Trolling over heavy cover is a recipe for breakoffs. To combat this, anglers on Santee Cooper designed a special rig employing a slinky weight and crappie float to keep the weight on the bottom but the hook out of cover.
“I make my own weights using utility cord,” said guide Spencer Edmonds. “I use anywhere from 16 to 23 pellets of No. 3 buckshot, stuff that down in the cord and melt the end of the cord to hold it tight.
“The deeper the water, the heavier the weight you need. Down on (Lake Moultrie), I like 23 to 24 pieces of lead, but on (Lake Marion), I normally use 18 to 20. I’m also using a snap-barrel swivel so I can change if I’m fishing up and down a lot, all I’ve got to do is snap off one weight and snap on a different one to match the water depth.”
After the weight, Edmonds pegs a 2-inch crappie float on a 3- to 4-foot leader between the hook and the swivel. The added buoyancy of the float rides the hook and bait up off the bottom where it won’t snag.
“Now, go find that heavy cover,” said Edmonds. “The slinky weight provides your catfish rig with 4-wheel drive, trolling easily over the thickest cover without getting stuck.”
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