on the reel, 50lbs? Thxs

[@Jayyy1990]

What’s size swivel are you utilizing

[@samtaylor1819]

What pound main line are you using

[@watermelonpie2764]

Hey this might be a dumb question but I have trouble catching catfish i tied this rig one 2 rods and going out Saturday, what bait should I use try to get some bluegill, or use chicken breast I don't like chicken live because it takes forever to put on the hook. Thanks for the video

[@FishingExplained]

Catch Smaller fish and cut them into chunks for bait. Make sure to check what is legal to use as bait fish in your area.

[@harvey8695]

Is this the same as a Carolina Rig?

[@TheGrantOutdoors]

Nice video buddy! I use that same rig in certain fishing locations! Us cat fisherman need to stick together and help the community! They have been bitting on my channel!

[@HunterAlakai]

Curious what size you would recommend for small, stocked park catfish that are like 2-5 lbs?

[@FishingExplained]

Are you eating them? If so an octopus hook 5/0 or less and a 30lb leader. If catch and release id probably use a 5/0 circle hook so they have lesser chance of getting gut hooked.

[@HunterAlakai]

@@FishingExplained Thank you! I was really curious about the size

[@underagefisherman6158]

Is it good if I use a heavy egg weight instead of the ones in the video?

[@FishingExplained]

An egg weight will work fine, but it may roll downstream if you are fishing a river with heavy current.

[@marcsyltogether6382]

How to avoid snag using this method?? Any suggestions?? Tnx

[@davidrose415]

We catch big crappie and sand bass on this rig with shad as bait.

[@jaesenjohns6694]

does a palomar work for connecting the main line to the rig?

[@FishingExplained]

Yes, you can use whatever knot you are confident with for the leader to mainline connection.

[@souls_gaming9392]

Would a sand claw weight attached to a slider for this rig work in a river

[@IdiotBoxProductionsTV]

Yes

[@syang141able]

I make those trokar hooks. I work at eagle claw.

[@davidfoote541]

What is the bead for other than that I love the rug ty

[@FishingExplained]

The bead protects the knot from damage and failure as the lead is alot harder than the line.

[@jschro446]

What about offset eye hook?

[@JuanRamirez-sg5uq]

Your back after 2 years

[@FishingExplained]

Yup! Any other videos you want to see?

[@JuanRamirez-sg5uq]

@@FishingExplained slip bobber rig

[@loriglover1590]

Can I use a split shot as a buffer bead because I dont have any buffer beads

[@FishingExplained]

A plastic bead is best to prevent knot damage. Any bead will work whether it's from the crafts department or the fishing section.

[@bugz742]

Halibut rig and Leopard shark rig plz

[@kennethverkest6717]

That Berkeley big game trilene will hold double it's weight I use 30 lb test Berkeley all the time at the pay lakes catch fish around 35 and 40 lb with it

[@FishingExplained]

Yup, it's good stuff

[@fishermanlad4270]

If you want something simple I just use a 9/o octopus hook and an egg weight and I’ve caught 1 - 5 lbers on it

[@Yvng_jhit]

U can use this rig with any bait you use like worms and etc?

[@eon7722]

No worms won’t work

[@sraggsalem6224]

Please tell Us about the line kind and size

[@josephadcock4725]

What do you use for your main line?

[@FishingExplained]

I like trilene big game mono for its strength and abrasion resistance. The lb test depends on the size of the fish you're targeting.

[@alexpeltek9314]

toss any weak parts such as swivels and snags and leave loop to loop connection only

[@Munchboxkid]

Do you use a bobber with this setup?

[@FishingExplained]

No, this rig is designed for bottom fishing.

[@chasew518]

Can I just use a regular fisherman’s knot for the swivel?

[@FishingExplained]

Yes

[@CastironSteak7]

Is 14 pound line Ok than a 25-30 pound leader?

[@CastironSteak7]

I’m a new catfisherman that’s why I ask haha

[@thesleep6408]

I believe the record flathead catfish was caught on a zebco 33 with 4# test if I remember correctly.

[@outofbody6797]

most in depth, no bs explanation with detailed nicely light knot tying tutorials. great video man

[@1991codester]

I don’t know if it’s goofy or not but I put a bead on both sides of the weight because I’m worried about beating up the eyes of my rod with the lead lol

[@FishingExplained]

Not a bad idea. I have had the lead hit my rod rip more than once.

[@kidvicious2227]

Ive caught 40Ib catfish on 20Ib braied line

[@jeffreyhooper4307]

Like big catfish but I don't like it where it's kind of super big you probably know what I mean about it probably like medium size or something

[@underagefisherman6158]

About to order 4oz pyramid weights, would they work good for this rig, and on the sinker slide?

[@FishingExplained]

They would work, but I prefer in line leads. They tangle less when casting.

[@MrMusaalam]

Hi do you pefer Braided or Mono

[@FishingExplained]

Mono has great abrasion resistance, but braid has superior sensitivity. I usually fish mono on my catfish and carp setups.

[@JamesWhite-tg4kw]

Don't know what kind of bait you was planning on putting on that big hook but that float didn't look nowhere near big enough

[@FishingExplained]

It floats a 3-4" chunk of bait. Anything larger would require a bigger float.

[@stevenmccurry7969]

I’m so confused I don’t understand your video so what goes on first the hook the leader and then the wait 😢

[@jackoclub3895]

Use a black blanket on your table next time. Might make it easier for blind guys like me to see thx

[@TheIconicFisherman]

Generally, your supposed to use a snell knot on a circle hook when it has a bent eye but when it has a straight eye your supposed to use a loop knot. And the reason why this is, is because the whole idea of the trigger effect with the line coming out of the eye of the hook at a uneven angle isn't scientifically sound. If you actually think about it if the line is coming out at an angle that will just cause the hook to have to travel more in order to hook the fish. Whereas if the line is coming out of the eye of the hook straight it doesn't have to travel as much to hook the fish.

[@markdavid578]

Figure 8 knot is also a surgeons knot

[@FishingExplained]

Surgeons knot is not the same as a figure 8.