Rodger Taylor said several key factors combine for a successful catfish trip, even when the fish are biting as well as they are during May. One is making his own drift rig.
His fishing rig is simple but extremely effective. Taylor uses a homemade sinker rig, which weighs about 3/4 to an ounce depending on the depth fished. He uses a egg sinker and places a wire loop though it with the ends extending out about four inches to make it more weedless. He clamps it together at the base of the sinker with a wire crimp.
“It’s simple and easy to make at home and just as weedless as anything I’ve used,” he said.
He ties this in above a swivel on his main line. The leader is about 18 inches long and is attached the other end of the barrel swivel. He uses a 6/0 Gamakatsu circle hook on 20-pound Trilene Big Game line. At halfway from the swivel to the hook, he clips in a 1 ½-inch oblong cork float to keep the bait just off the bottom.
“The drift rig used is a key to success, and the speed of the drift is crucial, too,” Taylor said. “I’ll keep my speed at 0.5 to 0.8 miles per hour. I’ll use the electric motor to speed up or slow down the drift, depending on the impact of the wind. If you drift too fast, you’ll have the bait too far off the bottom and won’t catch as many fish.”
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