# tightlining for catfish?



## Rembis50 (May 28, 2013)

Does anybody know how to tight line for catfish? Do you just cast out with your bait sitting at the bottom and wait? What kind of rig do you use?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Tightlining just indicates that once your bait hits bottom, you engage the reel so the fish can't take line. Don't wander off, its a good way to lose a rod.


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## gabertooth (Apr 16, 2013)

this is how i have always fished for cats... Heavy weight, then bait about 2-3 feet above it... I like this method because you can see any activity going on with your bait at the rod tip... Actually, I didn't know of any other way to do it??? Never lost a rod, but I can see how it would be easy to do so...


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## Curtis937 (Sep 17, 2010)

I use a bait caster with a clicker and put a 3/4 oz slip sinker and a circle hook on the end a lot of times if the cats feel resistance they will drop it you can keep your line tight by adding a small sinker about 6" above the hook this way when they take your bait there is no resistance I only use the tight lining mentioned below with carp because when they feel resistance or a hook they run 


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

In the river I like to use a flat 3-5 ounce no-roll sinker (I have these available BTW!) ahead of a swivel then a 18-24 inch leader with a 1/0-7/0 circle hook on the end. bait with cut bluegill, shad suckers ect. size of the hook and sinker depends on the size of the bait and the strength of the current. In a lake I like the same rig but a littler sinker can be used. I like 1/2-1 ounce bank or egg sinker.


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## RushCreekAngler (Jan 19, 2011)

I came close to losing one at our clubs tourny. I had my spinning rod on the ground with the bail open and a twig keeping the line tight, holding my casting rod. Had a fish on the spinning rod, set down the casting rod and forgot to release the spool. Another cat hit the casting rod. By the time I got to it the handle was just entering the water.  Had two cats on at once - that was interesting.
Did get razzed a little at the weigh in, they heard me cussing on the other side of the lake
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## JimmyMac (Feb 18, 2011)

Most people who fish from a boat with sturdy rod holders will fish with the reel engaged, as the fish takes the bait he hooks himself. Fishing from the bank, unless you figure out a way to keep your rod sturdy its not the best idea, though it does work. When bank fishing most people use a reel with a clicker (line out alarm) and as the fish pulls line off the spool the reel ticks and alerts the angler a fish has picked up your bait. There are various reels with this feature, on most baitcasters that have it, they call it a "bait clicker" on spinning reels they call it a "bait feeder", but most just call it a clicker, lol.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

as mentioned previously, its a great way to lose a rod... especially if you are fishing with live bait... flatheads absolutely destroy live bait, a big one will snatch a rod without you even seeing it happen....

if you are fishing for channels with dead bait I wouldn't worry to much about it...


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