The catfish rig
A wels catfish rig is built around a heavy lead and a strong trace, because a big cat tests every link. Fish it two ways: a running leger that lets the lead slide while the bait sits on the bottom, or a float paternoster that holds the bait off the bottom on a fixed line. Both end in a strong single hook on a heavy trace.
| Running leger | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid around 50 to 80 lb, or heavy mono; a strong shockleader if casting a big lead |
| Lead | A heavy running lead of 110 to 220 g (4 to 8 oz) on a run ring, free to slide |
| Bead | A buffer bead above the swivel to protect the knot |
| Swivel | A strong swivel, rated for the fish |
| Trace | Heavy mono 25 to 45 lb, or coated braid or soft-strand wire of similar strength, 30 to 60 cm |
| Hook | A strong single hook, size 6/0 to 8/0 (a wide-gape or circle pattern), barbless or micro-barb where required |
| Bait | Deadbait, a worm bunch, squid, or large halibut pellets |
| Float paternoster | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid around 50 to 80 lb, or heavy mono |
| Float | A large float sized to carry the bait and the end lead |
| Swivel | A strong swivel below the float |
| End lead | A lead on the end to anchor the rig, sized to the float |
| Trace | Heavy mono 25 to 45 lb, or coated braid or wire, on a branch off the main line above the lead |
| Hook | A strong single hook, size 6/0 to 8/0, barbless or micro-barb where required |
| Bait | A livebait or deadbait, set to hang off the bottom |
What it's for
Wels catfish, on or just off the bottom, in big rivers and warm lakes. A wels is the largest freshwater fish most anglers will ever hook, and it pulls hard and dirty for snags. So everything on a catfish rig is stepped up: a heavy lead, a strong abrasion-resistant trace and a big, strong single hook. Two presentations cover the fishing. A running leger lays a bait flat on the bottom for cats feeding low, in deep holes, channels and along snaggy margins. A float paternoster lifts the bait off the bottom, which helps over soft mud or weed and presents a livebait or deadbait at a set height. Whichever you fish, the strong trace is the same and it is not optional.
The rig at a glance
Two versions on one rig. The running leger, read top to bottom: the main line comes from the rod and passes through a heavy running lead, or a run ring carrying the lead, so the lead slides freely on the line. Below it a bead protects the knot, then a strong swivel tied with a Palomar knot. From the swivel hangs the trace, heavy mono or coated braid of 25 to 45 lb, 30 to 60 cm long, and a strong single hook snelled on the end. Bait it with a deadbait, a bunch of worms, squid or a few large pellets. Because the lead runs free, a taking cat feels little resistance until it moves off, then the line tightens to the rod. The float paternoster, read top to bottom: the main line comes from the rod to a large float, set to fish the bait off the bottom. Below the float a strong swivel, tied with a Palomar knot. From the swivel the line runs down to a lead on the very end that anchors the rig on the bottom. A short way up from that lead, the strong trace branches off on a loop or a second swivel and carries the single hook with a livebait or deadbait. The float and the end lead together hold the bait at a set height off the bottom, clear of soft mud or weed, where a roaming cat finds it.
How to build it
- Snell the hook on the trace. Tie the strong single hook to one end of the trace, heavy mono or coated braid of 25 to 45 lb, with a snell knot. The snell whips the line down the shank so a big hook sits square and turns into the cat's mouth under load. This trace is the non-negotiable bit: it sits between the cat and your main line.
- Tie the swivel and set up the lead. Tie a strong swivel to the other end of the trace, and to the main line, with a Palomar knot. For the running leger, thread a heavy running lead or a run ring onto the main line first, add a buffer bead, then tie the swivel below it so the lead slides free. For the float paternoster, slide the float on the main line first, tie the swivel below it, and add the end lead below the swivel with the hook trace branching off above it.
- Bait and set the trap. On the running leger, hook on a deadbait, worm bunch, squid or pellets and lower or cast it to the bottom. On the float paternoster, hook on a livebait or deadbait and set the float so the bait hangs off the bottom at the height you want. Set the rod securely with a strong, set drag or a bite alarm, because the take is hard.
How to fish it
For the running leger, lower or cast the bait to a deep hole, a channel or a snaggy margin, tighten down to the lead, and set the rod with a bite alarm and a set drag. The take is a hard, unmistakable run as the cat picks up the bait and moves off, so let the run develop, then lean into it and turn the fish away from the snags before it buries you. For the float paternoster, set the float so the bait sits off the bottom over soft mud or weed, cast it gently so the bait stays on, and watch the float slide away. With either rig, fish the warm months and after dark, when wels feed hardest. Use strong gear matched to the size the water grows, keep the drag set firm, and be ready to give line to a big fish.
Where this rig works
The catfish rig is for wels catfish wherever they grow large in big rivers and warm lakes. Across the atlas it is fished on the Ebro in Spain, the river that grows the giants below Mequinenza; on the Po Delta in Italy, through the channels and lagoons where the big cats roam; and on the Danube near Budapest, the fast city river that holds good wels. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses a catfish rig will link to this same page.
Catfish rig questions
Two cover most situations. A running leger lays a bait on the bottom and lets the lead slide, for cats feeding low in holes and channels. A float paternoster holds the bait off the bottom over soft mud or weed. Both run a strong trace and a big single hook, matched to the size the water grows.
Strong enough to survive a hard, abrasive mouth and a dive for snags. Use heavy mono of around 25 to 45 lb, or coated braid or soft-strand wire of similar strength, 30 to 60 cm long. A light leader is cut or worn through and loses the fish, so the strong trace is the one part you never skimp on.
The running leger lays the bait flat on the bottom and lets the lead slide on the main line, so a taking cat feels little resistance. The float paternoster anchors a lead on the end and branches the hook off above it, holding the bait off the bottom over mud or weed. Same strong trace and hook on both.
A strong single hook, size 6/0 to 8/0 in a wide-gape or circle pattern, barbless or micro-barb where the rules ask. For bait, a deadbait, a bunch of worms, squid, or large halibut pellets on the leger, and a livebait or deadbait under the float paternoster. Match the hook to the size of cat the water holds.
Two. The strong single hook is tied on the heavy trace with a snell knot, so it sits square and turns into a big cat under load. The swivel is tied to the trace and the main line with a Palomar knot, strong and simple on braid and heavy mono. The same two knots build both versions.