The 3-way rig is well known to most catfish anglers; it’s most effective in certain situations such as dead lining in current or pulling baits with your trolling motor. If the catfishing technique involves movement of water or boat movement, then this rig is a good choice.

The 3-way rig is not a good all around catfish rig that you can throw from the bank. I see many people who are fishing for catfish using this rig, I think simply because it’s been a very popular rig throughout the years and it’s what they learned from grandpa. But the 3-way rig is definitely a situational rig.

If you’re looking for the best all around catfish rig, one that can be used in any catfishing situation, then look to the Carolina rig.

Over the years catfisherman have modified the 3-way rig for different catfishing situations and techniques.
I’m going to cover the most productive modified rigs that I use, when I’m competing on the Cabelas King Kat pro tournament trail and discuss their situational uses and benefits along with the tackle you will need.

First I want to just be up front with you and say that are a number of different variations to this rig along with several tackle options, but at the end of the day, you still just have a situational 3-way rig.

Let’s get to it!
Top three situational 3-way rig techniques that will produce catfish
Traditional 3-way rig without modifications is the most common and is mainly used when dead lining in swift current. But the great part about the traditional 3-way rig is the versatility, as you can also modify it and drag your baits across the contour of the bottom with the help of a trolling motor and use it to walk your baits downstream using the current.
The first illustration is a common 3-way rig used in swift current. This rig can be used when you’re dead lining and you want to keep the bait off of the bottom.

To start, first tie one ring of the 3-way swivel to the main line using a Palomar knot. Next cut a piece of 20 lb mono drop line about 2 foot long and tie it to one of the two remaining rings on the 3-way swivel using a clinch knot. Attach the other end of drop line to the weight; this should leave approximately 18-20 inches of drop line. Now cut a piece of 50 lb mono leader line about 18 inches long and tie it to the last remaining ring on the 3-way swivel using another clinch knot. To finish the 3-way rig tie a circle hook to the tag end of the leader line using a Snell knot, now tip with a piece of cut bait and your ready to fish.

This rig can also be used to walk the bait downstream either from a stationary position or a controlled drift, using the trolling motor to slow the boat speed in the current as seen in the second illustration.

From a stationary position in current: drop the weight until it touches the bottom, Gently lift your rod tip up several inches, feel the weight break free of the bottom and slide down stream, free spool slowly until the weight touches the bottom again and lock it and give it a minute or two, if you don’t get bit, repeat the process several times. This technique requires a reel that holds 2-3 hundred yards of fishing line. I only like to allow about 150 yards of line out before I reel back in and repeat the walking process all over again, this is a great technique commonly used below dams but works anywhere there is swift current. Your weight size will vary depending on the current flow.

Santee rig is very effective in lakes and reservoirs. This modified 3-way rig pulled along the contour of the bottom of a lake or reservoir with the use of a trolling motor, also some anglers who do not have a trolling motor will let the wind carry them over the contour. However I prefer the use of a trolling motor to precisely keep me in a good strike zone such as along ditches or drops and ledges.

Items needed for the basic 3-Way rig
Keep in mind item specs listed below will change according to the size fish your are targeting.
Example below is a good all around combination of tackle required. It’s what I use to target trophy size catfish but is also effective on 5 lbers.
65lb braided or mono main line. (I prefer braid)
3- Way swivel
50 lb mono Leader line
20 lb mono drop line
#8 Circle hookBank sinker
(Santee option- 3 inch peg float)

Tip: Notice the break rating on the drop line is less than the mainline. This is one option you may want to take advantage of to save tackle and time when fishing with any 3-way combination. It’s called a sacrificial weight, meaning it will break before the mainline when hung up on structure, keeping the rest of your rig intact so all you have to do is retie the drop line and weight instead of the whole rig, this saves a lot of time and frustration.

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The Kentucky rig is and has been a very common and effective fish catching rig among crappie anglers for years, and if you talk to anglers that target many other species of fish you will find that Kentucky rig has been around for a long time. In recent years it has gained popularity among the bass anglers which has dubbed the rig as a drop shot rig.

This is a great method of fishing but it is not commonly talked about in catfishing industry. Kentucky rigging is more commonly used where structure is present. Unlike the Carolina rig which is probably the best all around rig for most situations, the Kentucky rig has some specific applications that can make this a very effective way to setup when targeting catfish around structure, the Kentucky rig is also effective when bottom bouncing the weight on the flats for blue catfish in open water.

Why use the Kentucky rig in heavy cover?
The dynamics of the rigs usefulness is that the weight is on the bottom, when fishing amongst heavy cover, if you get hung up or snagged, just potion you boat above the snag and lift the rig up then let the weight drop down briskly a few times and allow the weight of the sinker do the work to free the rig from the snag. If done properly the weight of the sinker will be enough to dislodge or knock the hook free. Keep in mind though, you do not want to jerk and pull the hook hard when you first get snagged to try and free it, this will only embed to hook deeper into the wood and make it tougher for the weight of the sinker to break it free.

been my experience that attaching the hook to a dropper loop knot works best, this allows the hook/bait to be taken deeper into the catfish’s mouth insuring a better hook up ratio. I have tried it by tying the hook directly to the line but feel as if I’ve lost more fish than I’ve caught, my thinking is, because the weight is on the bottom pulling the mainline taught at all times, the catfish can feel a taught mainline above and below the hook as they are trying to take it, creating sort of a restriction/barrier, not allowing the hook to be taken freely and as the fish feels it, they will back off of the bait and move on.

When to Use

The Kentucky rig/drop shot rig is an excellent choice when fishing heavy cover and the fish are holding right on or in that cover and you need to get right on top of them. This rig will work for blue catfish, channel catfish and flathead catfish; you just need to be sure to tailor your hook size and baits accordingly for the type of catfish you are targeting.
Flathead and channel catfish often hang out, in and around structure such as brush piles, log jams and other structure oriented areas that hold crappie, blue gills and other bait fish. So this rig is great for probing deep into the structure where the catfish reside for the ambush.

Tackle required
40-60lb mainline
Barrel swivel
30-40lb. mono leader line
2-5 oz. bank sinker
#5-#9 circle hook

Keep in mind though, this rig is not recommend this for all catfishing situations but when fishing in or around cover or open water bottom bouncing, you will find this to be a very effective setup, reducing snags and losing tackle.

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