Using an ugly stik catfish pole, 40lb braided spider wire, 2.5 oz bank sinker, barrel spinner, and a 40lb leader with a circle hook, all tied with Palomar knots. Pic included for context on the waterway. I don’t know if my gear isn’t matched up, maybe I’m using the incorrect gear for this waterway, or if I’m using the incorrect stuff altogether, but every other cast, maybe every 3rd if I’m lucky, I’m losing all of my tackle. Im casting on the edge of the main current.
Ps please don’t drag me. I’m self taught and everything I’ve learned is from Reddit or the internet.
Thanks for any advice you have.
Posted by buckadoodledoo
12 Comments
You didn’t say what bait your using, catching catfish is ad easy as putting bait on a hook and waiting however long it takes
Try some new spots or if this is a known catfish spot try a different bait. If neither work then you just gotta put in more time.
Find a calmer area away from that current
What size circle hook and what bait?
To me it’s your braid knot. If you’re throwing 2.5oz, that’s pretty heavy. Figure out why it’s breaking at the knot it’s breaking.
For braid I use the double-loop clinch and that will never come out.
Try dropping your bait 3 or 4 feet from shore right in front of you. If you can’t retrieve your bait from that, move around the spot.
Man, I know plenty of people catch catfish during the day but, I never have any luck. Slay them at night though.
Use a slip float. Let it swirl around in the eddy. Rocky bottoms mean snags.
Looks like pretty heavy current in that area . I would use heavier weight also someone else asked what size of hooks are you using . On such areas i prefer using live baits with carolina rigs mostly .
If there is a little better spot with less current and calm water with good depth , i would keep trying .
Loosing tackle is part of the game until we figure it out lol happened to best of us .
Depending on how you’re losing your rig, you could also consider the bottom surface, i.e. Often with current such as in the picture it will wash away the finer silk mud and sand and leave rocks exposed and it’s possible that you’re casting into the rocks and with that heavy weight it’s settling in and to pull it loose from the rocks if you’re using the wrong knot you’ll pull your weight line straight off out of the weights and the rig because they’ll stay in the rocks.
Another thing to consider is there is undercurrent that may not be directly seen from the top that could be pushing your bait where you’re rigging left or right from where you think it’s landing, and sometimes you can use this to your advantage to drift your bait into the area that the fish prefer but more often my rigs get blown into trees, limbs, rocks, or other underwater obstructions that ends up costing me my rig
They’re the easiest fish to catch in freshwater. They may not even be there. Try nightcrawlers.
I bought spider wire once and it was ass. It was breaking with minimal tension.