# Long distance cat rigs?



## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Im looking for the best rig to fish dam tailwater for BIG blues. The area is very rocky (I fully expect to lose a TON of rigs) and there is a lot of current. Distance is very important. I plan to use large chunks of cut bait (approximately 3 X 3 chunks) on a circle hook, and I want the lead to be at the bottom of the rig.

I guess that the simplest rig would be a three-way swivel, the leader and hook going off at 90 degrees from the main line, and the leader with the lead inline with the main line.

However, the rigs always seem to get tangled on me. Any suggestions?


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

A barrel swivel is used to create a leader to prevent current from snugging the bait up to the sinker. Most catmen prefer that the leader be of lighter line test than the main line. This will allow you to lose only the leader if your hook gets snagged on obstructions.


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## catfishhunter33 (Apr 6, 2004)

gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

I have used the rig that Katfish posted for the last two years with a lot of success. I use lighter line on the lead line, and usually get the hook back when snagged. However, lighter line holding the lead will not work when power casting.

I really like the looks of the rigs in the link. I plan to give the pulley rig a try.

Hey, where did the link go? LOL


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## spinfisher (Sep 23, 2005)

Rooster, I lifted this info from somewhere. The link I had isn't good anymore, but I've had this rig on my hard drive for a while. Never tried it...just kept it in case somebody needed it. Looks serious to me.  

*Distance Casting Rig*

As you can see in this photo the 50 lb mono is run through the insulation and tied to the sinker and the coat hanger is shoved into the insulation and then bent to form a little hook which is on the opposite side from the sinker ... this is where you'd fasten the hook when getting ready to cast so that the bait will fly right behind the sinker, increasing the casting distance and preventing helicoptoring effect--the more a bait helicopters the less casting distance you can achieve.









In this photo you see the holder after it's bent over and ready to use, right behind the sinker









This is the whole rig ... the swivel all the way to the left is where you tie your main line on ... the telephone wire holds the beads, swivel, up the line so that it's streamlined









Here's how it looks when the hook is on the holder as you will place the hook on the holder then pull down making the telephone wire slip down so that there's no loop to flop around, making for a better cast.









Here's how the hook is held behind the sinker .... when you put bait on the hook you then hang it on the holder so that it catches as little air as possible.









This is how it looks when you're getting ready to cast.









When you hook a fish the swivel slides down to the sinker, as you can see in this photo, so that the sinker is held up off bottom between you and the fish and isn't likely to hang up in the rocks nearly as easily. And, here's where the telephone wire comes into play ... the wire wrapped around the main line of the rig holds the bead and swivel up the line and doesn't allow them to move down until there's pressure on line from a fish hitting. What happens then is the telephone wire allows the bead and swivel to slip down the line to the sinker so that the sinker is held up between the fish and you while you're reeling in and makes for a much smaller chance for the sinker to get hung in the rocks.


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## spinfisher (Sep 23, 2005)

I have no idea what this guy is talking about, but it's an entertaining read and might be semi-relevant.
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Now me being such a country hick and not getting out into the world much I thought I was the originator of this kinda long distance casting for a while but evidently I was wrong again as there's a whole organization out there that do about the same kinda casting that I do to reach distances over 200 yds fairly easily ... I found out real quick that I was not alone in what I call SWANGIN which the others call Pendulum casting which is different than what I do as I cast with a modified pendulum cast. First off you need to learn to tie the knots ... when they have the middle slueth gate open forcing the water to swirl I use 25 lb test line. 30 is too brittle and will break if you get a fish twisting and turning on you in that strong current (8 to 12 mph rushing water). Now for the info. 

 
#1. Tie at least 40 lb shock line to the main line using an Albright Knot. Be sure to wet the line with spit b4 you draw line tight on the knot or you'll weaken the line/knot and then hold both sides of the knot and twang it like a guitar string to remove spit. Then if you wish put a drop of super glue on the knot. That'll keep it from coming untied for sure. (superglue optional if you sinch it down good). This is also a great idea if you're fishing in rocks or brush piles and it saves mainline even if it's not small diameter, because if you tie your hook and sinker similar to the way that I do you'll be using up about 3 ft of line tieing on each hook and sinker ... whereas if you use a shock leader you most of the time just lose 4 to 5 inches of line and have the sinker and hook tied together with much larger line so if they hang up on something a lot of the time you can just set your pole down for a little while and the fish might work the sinker free. If it's tied with the same line you use for mainline they'll likely break free instantly if it's a big fish.

 
#2. Reel line up until the shock line makes 3 wraps minimum on the reel.

 
#3. Pull shock line down to first eye from the reel and cut it ... place hook on the line and slide it up and then tie sinker on the bottom.

 
#4. Slide hook up about two feet and tie hook loop using a Dropper Loop, again be sure to lube the line with spit or it'll burn/weaken the line. You can tie the sinker on using a Centauri Knot or similar knot.

Now you're ready to throw ... Bait your hook with whatever and it'll have to be something pretty tough as we're goin to slang that puppy for all it's worth ... Just a stationary cast will sail rigging it up like this but if you use a stiff pole you can swing it ... limber poles don't work worth anything cause you can't get any power behind it. Swangin at Keystone dam is confined so you can't have 50 yds of line swinging around so what you do is reel your line up so that the sinker is between the eye closest to the reel and the next eye ... about half way works on most rods ... wear a glove cause if your line slips the drag a little it'll burn or cut your finger pretty badly casting this hard.

Alright this takes some practice ... start swinging the sinker away from you and then get it to swinging so it'll almost touch the rod and then back ... just let it swing and get used to it. Now when you're ready when the sinker reaches the rod and starts back down and out THROW IT!!!. Timing is everything casting like this ... and you need a lot of room.


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

I saw a show about sturgen fishing on the Niagra River years ago. These guys used water balloon slingshots set up between sign post(you may need your own post). They then had a 5gal bucket bottom facing there target set on a stand of some sort at about a 35 degree angle. Take off the desired amount of line a rap around the buckent starting from the reel and rapping forword in succesive raps the the bait rig. Then load the bait in the sling shot and launch to your target. These guys could hit a dime at 100 yards. It was really cool. They could get way past the casters. It also allows for use of a little heavier wieght. Its alot of stuff to carry but it was very productive. The guy also said it saves the rod from all the casting stress. Might be worth a try. I would guess it would be cheap to. All you would really have to buy would be the sling shot. Everything else you might allready have around the house. Now that I think about it the guy had the bucket rigged up in back of pickup as they backed right up the river. With a little practice and trial and error it be a way to get out there with little effort. Good luck. S


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Anyone ever use one of these bait clips?

http://breakawayusa.com/shop/is.jpg


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